The tiny enclave of Cedar Key is a quaint, old-fashioned, Old Florida vacation spot – one that offers lovely beaches, fishing, and lush natural preserves.  

Located just over an hour northwest of the Villages of Citrus Hills, Cedar Key is one of the most popular destinations for residents looking for an interesting day trip or weekend getaway. The area features a wide range of activities.  Shopping and dining make this peaceful and relaxed community a perfect destination that everyone can appreciate. 

One of the most popular and exciting recreational activities in the entire Nature Coast region is the magnificent airplane tours over Cedar Key that are offered by local resident Marvin Franks. 

Acting as salesman, pilot, and tour guide, Marvin will take you on an unbelievable ride circling around and over Cedar Key that will let you see the area like never before! 

This bird’s eye view of Cedar Key is a great start to any day trip or weekend getaway to the area. It will give you a great perspective of the area if you plan to spend the rest of your day paddling around Cedar Key. It is also the best way to get up close and personal with the Seahorse Key Lighthouse, which is usually closed to the public. 

Your Flight Over Cedar Key 

 The Cedar Key Airplane Tour will take place in a white and blue 1950 Cessna 170A. For those who aren’t aviation experts, that is a small four-seat plane with a big propeller on the front of its nose. The flight will last about 20 minutes altogether and will give you the opportunity to take some breathtaking pictures of Cedar Key. 

The tours are conducted out of George T. Lewis airport, which is better known as Cedar Key Airport. The airport is an uncontrolled airport, which means that there is no control tower. It is a very popular airport in the aviation community because of the beautiful views it features for both takeoff and landing.

 Your Pilot and Tour Guide 

 When touring Cedar Key by plane, you are not going to get just any tour guide who shows up that day. You are going to be taken up into they sky by Marvin Franks, who is better known locally as Marve. He has over 20 years of experience as a commercial pilot and looks every bit like you would expect your “Old Florida” tour guide to look. 

With his vast experience, particularly with flying in and out of Cedar Key, you can feel completely comfortable with Marve. He has made more career landings at the Cedar Key Airport than anyone else.

 Airplane Tour Schedule & Cost

 http://www.ckislandairtours.com/

 The best way to take an airplane tour of Cedar Key is to simply show up at the airport on a Saturday or Sunday between 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm. You will likely find Marve sitting in his lawn chair next to the plane waiting for you. He does not take reservations during his normal weekend operating hours, and all flights are weather permitting. 

If you would like to schedule a tour for another day or time, Marve can be pretty flexible if you contact him in advance and give him enough notice. He also has gift certificates available if you are looking for a great gift for friends, neighbors, or visiting family members. 

Marve’s Cessna can seat him and up to three passengers. The cost of an airplane tour is $35 for one passenger and $25 per passenger for groups of two or three passengers. 

Taking an airplane tour of Cedar Key will allow you to see the entire island from a whole new perspective. You will get to see all of the waterways around the island, have a great view of downtown Cedar Key, and even get to see the Seahorse Key Lighthouse. At the low prices Marve is charging, this is an absolute must-see attraction for anyone who visits the area.