Reisebericht
von Bernd & Lisa
Einmal Afrika und zurück.
Was mit einem Linienflug zum Kinderspiel wird, wird mit einem UL-Flugzeug schon eher zu einer echten Aufgabe...
Packing light for an UL-Trip is mandatory
415 gramms for a pair of shoes is not bad ;)
Lisa and I got each a bag of 3.3 - 3.5 kg for clothing plus a 1.5 kg shared bag for an additional pair of shoes - that's it...
Ther permission for Maroc arrived only days before the planned departure - with the help of Boulmane Benaissa.
Right side: some papersheets to take the ATC notes.
Left side: Android tablet with EasyVFR moving map software for main navigation and information.
All backed up by a Garmin Aera500 on the panel.
Ready to go...
Etappe 1
Giessen-Lützellinden EFDFL
-> Bremgarten EDTG
heading SSW, reaching the Schwarzwald.
After 2h, first stop in EDTG Bremgarten.
The plan is to have maximum 2 to 3 h legs to fly and to refuel as often as possible. (Old rule of long distance flyer Rolf: "Immer die Kannen voll machen" :-)
In Bremgarten, we filed the flightplan to Macon LFLM and then jumped over the river Rhine into France.
Etappe 2
Bremgarten EDTG ->
Macon LFLM
...happy crew...
We landed in Macon ...on a sunday! Mistake!
Although the france AIP told us, we will get AVGAS on sunday via the local flightclub, we got ...nothing...
Only TOTAL-Card would be accepted and no begging helped us to a single drop of fuel...
We did the math, checked the wind and Rolfs rule helped us out.
The full refilled tank from Bremgarten would bring us save to Carcassonne LFMK.
Etappe 3
Macon LFLM
-> Lezignan LFMZ
-> Carcassonne LFMK
The central france landscape passed by and we reached the awesome Millau bridge
We called Carcassonne Tower and got the NOTAMs confirmed:
Because of construction works, there was also no AVGAS in LFMK.
But we were prepared for that and did a short detour to Lezignan LFMZ for a fuelstop.
After the refueling, we hopped over into the LFMK CTR and passed the famous Cité de Carcassonne.
Fixing the plane for the night
Arrivée en Sud de France?
At least the big sign told us so ;-)
Landing beer and landing food :)
Next day preparing for the 500NM stretch to Granada, Spain.
Filing the flightplan and paying the fees in LFMK
Etappe 4
Carcassonne LFMK ->
Castellon de la Plana LECN
heading to the coast - Golfe du Lion...
...to circumnavigate the Pyrenees mountains to the east.
After an over 200NM stretch of spanish "nothingness", passing Barcelona in the north...
...we reached the coast again for a stop and refueling in Castellon de la Plana LECN.
And you need an "AVGAS" sticker on your plane - otherwise you get no fuel!
(seems to be spanish law - and the sticker was provided by the refueling attendant ;-)
Etappe 5
Castellon de la Plana LECN
-> Granada LEGR
After departure, we requested an CTR crossing in Valencia to shortcut the route to Granada a bit.
We got a VFR clearance via NOVEMBER and SIERRA, midfield crossing.
The OAT and the engine temps got higher and the landscape more and more remote. Heading slightly north of the Sierra Nevada into high terrain...
After 2x3 hours of endless Spanish lanscape (something between moon, mars and mountainiuos farmland) we finaly reached Granada LEGR.
In flight we had OAT of 27 deg in 4000 ft and had to pass 6000ft hills - hot and high - with a lot of turbulences.
Lisa was brave as a Lion!!
The most important thing for general aviation in southern Europe is...
...a working CreditCard and...
...a bright glowing high-visibility vest!
Crew refueling at the Granada terminal.
first evening in Granada
Beer, Cocktail, Tapas. Now tired as a stone... Buena Noche!
Next day = no fly day - but a tour of the Granada City...
Famous Alhambra in the Andalusian mountains
Travel-washing the clothes in the hotel bathroom.
As electrician, you always have some wires at hand ;-)
Culture and...
...more Tapas ;)
Next morning, preparing to leave the european continent with our little FK9 bird.
We did some latest weather and NOTAM downloads in EasyVFR before breakfast...
...and... wtf.!? The moroccain King is coming to Tanger and Tetouan. We planned a direct route via BARPA east of Tanger but it seemed, we might need to alter our routing to the west. :-|
Etappe 6
Granada LEGR ->
Tanger Marocco GMTT
After 80,- eur for a stupid useless (but mandatory for non-schengen flights) handling process and after usual customs and security check, we were back at the Granada APRON and packing the bags...
