Go see gorgeous lakes. For instance, the Teton Wilderness area in Wyoming is a wonderful place. The scenery is majestic. The town of Jackson Hole, a friendly place with many good restaurants and places to stay, suits everyone�s pocketbook. Further north, a remarkable Park known not only for it's beauty, but abundant wildlife and geysers - Yellowstone!  It is great  to see it  not only from the ground but also from the air.  Take plenty of  data sticks, discs, film...!

Experience the Rocky Mountains. What fun it is to fly around one of the 14,000� mountain peaks. Longs Peak, a magnificent backdrop of Estes Park, Colorado is a favorite photo spot. From there one can land in nearby Boulder, our home base, and have a great time. It is a town for everyone. Just a 10 minute flight east of Boulder is the least expensive gas we have found anywhere. Pump it yourself for those prices people! The charming little FBO is also a comfortable pit stop and has fresh goodies on weekends. You will love it.

Envision yourself flying over the Grand Canyon. Wow! The landscape and colors are awesome. Along your route through the southwest you can plan to see sites like Monument Valley, Bryce Canyon, Lake Powell and a multitude of other well known highlights. The fun thing about making a bit of a longer trip is landing at the small airports and meeting the locals. Most of the time, there is a courtesy car available or someone willing to give you a ride to town if it is not within walking distance. The fuel prices are better too!

Whether you ski or not, it is very interesting to fly over ski areas and towns. There is wonderful scenery for great pictures in winter and summer. For those of you who ski, scout out your next place.  For example, try Steamboat. Enjoy it's beautiful approach and landing, borrow a courtesy car and drive into this unique town for a great cappuccino. There is a great little place for a delicious deli sandwich! If you want to kick it up a notch, check out The Yacht Club for a superb lunch while looking across the Yampa River at the guys and girls practicing ski-jumping. Whew! Telluride also has a beautiful approach, be it a bit more challenging for landing. The runway sets on a plateau, you will like it.

Do you like beaches? The coast of Maine is spectacular! If you prefer a warmer place, the beaches along the Carolinas to Florida are all lovely. (Good diving in the Bahamas is only a hop from Ft. Lauderdale.) The beaches along the Panhandle of the Gulf of Mexico are most interesting with many varieties of coastal terrain. In the northwest the coastline is exciting.  The Puget Sound with its many islands makes this a great place to visit. More about this area in our floatplane section.

America�s Heartland is a must. The view from above is sensational. There are miles and miles of cornfields and farming areas. Blame the weather to check out a sleepy little town. You will find people who are exceptionally friendly and helpful. Air born again, you will also find air traffic controllers who speak slowly and even ask how you are. You are not just another tail number.

Need to brush up on your radio skills? Fly from Philadelphia to Maine via NYC and Boston. You�ll be a pro by the end of that jaunt. Plan on non stop talking.  Actually, it is really fun. Of course we have the advantage of both being pilots so one of us can always handle the additional work-load. Want another challenge? Fly to Las Vegas to see the latest casinos from the air. Your patience will be tested first while circling over the reservoir, waiting to be cleared into their airspace. Make sure you have plenty of gas and by all means, speak loud, clear and concise. They like that and you have a much better chance of getting slotted in with the big guys. If you have a temperamental radio, forget Vegas. Flying to get there is easy, but to get a clearance IS a gamble.

These are a few glimpses of flying in this big Country. It offers possibilities for every temperament and interest. First, the fun part is planning your trip and then just do it!

Response and suggestions are appreciated to  [email protected]

This page was serviced last on 29. March 2005