This past Sunday I finally made it back up into the air to get my flight currency back up to par. The weather was fantastic – light winds, light clouds and a beautiful sunset, the likes of which you can only see from the air.
There is something about doing touch and goes against the backdrop of a blood-red sun silhouetting the Atlanta skyline. I only did 6 touch and goes, one of which was a short field takeoff and landing and I loved doing every one. Each is different as things are always changing. In my case the sun was getting lower and lower on the horizon with each subsequent exercise. Plus there was the occasional jet or traffic element to offer some challenge.
One thing I got to see while waiting for takeoff clearence that I’ve never witnessed before was watching one of those banner-towing planes make its approach and drop its banner on one of the unused taxiways at KLZU. I’d read about how they do this in the AOPA magazine but it was a thrill to watch the pilot skillfully drop off his trailing banner right in front of me.