Florida Keys & Gulf Coast Expedition.
One route. Five flights. Your aircraft. Your adventure.
Florida is more than beaches, theme parks, and questionable amounts of sunscreen. Stretching from the tropical islands of the Keys to the sweeping Gulf Coast, the Sunshine State offers a remarkable variety of landscapes and communities to explore.
With TPC Explorer: Island Hoppers, we're taking to the skies for a five-leg journey through South Florida, the Florida Keys, and along the Gulf Coast.
Our expedition begins at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport before heading south to Marathon and west to Key West. From there, we'll cross the Gulf toward Naples, continue north to Sarasota, and finish our journey at Tampa International Airport.
Along the way, we'll pass beautiful island communities, turquoise waters, coastal landscapes, and some of Florida's most recognizable landmarks, including the Overseas Highway, Seven Mile Bridge, and Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
This expedition covers approximately 339 nautical miles across five flights and six airports. We'll encounter a variety of airport environments, from smaller general aviation facilities to busy controlled airspace, while enjoying some of the most scenic flying in the southeastern United States.
Whether you're flying the entire expedition in one go or spreading it across several sessions, the objective is simple: enjoy the journey, explore the region, and discover something new along the way.
Mission Objectives
Complete all five legs.
Practice coastal and over-water navigation.
Manage fuel and weather throughout the journey.
Work through increasingly complex controlled airspace.
Identify major geographical landmarks along the route.
Complete the expedition safely at Tampa International.
Operational Considerations
Check winds, visibility, ceilings, and convective activity before each departure.
Pay particular attention to thunderstorms and rapidly changing conditions in Florida.
Plan fuel with sensible reserves, especially before the longer Key West-Naples crossing.
Follow proper airspace procedures.
Dry Tortugas detour is an optional sightseeing mission from KEYW.
Route
KOPF → KMTH → KEYW → KAPF → KSRQ → KTPA
+ optional sightseeing detour from KEYW to Dry Tortuga
Recommended Aircraft
Choose the aircraft that best suits your flying style. Whether you prefer a utility turboprop, a fast single-engine cruiser, or a twin-engine regional aircraft, you're welcome to join the expedition.
Pilatus PC-12
Kodiak 100
Daher TBM 930/960
King Air 350
Points of Interest
Seven Mile Bridge
Bahia Honda State Park
Dry Tortugas National Park
Sanibel Island
Sunshine Skyway Bridge
Admin Notes
You can fly these missions on your own or get a group going - it’s up to you. Make sure you choose an appropriate aircraft and conduct proper flight planning.
To get the Explorer server role (access to Explorers DISCORD channel) and 2500 TPC Points:
Fly each leg described below (500 points per leg).
Leave a comment on this post with details about your journey.
Post pics from your flight in screenshots channel on DISCORD.
[OPTIONAL] Post a video of your landings in streams and videos channel of TPC Discord, for extra 500 TPC Points per video!
[OPTIONAL] Complete the detour sightseeing mission to Dry Tortugas for an additional 500 TPC Points.
