A Cessna 172 Flight over Chicago's Western Suburbs

Another beautiful day to fly, this time from Schaumburg then over the far western suburbs and returning over the the northwestern suburbs of Chicago.  Here are some pics:

 

 

And a hug for the plane. :)

Aerobatics Training on a World War II T-6 "Texan"

An amazing aerobatic flight training experience in a World War II era T-6 aircraft from Gauntlet Aerospace.  I had an hour of pre-flight instruction and a one-hour flight, which included rolls and various other aerobatic maneuvers.

 

Another fun flight in a Hughes/Schweizer S-300

Continuing to train for my helicopter rating over the nearly clear skies of Northern Illinois...

 

 

Another training flight in a Hughes/Schweizer S-300

The Hughes/Schweizer S-300 helicopter is a agile and versatile aircraft, with very responsive controls. It's a pleasure to fly.  Here are pics from an additional training flight, beginning in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Beginning formal training for my helicopter rating

Helicopters have always been fascinating to me.  I've been on many as a passenger, even after I got my pilot's license for single-engine fixed wing aircraft and seaplanes.  So, finally, I decided to begin the training on getting my helicopter rating.  My first training flight was today, on a Hughes/Schweizer S-300C.

 

Earning my seaplane rating in Minnesota

Having once flown on a seaplane in Australia many years ago, I've always craved flying them as a pilot. Ever since getting my pilot's license, the dream of taking controls of a seaplane finally came true this weekend.  Yes, I earned my float-plane rating with about 8 hours of flight training here in Lino Lakes, Minnesota, with Adventure Seaplanes. The training was followed by a check-ride from an FAA examiner, and voila! I became a seaplane pilot.  Here are some pics and a video from my training:

 

 

 

Exploring the Uruguayan Coast from Above

Today I rented a Cessna 182 with a local instructor (since I only have my US-FAA license) to fly around Punta del Este, Uruguay, including its pristine coastline. The smaller of the two airports in Punta del Este is used exclusively for small aircraft. My flight path took me northeast along the coast, turning around in the area of La Pedrera, then heading back southwest toward downtown Punta del Este and on to Punta Ballena.