A.C. Frieden's Cockpit World: 1998

Friday, July 17, 1998

Flying in Georgia with Scared Friends

On July 17, 1998, I was visiting Tifton, Georgia, a sleepy town in the southern part of the state, when I had the urge to rent a plane at the local airport and take some friends flying. It was a perfect day, with clear skies and warm temperatures. Great idea, you think. Well, when we got into the hanger, the attendant was glued to the television, following the breaking developments of the disapperance of a Piper Saratoga II aircraft piloted by JFK Jr. in the sea off Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Lesson learned: check the news before you take inexperienced passengers with you. I finally got them to fly with me, but it took a lot of convincing (even though the weather was absolutely clear, that there was no other plane in the area, and that I'm a sane pilot).

(above) Taking my terrified friend, Candace, up for a short flight.

Thursday, April 30, 1998

Flying over New Orleans

In May 1999, I visited New Orleans with a law firm colleague to give respective presentations at my former law school. The trip coincided with the Jazz Fest weekend (yeah, not really coincidence). While there, i had an urge to fly around. So I rented a Cessna 172 from Lakefront Airport (Google Map) in and took my colleague and a former law school buddy of mine flying. And we couldn't have chosen a more beautiful day to see the city and surrounding areas. After takeoff, I headed south toward Algiers and then west toward Audobon Park, following the Mississippi. I circled near the Loyola campus and then returned east, heading toward Slidell, following I-10, and then returned to Lakefront Airport for an amazingly smooth landing.

(above) Flying a rented C-172.

(above) The Mississippi River, the Poland Street wharf (center), and the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (right) just south of the boundary of the Ninth Ward (far center/right), which was severely damaged in a later hurricane.

(above) The Mississippi River, the casino (far left), the World Trade Center (left), the Riverwalk (center).

(above) View of New Orlean's Pontchartrain Expressway (left), the Superdome (center/left) and the central business district (center/right).