Adapted from the AM SURF No. 2 story by Pat Fallon. Photography by Jimmy Wilson.
Surfers spend a lot of time on planes. For professional surfer Michael Dunphy, learning to fly has changed the way he thinks about the next trip—and the next swell.
Dunphy began taking flying lessons during the pause in travel and competition brought on by COVID. He had always wanted to learn something new, and the idea of combining aviation with surfing made sense: a plane could open up more coastline, more possibilities, and more chances to be in the right place when the waves turned on.
After working toward his pilot’s license for several years, Dunphy finished the training and bought a small 1978 Cessna. The first missions were exactly what he had imagined. On one spring trip, he flew to North Carolina’s Outer Banks to meet longtime friend and fellow East Coast surfer Brett Barley.
The forecast delivered overhead, clean surf and reeling rights along the beach.
The airplane makes those trips feel different, but it doesn’t make them effortless. Every flight means checking weather, calculating fuel and weight, and making decisions with safety in mind. Dunphy approaches that learning curve with the same focus he brings to surfing: keep getting better, stay curious, and be ready when an opportunity comes along.
Based in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, he has the East Coast and the Caribbean within reach. He’s already thinking about heading north to places like Montauk and Martha’s Vineyard, while continuing to build his skills in the air. Surfing remains the reason behind it all. Flying is a new way to follow that pull toward good waves and unfamiliar places.
Read Pat Fallon’s full feature in AM SURF No. 2.
Story by Pat Fallon · Photography by Jimmy Wilson
