On the weekend of March 23, 2002, dad and I took a little trip up to the mountains of North Carolina from Leesburg, FL to see my brother and some old friends. With a turbo-charged engine and constant-speed prop, the Europa is a high-flyer. We made a flight plan for 17, 500 feet so the oxygen bottle was mandatory.

At 3 miles above the earth, the view can be magnificent. You can see the Gainseville, FL area and airport in the left pic. The east coast of Florida close to St. Augustine, and the Atlantic Ocean is clearly visible in the pic on the right.

The descent into Spruce Pine, NC meant we could shed the supplemental oxygen below 12, 500 and take in spectacular shots of the fast approaching North Carolina mountains. Mount Mitchell in the right pic.