Chasing Tranquility: Embracing an Early Morning Flight to Apopka Airport

The summer weather in Florida presents challenges, but early morning flights usually offer a serene escape from turbulent clouds and thunderstorms. Today I chose one of those mornings to fly. Although visibility was not perfect compared to later in the day, it remained acceptable.

I cherish these morning flights for their tranquility, cooler temperatures, and the flexibility to take off from any runway because of no wind at all.

Apopka Airport, with its single asphalt runway running parallel to the railway and close to a major highway, paints a picturesque scene from above.

Navigation in Florida is a breeze, thanks to abundant landmarks. It is almost impossible to get lost here, but even if you managed to get of the route somehow, you can just fly to the West until you see a shoreline.

The “Crystal River – Apopka” route stands out as exceptionally straightforward, guided by a large concrete runway of Inverness airport, and then some very distinguishable lakes and highways. Even for those who are really bad with a paper map navigation, it’s easy to find a route, and for me paper maps and VORs were the main source of information for a while since our cessna does not have a GPS 🙂

Despite the early hour, signs of activity dotted the airspace, for example, rather active radio communication on the Winter Haven frequency. It seems I’m not alone in relishing the tranquility of early morning flights!


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Milestones

04/09/2017: My First Flight
04/25/2017: EASA PPL written exam (6 exams passed)
05/21/2017: Radio Operator Certificate (Europe VFR)
05/22/2017: EASA PPL written exam (all passed)
05/26/2017: The First Solo!
05/28/2017: Solo cross-country >270 km
05/31/2017: EASA PPL check-ride
07/22/2017: EASA IFR English
08/03/2017: 100 hours TT
12/04/2017: The first IFR flight
12/28/2017: FAA IR written
02/16/2018: FAA IR check-ride
05/28/2018: FAA Tailwheel endorsement
06/04/2018: FAA CPL long cross-country
06/07/2018: FAA CPL written
07/16/2018: FAA CPL check-ride
07/28/2018: FAA CPL ME rating
08/03/2018: FAA HP endorsement
06/03/2019: EASA ATPL theory (6/14)
07/03/2019: EASA ATPL theory (11/14)
07/15/2019: FAA IR IPC
07/18/2019: FAA CPL SES rating
08/07/2019: EASA ATPL theory (done)
10/10/2019: EASA NVFR
10/13/2019: EASA IR/PBN SE
11/19/2019: Solo XC > 540 km
12/06/2019: EASA CPL
12/10/2019: EASA AMEL
02/20/2020: Cessna 210 endorsement
08/30/2021: FAVT validation
05/27/2022: TCCA CPL/IR written
05/31/2022: Radio Operator Certificate Canada