ready2fly
Well-Known Member
It IS a Small World After All (and/or We Don\'t Need No Stinking TFR\'S)
Cool flight last night!! Started out bumpy as hell, as usual...
Flew the 061 heading out of TPF towards ORL (Orlando Exec.). I tracked the ORL VOR and kept that bad boy NAILED - the "donut" was eatin' that needle, baby - YEAH!!
I noticed on my sectional that the course would take me somewhere near Disney, but I didn't know how close.
As I got w/in about 25 miles of ORL, I saw off to my 11 o'clock what appeared to be Space Mountain and the Contemporary Hotel (they have distinctive shapes). As I flew nearer, I KNEW I'd be cuttin' it REAL close!
I was at 3500 and had already gotten clearance from Approach (I was on Flight Following) to "descend at pilot's discetion", and with the TFR being 3000 and three miles and with me being the paranoid 128 hr. pilot that I am - I elected to stay at 3500 until past the park.
Then it got cool(er)!!
Not only was I going to be INCREDIBLY close to "The Magic Kingdom", I was basically threadin' the needle between Mickey's house and Epcot!
I had Disney on the left and Epcot on the right.... an OH YEAH - I had the AE-1 loaded and ready!!
I snapped off some incredible pics of both parks and was AMAZED at how small those parks really are!! The layout is such that they pack a TON of crap in a pretty small area. Incredible!!
As I passed the parks, I started my descent and at about 2000, I looked over to my left and lo and behold - there was Universal Studios Islands of Adventure!!! Now THAT place is HUGE!!! Snapped of a couple of more shots.
I was given clearance to land VFR on RWY 7 and was instructed to call on a 3 mile final.... they were bringing me straight in - a first for me VFR... so, naturally, I dug the heck out of that!!
As I'm on SHORT final, I see a bunch of white planes with red tails sitting off to my left in a fenced-in area. I look closer and it's the now defunct ATA planes.
I snapped a pic and did a salute to our brothers and sisters who are fighting the good fight against ATA and the Williams'.
Landed with a slight crosswind, flaps up, carb heat in, throttle full and I was off.
The flight home was smooth (er).
What a great flight!!
Can't wait to go again tonight - got just 3.3 hours to reach that magic 50 x/c hours and it'll be review time for the checkride, baby!!!!
Cool flight last night!! Started out bumpy as hell, as usual...
Flew the 061 heading out of TPF towards ORL (Orlando Exec.). I tracked the ORL VOR and kept that bad boy NAILED - the "donut" was eatin' that needle, baby - YEAH!!
I noticed on my sectional that the course would take me somewhere near Disney, but I didn't know how close.
As I got w/in about 25 miles of ORL, I saw off to my 11 o'clock what appeared to be Space Mountain and the Contemporary Hotel (they have distinctive shapes). As I flew nearer, I KNEW I'd be cuttin' it REAL close!
I was at 3500 and had already gotten clearance from Approach (I was on Flight Following) to "descend at pilot's discetion", and with the TFR being 3000 and three miles and with me being the paranoid 128 hr. pilot that I am - I elected to stay at 3500 until past the park.
Then it got cool(er)!!
Not only was I going to be INCREDIBLY close to "The Magic Kingdom", I was basically threadin' the needle between Mickey's house and Epcot!
I had Disney on the left and Epcot on the right.... an OH YEAH - I had the AE-1 loaded and ready!!
I snapped off some incredible pics of both parks and was AMAZED at how small those parks really are!! The layout is such that they pack a TON of crap in a pretty small area. Incredible!!
As I passed the parks, I started my descent and at about 2000, I looked over to my left and lo and behold - there was Universal Studios Islands of Adventure!!! Now THAT place is HUGE!!! Snapped of a couple of more shots.
I was given clearance to land VFR on RWY 7 and was instructed to call on a 3 mile final.... they were bringing me straight in - a first for me VFR... so, naturally, I dug the heck out of that!!
As I'm on SHORT final, I see a bunch of white planes with red tails sitting off to my left in a fenced-in area. I look closer and it's the now defunct ATA planes.
Landed with a slight crosswind, flaps up, carb heat in, throttle full and I was off.
The flight home was smooth (er).
What a great flight!!
Can't wait to go again tonight - got just 3.3 hours to reach that magic 50 x/c hours and it'll be review time for the checkride, baby!!!!
