Flying over Buenos Aires

At the end of December 2007, I visited Buenos Aires, Argentina, and had the pleasure of going flying in a Robinson 44 helicopter over various parts of the city. The flight started from San Fernando (SADF) airfield and landed at AeroPark Airport downtown.

(above) Taking off from San Fernando airfield.

(above) The R-44 helicopter after landing at AeroPark Airport near downtown.

(above) Flying along the northern coast of the city (the Belgrano neighborhood), with the Rio de la Plata on the left.

(above) A cruise ship docked at the city's main port.

(above and below) Flying over the La Boca district and its famous stadium.

(above) Flying over the naval facilities, including an area where old submarines are being dismantled.

(above) Flying over the chic neighborhood of Puerto Madero.

(above) Flying along Avenida Figueroa Alcorta, you can see the Facultad de Derecho (Law School) building and to the right the Plaza Naciones Unidas (United Nations Plaza), with its circular reflecting pool which houses the Floralis Genérica, a huge mechanical flower erected by the architect Eduardo Catalano.

Copyright © 2008 A.C. Frieden. No reproduction permitted.

Flying in Chicago in Early 2000

A typical flight for me in Chicago in the late 1990s was to rent my Cessna (usually a C-172) at Midway airport and head either north (to Waukegan and north shore area) or down to Kankakee. The flight below was on a beautiful, high visibility day in April 2000.

(above) In the cockpit of my rented C-172 at Midway Airport, Chicago.

(above) My rental C-172 at Midway.

(above) Aircraft parked that day in front of Millionaire Aviation.

(above) And this F/A-18... Can I upgrade from my C-172?

(above) Taking off from Runway 31L (the one most used by general aviation).

(above) View of the "Loop" and Grant Park, Chicago.

(above) View my condo building (center highrise) at 5445 North Sheridan Rd.

(above) Flying over Wrigley Field and nearby "L" station.

(above) Flying over barracks and vehicle storage facilities at Fort Sheridan.

(above) Downwind at Waukegan Airport.

(above) Heading south over Rogers Park and Lakeview neighborhoods.

(above) Heading south past the United Center.

Flying in Chicago in the Late 1990s (Part II)

By late 1999, I became harder to find the time to fly. I was working long hours for a top Chicago law firm, had bought a horse to ride in the distant suburbs, was finishing my LLM thesis in the evenings, was writing my first novel, and maintained an over-active social life. It was a surprise that I could get any flying done at all. Most of my flights were local, starting from Midway and heading to places like Kankakee, Meigs Field, Rockford, Waukegan, and Lake Geneva. (To see "Flying in Chicago, Part I," click here). The pictures below are from a flight in mid-1999 from a C-150.

(above) I sometimes took an instructor with me whenever I spent more than a couple months without flying. This one (I forgot her name) was particularly nice.

(above) Spectacular view of downtown Chicago shortly after takeoff from Midway.

(above) McCormick Place and Meigs Field, which was a fun airport to fly into.

(above) Foster Beach, Lake Shore Drive, and my condo building on Sheridan Rd.

(above) View of the Diversey Harbor Lagoon west of Lake Shore Drive.

(above) Heading south along the north shore (Bahai Temple visible on left/center).

Copyright © 2008 A.C. Frieden. No reproduction permitted.

Flying in Chicago the Late 1990s (Part I)

After moving to Chicago in 1997, I began flying C-150s and C-172s, at first from Poplar Grove, and later from Midway Airport. Typical destinations included Kankakee, Meigs Field, Rockford, and Waukegan, and Lake Geneva.

(above) Flying as second in command in a C-172 from Poplar Grove Airport.

(above) View heading north at about 4000 feet, passing over Meigs Field (1999).

Copyright © 2008 A.C. Frieden. No reproduction permitted.

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.

Copyright © 2008 A.C. Frieden. No reproduction permitted.

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).

Copyright © 2008 A.C. Frieden. No reproduction permitted.

Showing Off to Friends and Family

What pilot doesn't want to show off (a little) to friends and family. So, the list was long... Throughout 1993 and 1994, I spend a lot of gas over the skies of north Texas, usually from Addison Airport to Denton or to the southern Oklahoma border.

(above) Standing with my mom next to my rental C-150 at Addison Airport.

(above) Taking my mom's friend up for a flight north of Dallas.

(above) Flying over my townhouse in Richardson, Texas (suburb of Dallas).