After Breakfast: Takeoff
Photos from the airplane are always a challenge due to distance, lighting, and dirty airplane windows. This is the view as we made the left turn out of St. Lucia heading north to San Juan. The famed Piton Mountains are in the background on the horizon.
We climb quickly in our ATR-72, although we only make about 230 knots in cruise. You can see the storm which rolled through during breakfast in the upper left corner of the shot. Most days the flying is smooth, but even small cumulus can really pack a punch in the tropics.
Here’s a prime example of cumulus in the tropics. Back in the states, flying through a cloud like this would be a non-event. Down here, though, these little guys contain a surprising amount of energy and can be somewhat exciting. We normally avoid cumulus when possible since no one wants airborne excitement at this hour of the morning.
Windward Journey 