Got to fly with my favorite Columbian student to Lake City on January 17, 2025. She’s asked me to keep her name out of print so I will just call her “Bebe”. Here is my review of the Country Skillet.
The Flight
It was a beautiful sunny day in January and my student wanted to try out the Cessna 210. The owner Zak said “Sure! Go ahead and take her up there. Just ask her to put gas in it.”
So off we went on a planned cross country, Bebe had planned V159 to OCF and then direct to KLCQ which I thought was a good decision. It avoids all the restricted areas. We went up at 6500′, at 23″ MP over 2300 RPM we were burning 15.4 gph and getting 158 kts true airspeed.
PIREP
The cost ended up being less than $300 as it was a fuel only deal.
- Aircraft Rental: Fuel only, 45 gals at roughly 5.50 = $247.50
- Restaurant bill: Lunch was about $30 w/$10 tip
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- Total: $287.50
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- Total flight time 3.4
The Restaurant
The Country Skillet was very much what I expected from a rural, country style restaurant in Florida to be, along with exceptionally great home-style cooking.
It is very homey, with a rustic, rural feel that you only find in the Florida countryside. It’s worth it to visit this place.
Bebe even liked it and felt they were all tremendously friendly to her.
We had to walk across the street to get to the restaurant, and as expected in rural Florida, no sidewalks, but it was an easy walk with traffic very light. The staff were very friendly and complimentary. The hostess loved Bebe’s perfume and kept asking where she could get some. Bebe, being the kind and generous person she is, actually gave her a bottle when we left. I have to admit, she always smells very good.
After a very relaxing lunch, quick visit to the potty, we got airborne and flew back to KORL at 7500′. GS was 160kts and fuel burn was 14.7!
