Most people just decorate their homes but a pilot chose a really unique way to celebrate the holiday.
A pilot on Dec. 24 made a Christmas tree with his flight path over Southwest Florida.
Here’s what to know about this sky-high feat.
How big was the tree
The website flightaware.com reported that the flight totaled 213 miles to create the tree, which includes a star at the top. The tree runs north and south over parts of the Everglades toward the center of southern Florida.
A mileage scale on the website shows the tree was about 30 miles from top to bottom and just under 15 miles on the tree’s widest part.
The flight began from Punta Gorda Airport at 12:27 p.m. and landed back at the same airfield at 2:08 p.m. ― a one-hour, 41-minute flight.
Who was the pilot
Neither Flightaware.com nor Punta Gorda Airport identified the pilot. However, flghtaware.com did report the owner of the single-engine propeller Piper Dakota Pathfinder as Jacob L. Faulkner.
LinkedIn shows a Jacob Faulkner as an Allegiant Air professional pilot in training based out of Punta Gorda. On his LinkedIn page, Faulkner wrote for his profile that he’s “a private pilot that is in full time professional pilot training.”
The single-engine propeller aircraft can reach a top speed of 170 mph and seats four, said Plane & Pilot Magazine on its website.
Social media abuzz over festive flight
Punta Gorda Airport Facebook reported the flight, saying: “On Christmas eve, a pilot flew out of PGD and drew a festive pattern in the sky, which shows a Christmas tree with a star on top. We love the #FlyPGD spirit!”
People weighed in, with many praising the pilot’s holiday spirit and called the flight pattern “awesome” and “very cool.”
Holiday lights galore:These SW FL Santas bring the cheer. ‘I’ve always loved Christmas.’
A few grinches commented too, blaming the pilot for delaying their flight into Punta Gorda Airport on Christmas Eve.
