Flight Time–Stuart

Today, I planned a flight to two new-to-me airports – North Palm Beach County and Stuart. I departed Valkaria at 10:20 AM and flew south at 3,500 feet. The air was smooth and the visibility was pretty good. Just north of North Palm Beach County, I started to set up the landing, but the field didn’t look like what I expected. After a few seconds, I realized that it was a perspective issue - my Airport Diagram was printed North Up and I was flying south. After a quick mental flip-a-roo, the sight picture made more sense. I entered the pattern and landed on Runway 9R.

After a quick taxi back, I took off from Runway 9R, then turned crosswind and downwind, departing to the west. I climbed straight ahead to 3,000 feet to clear the Class D airspace around the private William P Gwinn airport. Then I turned north and started setting up for a landing at Stuart.

Once the radios were all dialed in, I copied the airport information and turned straight towards Stuart. The Tower frequency was very busy, with at least three other planes approaching to land. At 11 miles out, I called in and was told to turn to a heading of 360 for sequencing to Runway 7. I turned as directed and flew north. A few miles later, I was told to turn for a straight in to Runway 7 and that I would be number 4 for landing. As I got closer, I was asked to slow down for spacing and that I was cleared to land number 2 behind a Cessna. The Cessna landed and was told to exit the runway at taxiway Delta. In the mean time, I was getting pretty close to landing. I realized that there was no way the Cessna would be off the runway before I landed, so I called Go Around. Honestly, I was expecting Tower to tell me to go around. I was actually surprised that he didn’t. I was even more surprised when he asked me if I needed assistance. I’m convinced that he expected me to land. I chose not to be the cause of a runway incursion today.

After adding full power and slowly removing the flaps, I asked which direction to turn. Tower told me to fly the left downwind for Runway 7. I flew west for a few miles, then Tower told me to enter a left base to Runway 7 and cleared me to land. I turned back towards the airport and made a normal landing. I was told to exit the runway at taxiway Delta and stay on Tower frequency.

Off at Delta, Tower asked where I parked and I told him I’d like to taxi back to Runway 7 and depart to the north. I was given taxi instructions for an intersection departure at taxiway Charlie 1. I held short of Charlie 1 and watched a Cessna land and pass by. Tower asked another plane if he was ready. He was not. Then he asked if I was ready and I said, “I’m ready!” He cleared me for takeoff with a north departure.

Stuart is a very nice small town. I crossed the St. Lucie River and the Intercoastal before turning north to follow the shoreline. I definitely want to return here and spend the day.

The flight to Valkaria was smooth sailing at 4,500 feet. At Valkaria, I entered the pattern behind a Cessna that was doing touch and goes. Another successful flight concluded.

The flight track is shown below.

Valkaria to North Palm Beach County to Stuart to Valkaria

Flight Time: 2.3 hours
Total Time: 588 hours

Flight Time–St. Augustine

Today, I decided to fly to another first-for-me airport – St. Augustine. The cloud coverage maps showed the skies clearing along the coast by mid-afternoon, so I planned to start the flight around 3:00 and return before sunset.

The flight north was pretty standard. I climbed to 4,500 feet, then requested flight following from Orlando Approach. Passing the Kennedy Space Center, we could clearly see, and smell, the smoke from the recent fires. Soon I was handed off to Daytona Approach, then cancelled flight following about 20 miles south of St. Augustine. After getting the airport information, I contacted Tower and was told to enter the right downwind for runway 13. After landing, I asked Ground for permission to taxi to the self-serve fuel pumps.

On the ramp at St. Augustine

After topping the tanks, Andrew and I took a short break, then climbed back into the plane. I was given taxi instructions back to runway 13, where we departed straight out towards the coast. During the climb out, Andrew took some pictures of the Northrop Grumman facility. This is where they build the E-2D aircraft.

Northrop Grumman E-2D factory

Once clear of the St. Augustine Class D airspace, I turned towards the town of St. Augustine. Andrew took pictures of the town, including the castle and lighthouse.

St. Augustine

St. Augustine lighthouse

We then climbed to 5,500 feet and cruised down the coast. As we approached the southern end of the restricted airspace surrounding the Kennedy Space Center, I thought it might be fun to turn left and continue flying down the coast. So, I turned left after crossing Highway 528 and flew to Cocoa Beach. Along the way, we passed over Cocoa Village and the ship canal.

