A Flight Over Chufquen

Thu. Feb. 2, 2012

The Cessna 172. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face.

Jorge

Passing over Jorge's house just after takeoff

At the airstrip on the farm

The main house in the center, and the farm's warehouses and office buildings.

I returned to Santiago for a few days arriving late yesterday, but not before I had the opportunity to take to the air with my cousin Jorge. Jorge is the Administrator of the farm in Chufquen and he came to me the other day and asked if I would like to go flying with him, what a silly question! OFCOURSE!! I never turn down an opportunity like that, so Jorge went to the nearby city of Temuco, where the plane was, and told me that when he passed over the house, to get on my bike and go to the farm’s landing strip by his house a few miles away. When I got there Jorge had just landed, so I parked the bike and after a few picture we were in the plane ready to taxi.

We taxied to the opposite end of the runway, turned around and in a few moments were airborne. I a few seconds we were over Jorge’s house as we continued to climb to an altitude of only 1100 feet. I’m pretty sure we were below the tops of the nearby cell phone towers, but it made for a spectacular flight flying so low and slow. The Cessna 172 bounced around a bit due to the fact that it had been fairly windy all day, but no big deal. We flew at a speed of only 100 knots and the view at that altitude was spectacular. We flew over the town of Traiguen, where my family is from and then wandered over the nearby countryside seeing the sights.

Jorge also has a vintage Piper J3 Cub that he recently bought and he promised me a ride in that next year. That will be a thrill!