Cleared for the option
[...] "Climb aboard and enjoy with us a once in a lifetime voyage around America. Share our experiences through this diary, travel and picture book." [...]
[...] A seaplane is an aircraft designed to take off and land upon water. Seaplanes
can be divided into separate categories such as floatplanes, flying boats, and amphibious aircrafts (“amphibians”). [...]
[...] Day 2
It was finally here: the official takeoff, marking the beginning of our trip!
After months of planning, we left on the first leg which would take us to
Lake Michigan and Chicago, the home of notorious gangster Al Capone.
As the plane roared to life, we went over the checklist: flaps down, fuel
pump on, mixture rich, engine to full throttle, and prop full forward.
With a steady thrust we positioned the plane on the water and
increased the speed to 65 mphs followed by the familiar sensation of
freedom. It felt like gravity had released us and we slowly rotated up and
into the sky. The climb to the maximum altitude of 11,000 feet took
approximately one hour, as we headed out over the state of Michigan.
After 250 miles of fair weather and a quick stop for fuel, we saw the
Chicago skyline in front of us as a beautiful sunset painted the horizon.
We had arranged in advance to land and dock the plane near a yacht
club on the Chicago shoreline.[...]