FP with the autorisation No. was in the system. We decided to keep the BARBA routing in the FP and figure that out with Tanger ATC later ;-)
Well-practised team...
"Granada Tower, D-MTPK, GA Parking, VFR to GMTT, Request Taxi".
"D-PK, Taxi via T2 to holdingpoint Runway 27".
(GMTT? Sh.t, what are we doing here?
Are we really about to fly to Africa?!
...seems to be ;-)
The LED109 was not active today and so we got a heading direct west to avoid the Malaga CTR.
Then turning SW to the Spanish coast of Gibraltar
Flightlevel 56 over the clouds. Mediterranean sea in sight.
On the far horizon, the african coast is aready visible...
Some 15NM detour to the west, now in ideed ordered by Tanger ATC, because of the Kings NOTAMs.
"DELTA PAPA KILO, report turning base runway ONE ZERO next."
...
"DELTA PAPA KILO, you are clear to land runway ONE ZERO!"
After 1500NM and roughly 15h of flight across the european continent and after crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, PAPA KILO has arrived in Africa and landed save at Tanger International GMTT.
Handling agent Boulmane was a big hlep and we fixed the FK9 with all ropes we had because of the wind.
After a weird taxiride through african suburbs, poor housings and construction sites, the taxi stopped in a mouldy sidestreet and we thought:
"oh, no!".
But behind the doors of our booked hotel, the "La Maison de Tanger", we found an oasis of heaven in this african city.
After a while of "mentally reassembling" and of realizing the situation (to small aircraft, to far away from home), we decided to hit the city.
Thé menthe and arabic Fanta at the "Place 9 Avril" aka "grand socco" in Tanger, immerged in a totally strange and unknown world, arrived by one of the most complicated and unsuited way of transportation - in a 472kg MTOW ultralight aircaft... Stupid idea!?
Hot, crazy, arabic, french, african, mindbobbeling city of Tanger - and sometimes the muezzin is crying: "allahu akbar" via PA throughout the whole city.
The tajine tastes gooood! But no alcohol in the restaurant ;-)
A night in Tanger.
Later in the evening, we checked the windforecast and decided to leave Tanger again right the next morning, because a strong wind was predicted along the coast of the Strait of Gibraltar for the
next days.
Early the next morning, we filed the FlightPlan, got some nice brekfast, called a taxi and headed back to the Ibn Battouta Tanger airport.
The taxi was the latest Daimler model with an estimated 1.500.000 km on the odometer ;-)
Back at the terminal, the wind has alreday picked up in strenght and we became a bit nervous...
Passing security, clearing customs, doing the emigration and passing all the waiting airline passengers at the bording gate was no big deal at all...
...with a bright high-visibility vest and the explaniation "Pilote Privee", we quickly reached the APRON and walked over to our little bird.
But at the aircraft, we quarreld a bit and then decided: No Go!!
The wind had alreaday picked up to 35 kts gusts and we had an indication of 60km/h on the airspeed indicator... with a tied-down plane!!
Better save than sorry!
So no chance to leave the next days and we started to change and strengthen up the tie down and the fixing of the plane.
Lisa is hauling stones from the edge of the APRON... and in the background you can see, some other guys haven't been so lucky with the wind a few weeks ago!! :-(
We were sitting under the wing of our plane on an international african airport, checking the tie-down in 35kts gusts and making friends with the police, airport guards, fuel personnel and
apron-staff...
The crazy germans with the little aircaft in to much wind.
After some hours, the whole airport crew knew about us.
Later we decided to call it a day. leave the fate of the FK9 in the hands of Allah and a bunch of tie-down ropes and did "re-immigrate" into marocco.
The security guards, customs and airport police have been very friendly and helpfull.
the emigration for the "private pilotes with the little aircraft in too much wind" has been annulated and we could go back to marocco teritory with no further problems.
we took a taxi ride to a nearby african IBIS Hotel an bought 2 beers in a muslim country...
After rechecking the wind again, we knew:
This Trip is starting to change from holliday into a "mission" to get an FK9 out of marocco back to germany...
Next day, breakfast on a strormy "no fly" day...
NOSIG (no significant change) = bound to do nothing the next 3-4 days but hope, the Aircraft will survive the upcomming storm...