Fun (but no games) in the air today

Andy, Izzy and I took a Helicopter Ride today. It was terrific.

We took off from the back end of Sarasota Airport  (near Tallevast Road), using the services of Florida Suncoast Helicopters ( http://floridasuncoasthelicopters.com ), a business which sells helicopters, services them, houses them for clients, and offers tours for the public.

From the airport we flew due west across the inter-coastal to Longboat Key just about where the old Colony Beach and Tennis Resort was.  (President George W. Bush stayed there the night before he read to students at Sarasota's Emma Booker Elementary School.  It was whilst he was at the school that he heard the report of the second plane hitting the World Trade Center on 9/11).

 Then we flew south looking at Longboat Key, St. Armand's Key, Lido Key, Siesta Key and then Casey Key, all to our east.

We then flew north up the inter-coastal with the Keys to our west and the mainland to our east.

We didn't fly in straight lines. Our good Pilot (named Mike) swooped here and there so that we could look at Manatees, a Shark, and Dolphins in the water below.

Izzy and Andy have been here for almost two weeks, so they were able to recognize the south and north drawbridges from the mainland to Siesta Key; Siesta Village; and Turtles on the Bay where we ate last night. Mike also swooped around so that they could see from the air the Condo Unit  they are  renting.

We saw Stephen King's home on Casey Key; and the homes of Jerry Springer and Brian Johnson (of the band AC/DC fame)  on Bird Key.

See from the air I was shocked to see how much the various Keys (except Casey) are overdeveloped. This is not apparent when driving on the Gulf of Mexico Drive (LBK), or Siesta Drive, Higel Road SK).

The following photo's are not great.  Note to self  "next time take a real camera, and don't depend on an I-Pad").

Our "Bird". The same one on which I flew about flew when I treated my nephew Sam and his buddy Toby to a flight about six years ago.

Brother Andy to the left of the Pilot in the front seats.

Longboat Key and the Golf Course (Golf by the Gulf)

The Passenger Terminals  at SRQ Airport.

The authentic 'copter from a Batman movie.  "Garaged" at Florida Suncoast Helicopters, and still  flyable.


A flight with Florida Suncoast Helicopters could be just the treat for your next SRQ visitors.


 http://floridasuncoasthelicopters.com 





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