There is a tradition among pilots to go and have a "$100 hamburger" or a "$100 breakfast." This refers to making a flight to some airport to eat in their restaurant/cafe instead of a local place. If you factor in the cost of a plane rental, fuel and the meal, a simple burger and fries or eggs/ pancakes, it can be at least $100. Somehow, the meal ALWAYS tastes better away from your home airport. So, on a clear, beautiful Sunday morning on March 11,2007, my wife, Fern, and I drove to Melbourne Orlando International Airport, where I rented a Cessna 172SP, call sign N53570, at the local FBO. We were going to fly south to Fort Pierce's airport (FPR) to eat in its restaurant, the Airport Tiki. The Tiki was known for its pancake breakfast. This was not our first trip like this. We had flown together several times, including to Fort Myers for brunch, Okeechobee and River Ranch Resort for lunches and breakfasts, in addition to several sightseeing flights. Fern was the perfect co-pilot and passenger. She helped with watching for other traffic and observed the "sterile cockpit" rule where no one, except the pilot, speaks when on takeoff and approach to landing.
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