Cocoa Village

The ship canal at Cape Canaveral

At Cocoa Beach, I turned south and followed the coast. We passed by Melbourne around 6:50, but I wanted to keep flying. I continued south to Vero Beach, then turned around and flew north along the Indian River. We landed at Valkaria around 7:15. With the sun behind the trees and the light breeze, it actually felt cool and refreshing.

Cocoa Beach

The flight tracks are shown below.

Valkaria to St. Augustine

St. Augustine to Valkaria

Flight Time: 3.4 hours
Total Time: 586 hours

Flight Time–Naples

For today’s flight, I decided to go to a new airport on the Gulf Coast – Naples Municipal. The flight west was smooth at 4,500 feet in mostly clear skies. The weather at Naples, however, was going through some transitions. When we first listened to the Automated Terminal Information Service (ATIS), the airport was landing runway 32. A few minutes later, I heard Naples Tower tell someone they were cleared to land runway 23. At first, I thought the controller had misspoken, so I listened to ATIS again, and sure enough, the winds had changed.

I contacted Tower about 8 miles out and was told to report a 5-mile final. Due to the runway change, I was already aligned to runway 23. Tower told me to slow down so that he could get a departure out in front of me, and I complied.

On the ground, I contacted Ground and asked to taxi to Naples Aviation. I was cleared to taxi and followed the Follow Me golf cart past several bizjets to a spot near the FBO.

Naples Aviation

The FBO was fabulous and luxurious. The first thing I noticed when entering the door was a freezer full of complimentary ice cream bars. Nice. We walked to the fuel desk and talked to the attendant about our options. They charged a ramp fee but waived it if you got fuel. I chose to do the self-service option. The attendant then took us on a quick tour of the FBO, showing us their store, eating area, lounge, and relaxation rooms. Andrew and I ate our snacks in the eating area and discussed what to do next.

The front desk at Naples Aviation

After eating, I asked another attendant if there were things to do within walking distance. She suggested Tin City, then offered us access to a crew car. I sheepishly asked if that was a free service and she said yes. I filled out the required paperwork and she handed me the keys to a brand new Chevrolet Malibu.

Andrew punched Tin City into his phone and off we drove. We noted the time, because the car was only ours for 90 minutes. We arrived within 15 minutes.

Tin City is a collection of shops along in an indoor walkway along the old piers. When I first walked in, I was reminded of Pikes Place Market, in Seattle.

Tin City

The shops inside Tin City

After touring the shops, we went outside and walked along the river. There was an underpass under the main highway and views of other shops and condos.

The Riverside Walk near Tin City

Shops and condominiums along the river

After an hour, we returned to the airport and dropped off the car. Back in the plane, we taxied to the self-service pumps and topped the tanks. Soon we were on our way.

Departing Naples Municipal

We left Naples and flew north along the coast. Soon we passed Fort Myers. Then we turned to the west and followed the shoreline of Sanibel Island. After passing Venice, I contacted Tampa Approach and asked for permission to transition the Sarasota Class C airspace along the beach at 2,500 feet. I was granted permission and continued. As we neared Sarasota, we were told to turn to a heading of 270, which took us far out over the Gulf of Mexico. Once clear of the Sarasota Class C and Tampa Class B airspace, Approach turned us back on course. Soon we passed the Skyway Bridge that spans the Tampa Bay inlet as part of Interstate 275.

Beautiful water, with Skyway Bridge in the distance

We continued along the coast all the way past Clearwater, then began turning overland to return to Valkaria. We crossed Tarpon Springs, then Odessa, before flying directly towards home. As we turned at Odessa, a Southwest 737 flew over us on its way to Tampa. Further along the route, we passed by all the now-familiar landmarks that make up the Sun ‘n Fun approach into Lakeland.

Looking back on the flight, I was surprised at how nice and friendly Naples Aviation was. Although they had a ramp fee, it was waived with the purchase of fuel. Their self-service price was nearly the cheapest in the area. And the crew car was brand new. I also got more experience talking to ATC and flying as directed. The sights were great and the weather was beautiful. And spending time with Andrew is always a joy.

Below are the flight tracks for today’s flight.

Valkaria to Naples

Naples to Valkaria, via the Gulf Coast

Flight Time: 4.2 hours
Total Time: 582 hours

Flight Time–Flagler Beach

Today, I planned a flight with my mom. She had flown with me once before, back in Washington, with my instructor, but never with just me. I decided to plan a flight up the coast with a landing at Flagler Beach (KFIN) for fuel. The weather looked good, but afternoon thunderstorms were in the forecast.

I left the house around 8:00, which is about the earliest I've ever got started. I stopped at Costco to get gas for the car, then stopped to talk to one of my partners, who was helping out at the pancake breakfast at the airport.

