Music City from Above

The forecast for August 17th called for another blistering summer Tennessee day, so I decided to get an early start and take advantage of the "cooler" morning temperatures for some flying. Some days, flying isn't just about getting from point A to point B. It's about the pure joy of being airborne and seeing the world from a perspective few people ever experience.

Watch the Adventure

Want to see this flight for yourself? Check out my YouTube video of this flight below and experience the journey yourself!

YouTube Video - Music City from Above

The Mission

The plan was straightforward: depart John Tune Airport (KJWN), head west to Dickson Airport (M02), and practice an approach with the autopilot, then hit another airport for landing practice, and finish with a scenic tour over downtown Nashville, just over an hour of flying to stay current and enjoy some beautiful scenery.

Approach Work at Dickson

The first stop was Dickson. It is a quick flight, and getting set up for the RNAV 17 approach is quick and easy. Without a safety pilot, I cannot count this approach toward my IFR currency. However, it is still valuable practice to set up for the approach, review the procedure, and configure the avionics to fly the approach. There's something satisfying about methodically working through approach procedures.

Landing Practice at Centerville

Since another plane was working the pattern at Dickson, I decided to head over to Centerville (KGHM) and practice another approach and landing.

Downtown Nashville

The scenic tour over downtown Nashville was the perfect way to cap off this practice session. Still, I had to navigate the airspace properly first. Flying around Nashville's downtown area requires coordination with air traffic control, as it's within Nashville International Airport's (BNA) Class C airspace. Therefore, I contacted Nashville Approach to request to fly downtown for aerial photography and video. Once approved and established in the airspace, Nashville Approach handed me off to Nashville Control Tower at BNA, who continued to provide traffic separation while I circled the city.

As you approach downtown, there's something magical about the skyline rising up and the Cumberland River winding through the city. Flying around the downtown area never gets old. You can spot all the iconic landmarks, including the Batman Building (AT&T Building), Nissan Stadium (old and new under construction), Bridgestone Arena, and the bustling Broadway district. The contrast between the urban setting below and the peaceful sky above creates this perfect moment of perspective that only pilots get to experience.

Return to Tune

With the downtown tour complete, it was time to head home. I contacted BNA Tower to inform them that I had finished my aerial tour and was ready to return to John Tune Airport. The controller acknowledged and instructed me to squawk VFR and contact John Tune Tower for landing instructions. A smooth handoff that's always appreciated after working in busy Class C airspace.

I contacted Tune Tower and told them I was leaving downtown and would be crossing midfield. Tower told me to report midfield downwind for runway 2. I crossed John Tune midfield at 3,000 feet, then executed a 180-degree turn to enter the downwind for runway 2. The pattern was quiet, and John Tune Tower cleared me for landing on runway 2. After an hour of flying that combined skill-building with sightseeing, touching down back at home base felt like the perfect conclusion to the flight. It was also already very hot, so I was glad to be back on the ground and ready to return to the air conditioning of my car.

Final Thoughts

Flying on hot Tennessee mornings isn't always the most comfortable. Still, the best flying experiences sometimes come from simple missions like this, staying VFR current, building skills, and enjoying the incredible views. Even though the instrument approaches didn't officially count toward currency, every practice session with the approach plates and autopilot is good practice.

Let's go flying!

Equipment & Software Used

• 2005 Cirrus SR22 G2
• GoPro Hero 13 & 10
• DJI Neo
• DJI Mic Mini
• Flying Eyes with Clip-On
• Lightspeed Delta Zulu Headset & iPhone App to record audio
• Foreflight
• iPad Pro 11" - screen recording
• Adobe Premiere Pro
• Adobe Audition
• Adobe Photoshop