John Sledge had been looking forward to this day for weeks. He had finally found a reputable Golden Retriever breeder near Valdosta, Georgia who had the perfect pup for him. His friend Clay Jefferson, who owned a Cessna 172, had generously offered to fly John over to Valdosta to pick up his new furry companion.

They met early Wednesday morning at the Enterprise Municipal Airport in Clay's polished white and blue Cessna. The sun was just peeking over the horizon as they did a thorough pre-flight inspection and loaded up the plane. Clay filed their flight plan with departure from KEDN and arrival into KVLD while John bounced with excitement in the passenger seat.

The 85 mile hop to Valdosta was the perfect length for a short scenic flight in a small plane. Clay pointed out various landmarks along the way as they cruised at 3,500ft and 115kts over the patchwork farms and forests of rural Alabama and Georgia.

Right on schedule they contacted Valdosta Approach and were cleared to land on runway 13. John could hardly contain his smile as they taxied to the Atlantic Aviation FBO to meet the breeder. Thanks to his friend Clay and the immersive realism of a real-life flight in MSFS, this was a trip John would never forget.