In the Air Again, 2003

Cec and I rented an airplane and an instructor while we were in Florida in March- a cute little Cessna 172. I used to fly three times a week when I was getting my licenses in the early 90s, but I haven't even touched the controls of a plane since 1995. I was worried I'd be badly out of practice, but it turned out to be a really fun trip. The instructor- a pleasant guy named Barry- was pleasant and competent, and neither he nor Cecilie seemed too terrified through out the flight, so I guess that's a good sign. Preflighting the Cessna. Basically you untie the plane and check that there's no water or sand in the fuel and that there are no birds nests in the engine compartment.     Going through the engine start checklist Engine runup checklist completed and prepared for takeoff. Flying south down the west coast of Florida, away from Clearwater towards the mouth of Tampa Bay. We stayed at around 2500 feet (800 meters) for most of the flight. The mouth of Tampa Bay and the Sunshine Skyway bridge. The weird colours are because of the camera, not the sky. Barrier islands west of the south Pinellas peninsula. Freigter traffic into Tampa Bay. Barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico. A right 180-degree turn over the Gulf and we head back towards the airport. Back to the index page