Picking only one unique flight is very difficult, but I think the most unique one would have to be when I landed at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. This was actually my first flight upon arriving home from Africa, so I was a bit rusty. My instructor, my sister, and I all went flying a few months after COVID-19 hit when major airports across the country had almost no traffic. Flying that close to the city of Charlotte and then landing a Cessna at one of the busiest (usually) airports in the country was absolutely amazing. Just seeing a runway that wide and long was something I had never seen before by training at small Class G airports. I can still vividly remember looking down the runway and it seemed like it just went on forever. Knowing thtis would likely be the only time I would get to land a Cessna at a class bravo airport, I requested another go in the pattern. The controllers were very accommodating and loved having something to finally do. It’s also another testament to how awesome the aviation community is. I did one touch-n-go on runway 23R and then they cleared me to do one more! On the base leg to final tower said we could not do a touch-n-go but instead just a low approach as there was a Boeing 737 hot on our tail on final. This flight really opened my eyes to how quickly things can change in aviation as well as how stringent flying in bust airspace like this can be. A flight that comes in very close second would be my trip to Sun n’ Fun with my friend in a PA28. We flew from Charlotte to Lakeland with a stop in Saint Simmons for lunch (Southern Soul BBQ), which is still my longest flight to date. We camped right by the planes on the runway at KLAL for 4 nights. This was one of the few times I didn’t mind being woken up in the middle of the night mostly because it was from an Amazon Airbus thundering down the runway. Our second morning at Sun n’ Fun we were woken up by an F16 screaming past on a low approach. After a week of food, fun, and flying we had to pack up the old Piper Arrow and head back to NC. About 25 minutes after takeoff, I noticed a streak of oil running down my side (right seat) of the cowling. We immediately decided to divert to another airport to investigate the now very large streak of oil, tower even noticed it when we landed. After a series of engine tests and about a 2-hour delay, we determined that it was just residual oil that escaped the cowling. Aside from this, the trip went without a hitch. Aviation unlocks a whole new realm of experiences and can bring you to places like no other.
Clear skies and tailwinds to all of you aviators!
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