A large part of my childhood was spent in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. During our visit, I got some time to fly around the Island with Pete in his Piper Arrow. While I did get some stick time, I had my camera with me so there were some pretty frequent changes of control so I could get some photos of various parts of the Island. Cowes is an interesting place from the air so we managed to get a few shots as we circled overhead.

Shooting through the window of the Arrow is not ideal but the transparencies in Pete’s plane are in good shape so do not make things too distorted. Of course, when facing into the sun, the reflections from inside the plane can sometimes be an issue and they do crop up in some of these shots. The harbor is the main area of interest. I lived in an apartment just off the waterfront with a great view over the Solent. We could watch the various boats coming in and out. There are two ferry services that run to the mainland. Both are operated by Red Funnel and one is a passenger catamaran while the other is a car ferry.

Much redevelopment of the harbor area has taken place since I left. Some of the old houses on the waterfront have disappeared to – replaced by apartment developments. The marina has undergone a significant transformation and a new breakwater appears to be under construction just offshore. I wish I had more aerial shots from my teens when I was flying over the Island to compare with what is there now.