Visibility: about 5 kilometers
ceiling: inversion with clouds at about 3.000 feet
GAFOR: “C” clear skies!
Temperature: 18°C
Wind: 240, 20 knots
QNH: 1017hPa
Location: EDAY (Strausberg)
Equipment: “Foxtrot Mike” (Cessna 152)

One of the great things about being a pilot is the ability to go places. The term “day trip” gets a whole new meaning.

Sunday in late September. The morning is a bit hazy but promises to be nice. The kid is with the grand parents, the wife is with the pilot. The island of Usedom is the goal for the day. We will meet up with friends there who also travel by air.

The visibility is not great but we climb “on top”. Here, above the clouds, we enjoy the sun and the calm air.

When we arrive, our friends are there already. We start talking about each others ride. His flying club’s Cessna 172 is from the 90s – practically new in general aviation terms.

There are bikes available at the airport and we ride to the near by town. Fish for lunch and chatting in the sun. Time flies and before we know it, the afternoon is over.

On the way back, we climb to FL65. Visibility is still not great, especially as we are flying towards the sun now. But spirits are high and we enjoy the rest of our pick nick. Sure beats airline food.

Back at home the sun is hanging low already. The shadows are long and the day on the beach comes to an end. We have some of the days fresh catch with us for dinner. A very nice conclusion to a very nice day.

To be continued…

 

(originally posted on September 17, 2012 by tilbo at aloft.blog.com/day-trip-to-the-beach/)