#16 - Flying

I started learning to fly in January.  It's something I've always wanted to do, and to do it out in California felt like a good idea - it's a lot cheaper than the UK, and the countryside around here is spectacular.  There is a little airport at the end of our road, and there are lots of similar little airports close by - probably about 30 within a 90-minute flight.  This adds up to lots of potential for fun weekend trips.

I have been learning in a Cessna 152, a tiny two-seater single-engine propeller plane which I find more comfortable than my 6'4" instructor.  I've found the experience incredible - I love the feeling of flight, and seeing the ground from the air.  I finally went solo and passed my written test in June, and I am hoping to take the practical exam to get my licence in the next month.

Here are some photos from my first solo flight:

Until I get my licence, I can't take up passengers.  But I can if my instructor is also in the plane.  In May, I took Dad up for a tourist flight around the Bay, and last weekend I was lucky enough to repeat this with our friends Elliot and Julie (of toilet roll video fame).  They took some great photos of San Francisco and the Bay:

The financial district and the Bay Bridge

The salt flats on the east side of the Bay

The mudflats and estuaries near the airport (and our shadow)

I'll keep you posted on progress!

(More photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/gawley/108Flying#)