Pilot Magnetism
George T Lewis Airport (KCDK) on Cedar Key, Florida seems like it was specifically devised to attract recreational pilots. Located on Florida's Gulf coast, its recently re-paved runway spans the entire length of a small island with approaches and departures bookended by the sea. At 2,355 feet long, the runway is short without presenting an undue challenge to any pilots paying attention. As if the moderate accomplishment of landing on a short(ish) island airstrip in a beautiful place was not enough enticement, there is food nearby to seal the deal. Cedar Key is a former fishing village presenting a microcosm of Key West kitsch without the crowds. What pilot could refuse?
Even as a New York-based pilot, I have been aware of Cedar Key for many years. Our 2021 stay in Ocala, FL put Cedar Key within easy striking distance and I convinced Kristy and The Bear to join me on a breakfast excursion. I also arranged to meet Pierre, a long time friend and colleague who bases his Archer II in nearby Zephyrhills, FL. It would be my first opportunity to see his airplane since he purchased it.
Familiar Sights
| Date | Aircraft | Route of Flight | Time (hrs) | Total (hrs) |
| 13 Jul 2021 | N21481 | OCF (Ocala, FL) - CDK (Cedar Key, FL) - OCF | 1.3 | 2293.1 |
Hazy air obscured the view, but when we finally reached the Gulf of Mexico, I was immediately transported back to 2005 when Kristy and I first flew along that same coastline. We were greeted by a view that immediately evoked a notion of the Gulf shore as a battleground where land and sea struggled for supremacy, coexisting in a sort of chaotic stalemate. It was a view that registered as a concrete visual touchstone to our trip sixteen years prior.
I had forgotten Pierre's tail number, but when he broadcast his landing intentions at Cedar Key, there was no mistaking his lightly accented English. He also answered a question I pondered while flight planning. Though the sectional chart names the airport as "Lewis", I had always heard it referred to as "Cedar Key". Pierre's announcement on the radio verified that "Cedar Key" was preferred by the locals.
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| Over the Gulf, photo by The Bear |
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| The town of Cedar Key |
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| George T Lewis Airport, AKA: Cedar Key |
We circled high to get the lay of the land, then landed on runway 5. I am reasonably sure that The Bear uttered at least one "cool" on seeing our destination. Pierre's Archer was the only other aircraft occupying the limited parking apron on a quiet Tuesday morning.
Short
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| Warrior 481 sitting at 11 feet MSL with the Gulf of Mexico immediately behind. |
Cedar Key (airport #226) boasts the shortest public-use runway in the state of Florida. It was also immaculate, having been repaved recently. On short final, Kristy expressed some concern about the runway length. I pointed out that it was merely 150 feet shorter than Le Roy when I was first based there and nearly 400 feet longer than Aeroflex-Andover in New Jersey.
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| The whole family arrived at Cedar Key. Photo by Pierre. |
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| Pierre with his Archer II |
An unassuming sign near the parking apron provided a warning to all and spoke to profound heartbreak.
NOTICE VFR PILOTS
You may lose your horizon after departure over Gulf.
Dedicated in memory of
Gary and Darinda Elkins
Bill and Sybil Wardlaw
By their friends in Cairo, Grady County, GA 2-15-80
Having been routed due north over Lake Erie after take off from Cleveland's Burke Lakefront Airport in the past, I was very familiar with how water and sky can merge into an undifferentiated void under certain conditions. It is a visual flight scenario that is well served by the discipline to trust one's instruments over their senses.
Pierre had a history with Cedar Key before ever landing an aircraft there. As a graduate student in Gainesville, he made regular fishing trips to the out-of-the-way destination. He indicated that commercial fishing activity had dwindled over time and been replaced by tourism as a primary economic driver. While some things had changed, others were very much the same as exemplified by a canal we paused to photograph. “I took this exact picture many years ago. It looks the same," Pierre explained.
We paused to contemplate this sign and the endlessly weird possibilities that it presented.
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| Bear Vs. Shark |
Caution! Land shark in the vicinity.
Island Kitsch
Pelicans are remarkably stately creatures. We enjoyed watching their aerial sorties, flying in graceful formations with precision and purpose. A nearby sign on the pier entreated anglers to "catch fish, not pelicans" and provided several suggestions on how to comply.
Cedar Key is a place where bad seafood puns flourish.
Duncan's on the Gulf
We dined outdoors on a screened-in balcony, enjoying the sea breezes and watching the pelicans.
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| Me and Pierre. Photo by Kristy. |
Our breakfasts were truly excellent, served by a harried waitress who apparently ran the entire place singlehandedly. She was efficient, well-humored, and delighted when we noticed her whimsically clever earrings.
Longest Walk
We chose to walk into town, nearly a two mile distance. As an early morning stroll, the Florida climate was reasonably agreeable, but the Gulf air had been set to "sauna" for the return walk. There is a local outfit that rents golf carts to shuttle people around the island (Cedar Key Adventures, 727-410-2112). An advance call will result in a golf cart ready and waiting at the airport for an excursion into town. Given the opportunity to repeat the experience, my family would have opted for the golf cart.
After preflighting both airplanes, we bid Pierre adieu. He still planned to go into work for the afternoon after returning his aircraft to Zephyrhills. A truly dedicated scientist, that Pierre.
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| View of the Gulf of Mexico prior to take off |
We launched and climbed in an arcing path around the airport for pictures.
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| Causeway connecting Cedar Key to the mainland. |
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| Piney Point on the southernmost tip of Cedar Key |
We flew past the city of Cedar Key one last time before proceeding back across the open water of the Gulf direct to Ocala.
Shiny
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| Landing runway 36 at Ocala. |
After shutting down on the Sheltair ramp, we encountered Lisa inside the FBO. Admiring Warrior 481 through the window, she commented, “Nice paint! Was it recently painted?”
“Eighteen years ago,” I responded, enjoying a pride of ownership moment.
“Then you must hangar it or keep it somewhere other than Florida,” she quipped, taking a dig at the local climate. She nodded without surprise when I told her that both things were true.
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| ForeFlight ground track from Cedar Key, FL (KCDK) to Ocala, FL (KOCF) |
Cedar Key has long been a bucket list airport for me and I was pleased to have finally had the experience of landing there and sharing it with my family. With Cedar Key so far from home, it was never going to be a destination unto itself, but it was a wonderful side trip as part of a bigger adventure. It was the shortest long trip of the summer.
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