36.1

In the mid-80's the flight school at Republic Airport in East Farmingdale, NY, offered a deal I couldn't refuse: take your first flight lesson for $20 and actually get to fly a plane.

Where do I sign?!

It was a fantastic feeling being at the controls of that Cessna trainer flying over the beach, keeping the nose pointed just above the horizon and banking out over the water. Unforgettable.

In the end, it was too expensive. They required a ginormous payment upfront and it was beyond me, so it became another item on the "maybe one day" list.

But when the sky looks like it did when I took this shot, and I look up to see a bird soaring effortlessly through it, I wish I had gone ahead and signed up for those flying lessons...