Helicopter rides are fun. I had the good fortune of being invited to sit in the cockpit of one that my friend Peter Fenton rented for the weekend, on what was one of the clearest and most beautiful days on the California coast this summer. It also just so happened to be Labor Day weekend, and the beach was packed.

There are perspectives you can get on the ocean and surf from above that are sometimes far more interesting than those from the ground. I was only in the air for perhaps a half an hour, but shot hundreds of frames. For a photographer it's like sensory overload.

The waves were not very big, but there was just enough swell running to churn up the sand and allow the revelers to frolic in the waves. We flew from Newport Beach down to Trestles and back. The helicopter passed right over the place where I grew up and learned to surf - Dana Strand - but our little trailer on the beach is long gone, now replaced by ocean front lots that are on the market for $16 million. yes, you heard it, 16 mil for just a small piece of land.

As a kid I remember the drive from I-5 down Crown Valley Parkway, which was all rolling golden hills until you reached the ocean. Now every square foot of land is covered by cookie-cutter housing developments. They stretch as far as the eye can see.

To see more images from the flight, check out my Facebook album by clicking here.

Any of these images are available for sale. Send me an email at williamwhenry66@gmail.com.