A Grand Day out

We had talked about this for a long time - why not get on a plane, fly to Pismo Beach, rent some ATVs
and cruise the dunes for a while. Yesterday we finally made it. Anna had rented a Cessna Skyhawk
from the West Valley Flying club, and after a thorough inspection we agreed that this was a good choice.
The trip would take about two hours, and while the weather condition was clear we were up for some
rough winds (at least that's what I thought :). Anna, our friend and experienced pilot was in charge of flying.

So here we are, watching Anna inspecting the plane. This inspection was more thorough than what
my car has ever experienced.

This is after take-off. Check the instruments: We are slowly rising, currently cruising at 4500 feet,
the airspeed is about 90 knots, both tanks are full, and we are making a slight left turn.

Susan is happy :)

Here we have Santa Cruz. You can see the long pier, and to the lower right of it
the famous Santa Cruz boardwalk.

Back in the cockpit. We are now flying at an altitude of 6,500 feet. The plane is pretty much steering itself -
as you can see Anna is controlling it with two fingers.



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