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 





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shoe insults

Last year I consulted with a local podiatrist: Dr. Robert F Herbold Jr. D.P.M. 4717 Swift Rd., Sarasota , FL – 34231  because I was being bothered with a couple of bunions  (yes I am at that age). I was very impressed with this Doctor.  He agreed that I had bunions, but he ventured that it was much too soon for surgery. (Now there’s a first). Instead he recommended some “arch supports” to relieve the tension for my feet, a tension which was exacerbating the bunions. What’s more -  he told me that he sells these arch supports at the miserly sum of $2.50 each (about 1/5 of the price in the local pharmacies). He is an honest man, and I recommend him to anyone with foot problems. So, a couple of weeks ago, having purchased some new walking shoes, I knew that I needed to buy a couple of new arch supports I took myself to his office. Once there, my mind went blank. I wanted to ask his front desk Clerk if I could buy some “shoe inserts” , as I could not rem...
Read more

It began in Bristol U.K. "A man dies" and "Jesus Christ Superstar"

Image
I well remember the swirling controversy in Bristol, U.K. when a (Presbyterian) Minister the Revd, Earnest Marviin created a ":Rock Opera", called "A Man Dies"  in and for his congregation in the Lockleaze area of Bristol, U.K. Earnest Mrvin I was a sixteen years old member of the Plymouth Brethren Church back in those days, so I most likely disapproved of "A Man Dies" .  We, (the Plymouth Brethren),  disapproved of everything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I had forgotten all about "A Man Dies" until earlier today when saw these pictures on the "Bristol, Then and Now"  Facebook page.   St. James Presbyterian Church, Lockleaze, Bristol  The Bristol Then and Now page includes the following commentary: Lockleaze, Bristol  -  'Jesus Christ Superstar' began at St.James (Presbyterian) Chur...
Read more

The background, the couple, my friends, the wedding ceremony, the Shaykh, the Priest,

Image
The background   I have known the Keller/Bonsey family since 2000 when I became the Rector at St. James's, Cambridge, MA. They (Elisabeth Keller and the Revd. Steven Bonsey with their four children Noah, Sam, Josiah and Annie) had come back to Cambridge from Hawaii where Steve had been the Rector of an Episcopal parish. Steve had just been appointed as a Chaplain at Tufts University (no Sunday morning duties) so the entire family was able to enrich our common life at St. James's - which they did with great love and joy. I count them as friends and have stayed in touch with them since my retirement.  Noah, the oldest son is eloquent in Arabic (he spent a year in Damascus when Syria was a safe place).  He has developed a super career as an analyst of social media in the near East.    Noah worked in Tampa for a while a few years ago, so he and I were a...
Read more