March 23, 2023 - Florida Vacay 23
Champ Flight
Checking out Bruce's air fleet. That's his newly painted Libelle glider on the left and his Aeronca Champ on the right.
The Glasflügel 201 Standard Libelle (German: "Dragonfly") is an early composite Standard Class single-seat sailplane produced by Glasflügel from 1967. 601 were built.
You don't need to spend 200 grand on a overpriced LSA to fly. You can get something like this for less than 10G.
I took this Florida jungle picture outside of Bruce's hangar just after daybreak. I kid you not.
Lots of swamp area on the west side of New Hibiscus and Interstate 95.
Heading north and looking west.
Indian River and Wabasso Causeway Park.
Passing by the Orchid Island Golf and Beach Club.
Passing by Windsor, a private residential community. The rectangular grass area in the foreground is the Polo field. Behind it is the golf course.
"An exclusive, architecturally distinctive private community featuring a diverse array of custom oceanfront, fairway-front and village homes as well as a links-style 18-hole golf course by Robert Trent Jones Jr., an Equestrian Centre with a polo field, a Tennis Centre by Stan Smith, and world-class dining. Members enjoy a unique sense of connection in Windsor’s vibrant Village Centre and through its rich cultural programming."
If you have to ask how much it costs to buy a place here, you probably can't afford it.
A public beach area we've been to a few times.
Looking down at the Sebastian Inlet.
We headed west from Sebastian Inlet.
That's an interesting little community called Palladin Estates down there. Every house is waterfront!
Following the St. Sebastian River, although it looks like it has been turned into a canal.
Once you get away from the coast, Florida isn't too crowded.
Looking for gators at the Stick Marsh.
Over an area popular for airboat rides. We rode the Marsh Beast airboat here a few years ago. I know there's a lot of gators down there but they are hard to see from the air.
Intense agricultural areas surrounded by marsh.
Crossing Highway 60, heading south.
Checking out a private grass strip owned by a guy Bruce knows.
More low level.
Being shadowed.
All too soon, we were back at New Hibiscus. Then I had fun flying the Champ solo for a half hour while Bruce worked on his Libelle. We celebrated the morning's successful flight by a delicious breakfast at Cracker Barrel.