The solo flight to DeLand was smooth and enjoyable. The sky was mostly clear. There’s a reason why pilots like to fly in the morning.

I met Mom in DeLand, near the restaurant. We boarded the plane and departed to the northwest to fly around the Daytona Beach Class C airspace. By now, the smooth air was gone. We were gently bounced around the sky as we cruised up the coast. We turned around at Matanzas Inlet and flew south along the beach. I contacted Flagler Tower and was given clearance for a straight in approach and told to report on a four-mile final. I was number three to land when I reported in. Unfortunately, the spacing wasn’t good and we could not land. Tower told me to offset right and go around. We flew the pattern to the right, then landed on the second attempt.

After landing, I contacted ground and was given a shotgun set of instructions. I asked the controller to repeat, and this time I was ready to copy, “Taxi Charlie, Delta, cross 11, left on Gulf, right on Foxtrot”. I topped off the tanks, then we were back on our way. I considered stopping at the FBO/restaurant, but with the storms predicted, I thought it better to keep moving.

For the flight back to DeLand, I did something I haven’t done yet since getting back into flying. Rather than go over or around the Daytona Beach Class C airspace, I contacted Approach as soon as I was able after leaving Flagler’s airspace. I asked to fly south along the beach at 2,000 feet, past Daytona Beach, then to DeLand. I was granted my request and proceeded into the Class C airspace. I was handed off to the Daytona South Controller, who then told me to expect a turn toward DeLand at New Smyrna Beach. As we approached Ponce Inlet, I was told to turn right to a heading of 230. After a few minutes on this heading, I was cleared direct to DeLand.

On the ground in DeLand, I dropped off Mom, then got back in the plane for my return trip to Valkaria. By this time, there were cumulous clouds all around at 3,900 feet. I flew along at 3,000 until passing Melbourne, then descended through 2,000 feet to fly over Valkaria for a teardrop entry to runway 28. Overall, I enjoyed the flight, and I think Mom did, too.

The flight tracks are below.

Valkaria to DeLand

DeLand to Flagler Beach

Flagler Beach to DeLand

DeLand to Valkaria

Flight Time: 4.0 hours
Total Time: 578 hours

Flight Time–Fort Pierce

Today, I planned a flight to Belle Glade. The weather wasn’t all that good when we got up, but most airports were showing VFR conditions. Those that were not showing VFR were showing mist and/or fog. Belle Glade seemed like a good destination, and it would add a pin to my Visited Airports map.

When we arrived at the airport, one of our partners was just finishing up cleaning the plane after their flight. We talked for a few minutes, then shewed them away because we needed to get going so Susan would be back in time for another engagement.

We departed and flew south toward Lake Okeechobee. The clouds were decently high, but visibility was only about 10 miles. The air was very stable and silky smooth. As we approached the lake, we came upon a line of clouds at our altitude, so I climbed to 4,500 feet to get over them. After crossing the line of clouds, the visibility beyond and to the ground was blocked ahead by clouds. All I could see was grayness in front of me, so I made a slow turn to the right, around the top of a cloud and headed back the way we came.

Thick clouds near Lake Okeechobee

The flight was still young, and we didn’t want to return home yet, so I quickly planned a diversion to Fort Pierce (KFPR). KFPR is a controlled airport with Class D airspace. I was presently above their airspace, but I needed to get down soon if I wanted to land, but I also needed to be communicating with the Tower before entering their airspace. Susan quickly found the ATIS frequency on the map, and I jotted down the details on my kneeboard. I made a call to the tower at 8 miles out and we were cleared to enter the left downwind for runway 28L. I flew the pattern, landed, and exited the first taxiway. Then I was cleared to taxi back to runway 28L for my departure.

When I got back to runway 28L, the airport came to life. All of a sudden, it went from me being the only one landing to a line of arrivals, like you might see at Orlando. We waited as plane after plane landed. After about 15 minutes, we were finally cleared to takeoff.

We were told to take off straight out to the west to avoid interfering with planes landing and departing on runway 28R. After about a mile, Tower cleared us for the right turn to the north and we complied. As I climbed out of KFPR airspace, I had to continue a little west to avoid entering Vero Beach’s Class D airspace. At 3,000 feet, we turned toward directly toward the airport, then flew up the coast to Valkaria. Along the way, we got a nice little shower of rain.

Brightline train near Valkaria

Back at Valkaria, we topped off the tanks and put the plane in the hanger. As we wiped it down, we could hear the rumblings of distant thunder. By the time we left, there was visible lightning nearby. All in all, I’m glad we turned around when we did.

