I had been hoping for years to get an aerial photo of downtown Rangeley for many years now. So, I was happy to get the opportunity via the new scenic flight business in town, Chickadee Aviation.

Ronald Wood, owner of the new business is now offering scenic flights during the warmer months and will fly along with the rest of the snowbirds down south to offer scenic tours in Florida during the winter months.

What started as enjoyment for being in the air, quickly grew into appreciation for the logistics of being a pilot. “I started flying just for fun, and then I found out I really liked it. I liked the flying aspect the planning of it, the mechanics, so to speak.”

That, along with his love for the outdoors was part of the reason he was drawn to this business. “I don’t really care to be in an office all the time, I like being outside.” But why Rangeley? Well, he had been coming to the area for quite some time and felt there was just no place like it. Also, he thought the difference of perspective was worth sharing. “Far above is even more beautiful than it is on the ground”.

I considered whether to see for myself. While I had been in a small plane flying above Rangeley almost twenty years ago, it was different back then. For one, it wasn’t for enjoyment. Back then it was a quick means to get from point A to point B. More importantly, back then I had my baby daughter with me. Let’s just say I was distracted.

I spoke to Brianna Bridges, the pilot for Chickadee Aviation and she was as enthusiastic as she could be. It was obvious she loves being a pilot. She told me how she had went to college and kept on changing majors and with piloting has thankfully discovered her true passion. “I finally found something that I actually love.”

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So, a couple of weeks ago I decided to take a nice affordable 30-minute ride for the sheer enjoyment of it!

I thought about what Wood was saying about the beauty in the air as opposed to on the ground and it struck me that as I was up in the air, I truly did appreciate our area even more than ever. No ugly buildings, no large strip malls, no supercenter parking lots, no highways of traffic, just beautiful lakes and mountains as far as the eye could see.

Brianna happily guided me and my fella wherever we wanted to go. We looked for our friends on the beach. (They waved to us but I didn’t see them, ha ha.) We flew over our house, I took pictures of my friends houses, and goal completed, I got my long awaited cover shot! It was a memorable trip and I highly recommend getting this view of Rangeley, as it’s just another reason to love the town you live in. Us year-rounders need to feel like tourists once in a while!

Ronald Wood and Brianna Bridges of Chickadee Aviation

 

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