About the Pilot Captain’s Sky View, Commercial Pilot, CFII, Multi Engine Rated
About the Pilot, Captain’s Sky View
My name is Captain, or Justin if you ask the government, and I am a commercial pilot, instrument rated, and multi engine rated. I am also a certified flight instructor for instruments. I fly a Cessna 177RG Cardinal named Oscar. He is my flying classroom, my camera platform, and the way I explore the country. I use aviation, geography, and photography together to show people what America really looks like from the sky.
Oscar is the core of what I do. He is fast, efficient, complex, and built with retractable gear, a clean cantilever wing, and big windows with nothing in the way. Every mile teaches me something new about terrain, airspace, weather, and the story of the land, and I capture it as honestly as I can.
Where My Flying Story Started
Captain’s Sky View began long before Oscar. My flying roots go back to the first time I climbed into a Cessna 172 at Superior Flying Services in Superior, Wisconsin. That is where I learned what lift feels like when the wheels leave the pavement. That is where I learned about crosswinds, about trusting the horizon, and why flying hooks you for life.
After that I joined the Civil Air Patrol flying more 172s. CAP taught me structured flying, discipline, and the mindset needed for real missions.
My first flying club had a Piper Warrior, N43353. It needed no endorsements and it taught me smooth, precise flying.
From there I moved into aircraft that required more knowledge, more skill, and in many cases formal FAA endorsements.
I flew a Cirrus SR22 out of Duluth, Minnesota. The SR22 has more than 200 horsepower, so it requires the high performance endorsement under FAR 61.31(f). High performance means the engine is rated above 200 horsepower and the FAA requires specific training and a logbook signoff.
Next was the Piper Arrow PA28R named Snoopy. The Arrow is a complex airplane. Complex means retractable gear, a controllable pitch propeller, and movable flaps. You need a complex endorsement because these airplanes have more moving parts and more that can go wrong if you are not paying attention.
After that I flew a Cirrus SR20. No special FAA endorsement needed, but still a capable and honest traveling airplane.
Then I moved to a Cessna 182 Skywagon with a G1000 panel. The 182 also requires the high performance endorsement. It climbs strong, carries weight, and teaches energy management the right way.
After that came a Cessna 210 Centurion, a C210T. That one required both high performance and complex endorsements and introduced me to turbocharged flying. It was fast, powerful, and a real traveling machine.
I also spent time in a Citabria taildragger, which requires the tailwheel endorsement under FAR 61.31(i). Tailwheel flying teaches discipline. It teaches you how to land straight or not land at all.
All of these airplanes taught me something. Each one sharpened different skills. But none of them became the long term partner that Oscar is.
And along the way I earned my instrument rating, my commercial rating, my instructor rating, and my multi engine rating. Those ratings opened doors for me in weather, systems knowledge, crew coordination, and real cross country flying.
Where Captain’s Sky View Truly Formed
This project formed in the air. Not on a computer. Not in an office. It happened during long cross country flights watching the country change beneath me. Lakes turning to forest. Forest turning to plains. Plains turning to desert. Desert rising into mountain ranges.
At altitude the geography makes sense. The history makes sense. The entire shape of America finally clicks. I realized most people never get that view and I wanted to share it.
Aerial Photography of the Western United States, Through a Pilot’s Eyes
I have flown across the entire country, but the West speaks in a language pilots understand. It is not empty or bland. It is layered with geology, history, weather, and terrain that teaches you every time you fly it.
Nevada Desert and Ranges
The Nevada Test and Training Range, Mercury, Dog Bone Lake, Yucca Flat. From the cockpit you see the scars, the grids, and the history laid into the sand.
Great Basin Patterns
From the ground the terrain looks random. From the air it is geometric. Long valleys. Long ridges. Repeating patterns across Nevada and Utah.
Death Valley and the Mojave
Morning light, long shadows, salt flats, volcanic fields. Some of the best photographic light in the country.
Eastern Sierra
Granite to the west, desert to the east. Real mountain wave, real winds, and real terrain flying.
Utah Canyonlands
Ancient rivers carved the land into layers. Old lake borders visible from miles above.
Arizona High Desert
Red rock, volcanic scars, and the Mogollon Rim. Terrain that changes constantly and keeps you awake at the controls.
These regions are not just scenic. They teach real lessons in geology, weather, navigation, and geography.
I Have Flown the Entire Country
Oscar and I have crossed:
• The Great Lakes
• The Rockies
• The Appalachian spine
• The Eastern seaboard
• The Gulf Coast
• The heartland
• The deserts of Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and California
Every region has a chapter.
But the West still feels like the biggest classroom.
Flight Time Summary, End of 2025
• Total Time 1700 plus hours
• Single Engine Land 1700 plus hours
• Complex Aircraft 600 plus hours
• Glass Cockpit Time 700 plus hours
• Night Time 600 plus hours
• Cross Country Hundreds of hours in every region of the United States
• Primary Aircraft Cessna 177RG Oscar
• Ratings Commercial Pilot, Instrument Rated, Multi Engine Rated, CFII
None of these hours are sightseeing laps. They are real missions across real terrain.
What Comes Next
Captain’s Sky View is still growing and Oscar has more to explore.
Alaska
Glaciers, tundra, fjords, and aviation culture.
The Rocky Mountains
High passes, ridge lines, density altitude, and serious terrain.
The Great Plains
River systems, storm structures, irrigation patterns, and America’s survey grid.
The Eastern Mountains
Appalachians, Blue Ridge, and Alleghenies with deep history and changing weather.
Each new region adds more to the mission.