Special Flights

Sunset Behind the Golden Gate Bridge

I've done a lot of flying this year, but some flights stand out as special. Tonight's flight is one of them. I took my good friend, Karen Dean, up for a sunset Bay Tour.

The skies were cloudy but I had a feeling that, with Karen on board, we would be treated to a great sunset. Karen is one of those special people in the world that brings light to everyone she meets. If anyone would get a wonderful sunset, she would.

We took the runway under cloudy skies and the plane levitated itself off the runway in fine style. There was a layer of haze up to about 1500 feet but we flew above it. The haze added an air of mystery to the hills of the peninsula. As we approached San Francisco we could see the edge of the cloud layer above. Sure enough, the sun ducked underneath it to give us an amazing show.

We cruised over the city of San Francisco as the sun coated the hills in a pink and golden light. The city started to sparkle with its lights and the Golden Gate Bridge was coming alive. I flew directly over the bridge and then circled Angel Island so Karen could see the trails we've both run on now. Back towards the city and it looked beautiful in the twilight, some circles over Alcatraz and another loop towards Angel Island. Karen looked around with obvious joy and took pictures. I requested a Bravo transition back down the peninsula using the lower altitude route, going from control tower to tower as we flew south back home. It was full dark by the time we landed and it was a nice landing too.

Flights like this, where I get to share the simple joy of flying with someone who doesn't fly are so special. I've been so fortunate to be able to take my brother, Rob, my sister, Kelly, Craig from the UK, Chris and Karen flying this year. The way their faces light up when we take to the air and they see the world from my perspective is just wonderful. Being able to share this joy with others reminds me of why I fly.