Cross Country

This morning while I was whining about headaches and cold feet, the DH was in the airplane with two students flying the third cross country flight in our school’s history. (And I have a feeling they were not too warm, either!)

A cross country flight is a necessary part of Private Pilot License training where the student plans and flies a flight of more than 50 nautical miles before landing and returning to the original airport. In any country where flight training has been going on for a long time cross country flights are really no big deal, except to the student, of course. But this is China and everything is just a little bit more difficult here. As I’ve mentioned before, flight training is a new concept and getting permission to fly VFR (by looking out the window and referencing checkpoints rather than flying by instruments and ATC) even around our local airport can be a challenge. Cross country flights in China are even more of a pain due to multiple logistical problems, military control of airspace and weather concerns.

But today it all came together beautifully, as it did two days ago, and the flight from Linyi to Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province, went off without a hitch. They even flew right by Tai Shan! I’ve got pictures to prove it!

Linyi From the Air – Looking Southeast

Linyi From the Air – Looking North

Linyi From the Air – Looking Northwest (Yi Meng Lu Bridge)

Further Afield – Who says there is no solitude in China?

Just Another (Happy) Day at Work for the DH

So You Believe They’re Really There in a Cessna 172 – Tai Shan

Probably the Best Way to See the Summit of Tai Shan!

Lots More Mountains

Yep, that’s the “landing gear” and are those terraces?

Back to Linyi and Back to the Airport
View of the so-called first and second bridge roads

This is why we’re here! It is exciting to watch the students  make progress. The weather in November and December this year has been strangely clear. Last year there was very little flying at all during this time due to poor visibility and fog. I don’t know what to make of this, but I should not complain! A flying pilot is a happy pilot!

You can see all the photos at SmugMug.