CAMDENTON, MO. --  

Most people view the lake from a boat or dock. but it's from above where the 11-hundred plus miles of shoreline come alive. Nearly eight-years-ago Corey Lewerke traded in the high-flying life of a commercial airline pilot for the amazing views found flying closer to the ground.

 "This is a different life,” Lewerke said.  “I started my career out of college working for Northwest air link and then TWA which is now American Airlines so I'm used to flying at the flight levels of much larger aircraft."

Lewerke owns Air Lake Aviation which manages the day-to-day operations of the Camdenton airport. In addition to overseeing air traffic control, maintenance and pilot training Lewerke gets his thrills by treating passengers to scenic flights.

From high above, Lewerke shows his passengers lake landmarks including Bagnell Dam, the castle ruins at Ha Ha Tonka state park and the miles of winding shoreline.

"You can see why many people like me have chosen to live here,” Lewerke said. “When I fly over this lake I'm reminded of why this is the greatest place to live."

The typical flight lasts a half-hour and lets you see most of the attractions from Bagnell Dam to Camdenton.

"Spring's beautiful and of course summer,” Lewerke said. “t's very green and the lake is full of activity that's neat to see from the air, too."

Lewerke operates the flights year-round and encourages locals to take advantage of the off-season.

"Fall is my personal favorite but really year round there is something to see,” Lewerke said. “ Even in the winter sometimes the snow and ice covered lake looks pretty neat from the air.”

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