Another good perspective on the vastness and beauty of a simple overcast sky as viewed from the cockpit.
This picture of Barnegat Inlet are brought to you courtesy of a client's Cessna Cardinal from about 2000 feet.
Wonder what a pilot sees when flying in the clouds? This is it. And this is the reason why we spend a vast majority of the time staring at instruments that tell us which way is up. There's simply no other visual reference available.
Heading southbound along the Jersey shore, we're coming up on Barnegat Light, which is only a few miles from my mother's shore house. HI MOM!
I thought this was a particularly nice looking extension of the coast of Maryland. If I owned that land, I'd put in an airport and make it my vacation spot.
This is what we call a "sucker hole", or a small hole in an otherwise solid cloud deck that can encourage a non-instrument rated pilot to use them to get on top of the clouds, only to have the hole close, leaving them stranded.
The Aerostar's panel is very pilot friendly. Everything is laid out well and within easy reach.
It's possible to buy completely restored Boeing Stearman aircraft for a surprisingly low price. This example was spectacular. It no doubt looked better than when it rolled off the assembly line in war time.
Most privately owned aircraft seem to hibernate with their owners during the winter months, but if you can tolerate being cold during the preflight, the toasty cabin heat can make flying during winter months a beautiful experience.