Soaring

May 7, 2023 Recounting yesterday’s unforgettable alpine flying tour. 

Woody wrote to me at the end of my preparations for the trip to tell me we would be taking a sightseeing flight with a private plane over Leman and into the Alps.

I had never flown on a small aircraft and felt both excited and apprehensive. The night before, I struggled to fall asleep even though my body still had not fully adjusted to Central European time. 

On Saturday morning, we drove to the airstrip and met Jean Charles, an experienced flight instructor for the Swiss military, who is my nephew Malcolm’s friend. 

As we boarded the Cessna, JC’s utter ease and disarming demeanor immediately dissipated my nerves. This was going to be a great flight after all and not something to fear, just because maybe we’d bounce around.

The other Wades insisted I take the front seat on the outbound flight. This was a great move as it allowed me to take an active part in the flight (I even got to take the controls briefly and, yes, fly over the Swiss Alps). 

We took off and crossed over the azure Leman (aka Lake Geneva) before heading into the mountains. Smooth weather blessed us with a mix of blue sky and partly cloudy cumulus over the Alps.

Landing at the state-of-art airstrip in Saanen near Gstaad, next to old barns and pastures we walked five minutes into town for a quick beer and Wienerschnitzel, with attentive service and a cool venue at Landhaus.

After our brief return flight over The Lavaux and lakeside cities of Vevey, Montreux and Lausanne, we stopped for a final drink at the airstrip before heading home.

A stunning day, soaring above the Swiss Alps. It’s one of coolest things I’ve ever experienced!