My co-pilot

Sheila always enjoyed flying with me, and she was a great co-pilot.

My favorite flight was from Hanscom Field, in Bedford, MA (KBED) up to Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport in Maine (KSFM) for breakfast a couple of days after Mother's Day in 2013. It was a brilliantly clear day with only mild wind.  About perfect conditions for run in the Cessna 172 that I rented.  

Sheila loved to hop in and go through the checklists with me, asking intelligent questions along the way.  Enroute, as we both listened to Air Traffic Control notify me of potential traffic in the area, she would help me spot the planes.  She was amazingly good at spotting planes in the sky, a typically challenging task.

We landed and taxied to the Cockpit Cafe, a classic little diner that is one of my favorites.

I recall that Sheila ordered the veggie omelet, and then she got the waitress telling stories about both George Bushs who often land there on their way to their Kennebunkport house.

After breakfast we headed back out to the plane and she asked me to teach her how to do a preflight checklist, so we walked around the plane and I explained all the steps to her. 15 minutes later we were airborne.  We headed down the ME/NH coast with a clear sky but a significant headwind.  I remember she looked down as we flew over the ME turnpike and commented, "I think those cars are going faster than we are."

 A flight I will never forget.