Sunday, August 21, 2005

"Home"

Date Aircraft Route of Flight Time (hrs) Total (hrs)
21 Aug 2005 N21481 LWA (South Haven, MI) - 6G0 (Davison, MI) - LWA 3.4 363.2

Today's goal was to fly back to Oakland County, Michigan and do some aerial sightseeing over my home town(s).

Before departing the area around the South Haven airport, I circled Carpenter's Dairy Farm in Bangor to photograph this year's corn maze.




This year's maze depicts a highly detailed image of a train, right down to the caboose with an apple on the side like the one on the outskirts of town.


Eastbound, I passed over the interchange of I-94 and US-131.  I have always admired the symmetry of this particular interchange.


Slightly further east, I crossed over the Kalamazoo - Battle Creek International Airport (AZO).  Kalamazoo was a great place to perfect - ok, improve - my radio work once I bought Warrior 481.  On weekends when I give tours at the Air Zoo, I fly in just for the practice.


Eventually, I was over my childhood stomping grounds.   This is Lake Orion (town and lake) looking northward from 7500' feet.  My uncle has lived on the eastern shore of Lake Orion (pronounced "or-yun") for as long as I can remember.  Every Fourth of July, the town puts on an incredible fireworks display over the lake.  Some of my fondest childhood memories are sitting on the seawall at my uncle's house on fireworks night.


I lost some altitude to get a closer look.  Lake Orion (the lake) is in the center of the photo.  The smaller lake, bottom-middle of frame, is Elk Horn Lake, the lake where I grew up.  It was nice to see "home" from such a different perspective.