I studied abroad during Winter Quarter of 2020 in Florence, Italy.  Although I attended school and was still getting credit for UC Davis, my education was supplemented with the fun adventures I had abroad.  I soloed on my 16th birthday and got my license on my seventeenth, but fly in a different country? Well, I got to cross that off my bucket list at 20!  I flew a C172 (D-EPRT) and flew with a flight instructor out of Florence for a VFR flight.  I was surprised to hear our taxi clearance come back in Italian, as I understood English was the universal aviation language.  It is safe to say the flight instructor did all of the radio work for the duration of the flight, as I am no where near fluent in Italian.  I let my flight instructor pick our destination,  as he was more familiar with the area.  We departed to the southwest and flew over the tuscan country side before making our way to the coast.  The skies were bright, the visibility so great you could see France across the water, and the sea was crystal clear.  As we began to get closer to an island in the middle of the sea, my flight instructor informed me that this is where we would be landing.  I turned base to final and landing procedures were the same as normal, but this is the first time I have been on final over a body of water.  We landed on the narrow runway, and began our taxi back for takeoff.  Departing was a true shortfield takeoff with an obstacle to clear at the end of the runway, the mountainous terrain.  The mountains were cleared, and we were back over the sea headed towards the city center of Florence.  While over the city, we received a special five minute clearance to circle the duomo, given our low altitude and the dense number of people that populated the area.  Flying in Italy and landing on an island in the middle of the sea was easily a highlight of my study abroad adventure!  It was great timing, as two days later my program was canceled and I was sent home because of the pandemic.  This experience is one of the many unforgettable opportunities that I’ve been able to experience because of aviation. 

Ciao! 

Margaux Hein