Flying Adventures

A week in France

Tours

La Rochelle

Chateu Bournzieaux

Le Mans

Sat 13 July outbound from Popham weather ok, a bit gusty over northern France and some cloud dodging done around Caen at 2500 ft. First time in Tours, airport was welcoming and the parking not as bad (gravelly) as reviews in Skydemon suggest. Fuel is by Total card but not self service. A very nice exec lounge (which appears Euro 11 on the invoice). Cleared for take off ahead of an Easyjet flight. Did some chateaux viewing on way out. Tours ATC very accomodating in giving a transit back throiugh their zone .

La Rocehlle. It was getting very gusty by the time we arrived and cloudbase at 1800 ft. Glad to get the plane tied down. The airport is a dream for GA. Just self park and exit by the gate (noting the code to get back in again). 3 nights in La Rochelle rented bikes and enjoyed the waterfront and beaches.

The back to Chateaux Bournzieaux for the second time this season. This time they were full. Stayed 2 nights. RV8 also arrived G-RVOM Clive and Yola in from Hardwick airfield, Norfolk.

Customs at Le Mans as arranged, they just showed up for us. Weather getting worse as approaching UK but stayed above the clouds at 4500′

Private Video of the trip

12 days, 9 flights, 18 hrs hours of flight time. What a blast!

I joined the Raduno for the first time. A biennial event organised in Italy by Ricardo. many thanks to Ricardo for a brilliant event!

This year the destination was L’Aquila (LIAP), at 2200ft in the heart of central Italy Abruzzo region and in the middle of the Apennines.

The weather outbound over the cahnnel was very challeging with Simon Keeling putting many off. At least 5 pilots went by airliner!

I left early via Chateauroux (excellent for customs). Met up with Mark Saunders and we went on to Cannes for the night. Then 3 days on Corsica (Calvi) followed by an aborted trip to Elba (weather) on the way to L’Aquila. Lots of socialising and new friends, good food and even a bit of culture visting the Castle of Rocca Calascio.

After the Raduno I was in no rush to get back so flew southwest to Sardinia. Tortoli (reccomended by Marco over dinner). It proved to be a well placed airport right next to some amazing beaches. Not much going on so PPR essential.

Then, over the Sardinian mountains and a long sea crossing , staying at 6500′ most of the way to Avignon for the night. Following day I was refused landing at Chateauroux on the way back, provided an oportunity to do a diversion into Amboise to get new customs paperwork sorted. Ended up routing via Le Touquet, with a record 23 min turnaround before heading back to Popham.

Private video of the trip 16 min 18s https://youtu.be/Jd4-xOUxUV8

Their 50th Anniversary and or first rally. Came 5th in the Sports section – without autopilot.

Annual Fly to Where the Weather is Good trip organised by Hitesh.

11 Flights 15 Hrs

Public video of flight across the Pyrennes 2min 37s https://youtu.be/0U4gAGeDEE8

Private summary video of the trip 10 minutes https://youtu.be/AmufzdB0xUg

Dad and lad trip 2023 – revisting the Norfolk broads and discovering Beccles. Two bikes in the back of G-PTSI with my newly electrified Brompton.

Route

Popham – Fowlmere – Cromer – Beccles – Little Shelford – Top Farm – Popham

About 350 Nm 3 hrs

The weather was good with high pressure. It seemed like a good idea to catch a few more days of sun before the long winter. La Baule airfield is just a 7 min cycle ride to “the most beautiful beach in Europe.” It’s an amazing beach. There are lots of sea front properties. These properties are easily rent-able now the school holidays are over.

As I was traveling alone French customs at Rennes released me without interview both ways, a first for me. With an OAT reading of 35°C at the hold whilst waiting for military jets to do their thing, the manifold temperature was above 51 C for a while.

Flew to the Rotax 2023 Flyin at Wels Austria and made then extended into the Alps. A nine day trip about 1500 nautical miles and 13 hrs of flying. With folding Brompton bike, visited lots of lakes and beaches in great weather.

Learnt about SVFR departure from a French Class D airport. (600′ and 5km vis).

Rented a hangar when heavy hail and gusting 50 knots was forecast.

Did some single pilot mountain flying. See video of Zell am Zee.

Landed at one of the the most picturesque airfields in the world.

The route

Popham – Albert (Customs) – Wels – Zell am Zee – Konstanz – Speyer – Le Touquet (Customs) – Popham

Lots of great information and contacts made at the Rotax Flyin 2023, over 2 days with free beer . Thanks to Bose for that part.

Wels – Austria

Zell Am Zee – Austria

Another Aircraft inbound to Zell am Zee nice video

Konstanz – Germany

Speyer – Germany

Some bad weather encountered in Speyer, Germany. I had to negotiate some hangar space in a hangar whose rate card starts at 6.5 tons !

Albert – France