"Malibu 9124Y you are cleared to GILBEY intersection descend to 11,000 feet and cross GILBEY at 4,000 feet," so said the Miami Center controller. It has been years since I worked the radios with air-traffic in a busy place like central Florida and on south to Miami. But then the anticipation of enjoying a few days in balmy seventy degree temperatures was a pleasure to look forward to, well worth the minor aggravation.

I caught a ride to Miami with my boss flying his beautiful high performance airplane. He had just installed a new suite of navigational electronics and was happy to have a second set of eyes to monitor our progress into the night, above the clouds all at 200+ miles per hour. From really frigid Nebraska to almost balmy southern Florida in just over five hours of flying time makes the private airplane truly a magic carpet.

My mission was to check out and return to Nebraska a "new" used airplane for one of my flying students. Through long distance negotiation he had purchased a Piper Lance, a 300 horse-six seater that cruises at a little more leisurely 170 miles per hour. As per usual there were a few little things that needed to be tweaked before the airplane was ready to go so that entailed another whole day in the nice 65 to 70 degree temperature that the Miami natives considered rather cool.

The original plan was to be home by Wednesday evening but here it is Thursday already and I didn't depart Tamiami Airport until after noon. I chose a first leg of only 250 miles to get used to the airplane and insure that everything was working as it should. My route northwest from Miami put me right across the huge swamp that borders Lake Okeechobee. The lake is the major source of water for Miami and they are concerned with what they consider a major water shortage. Seems to be a universal concern, short of water! Compared to southwestern Nebraska, I couldn't see that they had a problem!

Then, too, my cousin Mary invited me to stay at their "air ranch" just east of Ocala. Mary and Ray not long ago retired from jobs based in the Orlando area. Both are private pilots and have owned a series of airplanes over the years. They felt it only natural to retire in a place where they could keep their airplane handy. A concept that many of us aviation nuts have dreamed about, it is just that Mary, Ray and their dozens of neighbors have put the dream into practice. I had read about such places but never had the opportunity to visit one.

From the air my first glimpse of the perfectly groomed grass runway over a mile long was one of love at first sight. Ray told me to turn off at the street next to the windsock near the middle of the field. Ray was waiting there in his golf cart to lead me to a spot beside his hangar where my airplane would be secure for the night. First was a tour of his hangar, actually a home for his "toys."

Then a guided tour of the whole housing development, the covenant requires that each house has to have a hangar either adjacent or connected. Streets are shared taxiways and remember airplanes have the right of way over autos, golf carts and people. Each owner has to keep and maintain a person- al aircraft, some have more than one and a few more are also into antique automobiles, a great fit in my book. Aircraft range from several "war birds" at least one AD and a couple Stearmans, at least two amphibians, several home-builts and on down to lovingly-cared-for Piper Cubs. Not over 10 miles away is the "air ranch" where John Travolta lives, keeps and flies his small fleet, including an ex-airliner Boeing 707.

The people living here at Leeward Air Ranch are an eclectic bunch and obviously all have been quite successful in life. Here an attorney, the lady is a pilot and her husband isn't, a couple of retired air traffic controllers, retired and still active airline pilots and even a few like me, retired military pilots. Aviation seems to be the common bond and a relaxed feeling of camaraderie is evident. For me to live in a place like this would be a dream come true; now if Ann would just win the lottery! Actually, though, I do live in a place like that, only my drive to the airport is a little longer, I have more variety in weather and I am more than satisfied.

The plan is to make it home by Saturday evening unless I don't find even more distractions and delays along the way.

That is the way I see it.