Today we went on an airplane tour of the Monterey Bay! We had an AMAZING time and we both agree that it was one of the best experiences we have had so far in life. We booked the tour through AeroDynamic Aviation and we were treated with amazing customer service and instruction! We give them a full five stars and two thumbs up!
This was our plane, a Cessna 172. While our pilot, Jamie, was performing his pre-flight check, we told him that Eli had been considering getting his private pilot's license and that was why we booked this tour. Jamie was excited and said that he could record this tour as Eli's first flight hours and would teach him a thing or two!
Once we were in the plane, Jamie taught Eli how to "taxi" the plane. This meant using the rudders to steer the plane around the runway and get it in position to take off. When we were in position and all of our checklists were completed, Jamie practically let Eli take off by himself! It was amazing!
Leaving the Monterey Airport, we flew south over Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Carmel by the Sea, Point Lobos, and all the way to Big Sur.
View of Point Pinos and Pacific Grove
Additional view of Point Pinos and Pacific Grove
Point Lobos State Park
Carmel by the Sea
Highway One a.k.a. Pacific Coast Highway, View of Bixby Bridge
Additional view of Bixby Bridge
Big Sur
Captain Eli flying the Cessna 172
View of Bixby Bridge heading North
Jamie instructing Eli
Flying from Big Sur to Moss Landing
Flying over Pebble Beach
Co-Pilots
Making our way to the open ocean to look for whales!
We spent about 10 minutes looking for the huge shadows of Humpback whales but the water was too choppy to see anything.
We flew past my school, Cal State Monterey Bay, on the way back to the airport.
Full picture of the plane once we got back on the ground
Shot of the complex controls and instruments that pilots have to monitor while flying
One last picture of Captain Eli!
Once we got back to the office, Eli was given a flight log and Jamie signed off on his first 1.5 hours!
All in all, we had an awesome time!! Everything about the experience was great. The customer service, instruction, and tour were all exemplary! We would recommend the tour to anyone, whether they are visiting the area for a few days or have grown up here, like we have. It was incredible to gain a new perspective on the place we have lived our whole lives.
Thanks again to the people at AeroDynamic Aviation, specifically our pilot, Jamie!
All in all, we had an awesome time!! Everything about the experience was great. The customer service, instruction, and tour were all exemplary! We would recommend the tour to anyone, whether they are visiting the area for a few days or have grown up here, like we have. It was incredible to gain a new perspective on the place we have lived our whole lives.
Thanks again to the people at AeroDynamic Aviation, specifically our pilot, Jamie!