Our flight path is shown below, with Belle Glade at the bottom of the map.

Flight path

Flight Time: 1.8 hours
Total Time: 574 hours

Flight Time–Quincy

Today we planned a flight to Quincy, Florida. Quincy is a small town northwest of Tallahassee. The airport is small, with a large grass field. This would be a perfect spot for an overnight fly-in.

We left Valkaria around 11:00 and headed north up the coast. As we approached Daytona Beach Class C airspace, we climbed to 4,500 feet. Unfortunately, the cloud bases beyond were at 3,500 feet, so we were forced to descend to 3,000 feet. After a few miles, the clouds cleared, and we returned to 4,500 feet. Although we were now flying in clear skies, we were confronted with a 15-knot headwind and spent the next hour being bounced around. When we turned west, the ride got smoother and more enjoyable.

We landed at Quincy and taxied to the fuel pump. I was impressed at both the low price and how quiet the pump ran. I wasn’t sure if it was even on. After topping off the tanks, we taxied onto the grass near the FBO. I was surprised to find that the airport was not surrounded by an ugly chain link fence, but instead had a nice white picket fence.

Andrew and Susan at the FBO

We went inside to use the facilities and check out the upper level, then ate some snacks on a picnic table outside. While there, we talked to another pilot, and met his dog, Ninja.

Upstairs at the FBO

N7207W parked in the grass outside the FBO

Soon we were back in the plane heading south to DeLand. After taking off, I contacted Tallahassee Approach and got permission to transition their Class C airspace. I asked if we could fly over Florida State University at 2,000 feet and was granted permission.

Tallahassee International Airport

Florida State University

Soon after passing the university, we turned back on course. As we turned, we passed over the capitol complex.

Florida State Capitol

Our flight south took us very close to the Gulf of Mexico and over Cross City and Ocala. We planned to avoid the restricted airspace to the east, but the Jacksonville Approach controller asked if we’d like to go direct to DeLand, and I said, “Yes please!”.

In DeLand, we met Mom at the restaurant. The place was completely packed, and we had to search for a table. The service was slow, as expected, so we only ordered some drinks – non-alcoholic, of course.

Soon, we were back in the air to Valkaria. This flight took an hour, and the sun was about to set as we approached the airport. While maneuvering to land, we passed a south bound Brightline train.

Southbound Brightline train

Below is the route we flew.

Flight to Quincy

Flight to DeLand

Flight to Valkaria

Flight Time: 6.2 hours
Total Time: 572 hours

Flight Time–Palatka

Up to this point, I’ve been avoiding the busy Orlando Class B airspace. Today, I decided to change that, so I planned a flight to circumnavigate Orlando and see some new sights in central Florida.

Susan, Andrew, and I left Valkaria before noon and headed west toward Kissimmee. We flew at 2,500 feet - an altitude that was below the Orlando airspace, but above the Kissimmee airspace. Then we descended to 1,500 feet, turned to the north, and flew past some to the most popular Orlando attractions, including Disney, Sea World, the Orlando Eye, the Convention Center, and Universal.

Sea World

Orlando Eye

Universal

Once past the attractions, we turned to the northwest and climbed to 3,500 feet – just below the clouds. We flew past Apopka, Leesburg, The Villages, and Ocala. We turned back to the east after passing over Gainesville and the University of Florida.

University of Florida

We landed at Palatka Municipal Airport. While there, we ate some snacks and refilled the water bottles. Then we got back into the plane and headed for home.

Andrew and Susan, at Palatka Municipal Airport

Our route home took us past Palm Coast, Daytona Beach, Titusville, and Melbourne. While flying east from Palatka, I noticed that the clouds were thinning, so I was able to climb through a gap and get above them. We flew home at 5,500 feet in the glassy smooth, cool air.

Eastern Florida State College and Wickham Park

Upon reaching Valkaria, we decided to continue the flight south to Sebastian. There was an active Temporary Flight Restriction over Vero Beach for the air show, featuring the Blue Angels. We flew around Sebastian in a wide circle, hoping to see some signs of the air show. As we lingered in the area, we were excited to see the smoke trails of the diamond formation doing high loops over Vero Beach.

By this time, we were approaching my flight time limit, so I descended in a standard rate right turn down to 2,500 feet and headed north to Valkaria.

The route tracks are shown below.

Route track to Palatka

Route track to Valkaria

Flight Time: 4.1 hours
Total Time: 566 hours