Saturday 4 July

21:44
It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings (so the saying goes). The low cloud/mist cleared as we flew West over the sea at Brighton only to be replaced once again by low mist and cloud at the Western end of the Isle of Wight. The vis blocked our path and so we turned North to fly over the New Forest between Bournemouth and Southampton; at which point we were greeted with heavy rain. This required a diversion to Old Sarum (Salisbury). Contrary to forecast, the weather improved and David Hawkins (farmer, not brother!) flew over in a CTSW and collected me. Thanks David.

The last word on this blog must be for the pilot of G-KUPP, Mike Hurn, who offered me the Right Hand seat in his aircraft as soon as he knew of my little contretemps at Cherbourg. He has flown me safely, literally over mountains and over seas; he has also demonstrated skills of airmanship in landing at high altitude with thin, warm air and what to do when a gust of wind lifts you just prior to touchdown.

Thanks Mike for your generosity and for being such good company

Tom, Mike, Karen and Steve preparing for the worst
and hoping for the best before departure from Dieppe

07:48
Mike & Mike now over The Channel at 2200 feet somewhere between Dieppe and Beachy Head where we will coast in. As we approach the halfway point the sea is covered with mist as far as the eye can see. We're well above it but welcome back to Jollie Olde Englande!

You know when you're approaching England!

Friday 3 July

19:45
Well, here we are, on the North coast of France in Dieppe in lovely evening sunshine down at the harbour for one more lovely meal before getting back home to the Corn Flakes tomorrow.

As we travelled North the clouds thickened and we thought the weather had changed but by the time we had arrived at Le Mans it had all cleared with amazing visibility for our flight to Dieppe.

It is cooler here and there's nothing wrong with that. Now for the meal ... !

Mike, Tom, Karen and Steve as the sun sets on another
Whitehill Farm Aero Club adventure in Dieppe

12:35
Currently at 1800ft crossing the wheat basin of France. It would be very difficult to navigate without GPS! 78 miles to run to La Fleche - an airfield I visited almost 4 years ago in my flexwing. This flight started in heavy cloud but that has now gone and is replaced with small puffs of cloud and some higher stratus. The battery has run flat in my headset so with no compression they are very noisy when plugged in to the intercom and radio; so I have unplugged them and they are now doing the job of an indifferent set of earmuffs! As the day warms up, the thermal activity is increasing and as we are buffeted around Mike has more to do to keep us straight and level. Nothing for me to do. I'm enjoying being a passenger - albeit one who has a chart on his lap!

10:59
Laurie & June, Rick, Kevin & Sheila leave shortly for Meaux, Calais and home. Steve & Karen, Tom, Mike & Mike are flying to La Fleche and taking it from there.

Forecast is 'changeable' so we'll see

Thursday 2 July

20:02
Now at Vichy with the whole squadron reunited. Rick, Laurie & June and Kevin & Sheila have had a hard day. They've flown from South of Venice, minor ground accident requiring repair, a more challenging Alps crossing and a thundery journey to Vichy. We, too, had uncomfortable weather and I guess this is the way it goes. But all I know is that I had a fantastic Alps crossing and am hoping for some good video. We are now drinking Sangria (Sangria??!! What the hell are we doing drinking Sangria in the middle of France?

A bientot.

12:00
Now drinking Coke at Gap Tallard Aeroport. Lovely weather but probably cooler than Southern England. Now there's a thing! The flight over The Alps was entirely memorable! Still air and just enough cloud over the peaks to make it interesting. The total miles over the mountains was about 60 and every mile was an ever-changing kaleidoscope of shape and colour. The engine purred away contentedly and pressures and temperartures changed hardly at all. At 10,000ft, the outside temp was 7C and in the cockpit 18C. Perfect!

We enjoyed almost totally still air and lovely cool temperatures!

Mile upon mile of them. Very pleasing to see the tops clear of cloud!

Italy - one minute plateau, the next high mountains.
Different to the French side.

Laurie found a small ditch when he turned off the runway at Speziana this morning and broke an undercarriage stay. It's now been fixed and they are now on their way via Cuneo. Mike and I were lucky because the evening before, we had a wheel go into the same ditch but fortunately without damage.

Late final at Speziana (South of Milan)

A toute a l'heure.

06:20
As we flew West yesterday, dark clouds developed to the North and South of us and we were fortunate to have a corridor between both weather systems together with a gentle tailwind to take us to Speziana (South of Milan) without a drop of rain falling on us. Having landed and re-fuelled, the tail wind brought the thunder and rain with it before we could depart. Without a tent, I was going to have to sleep in a clubhouse with missing windows and (I presumed) a full-strength squadron of mosquitoes with voracious appetites.

The weather moved Westwards and as we were going to be flying to the South West and it looked clear, the pilots decided to give it a go (willingly supported by this passenger!).

Mistiness ahead meant low flying and there was real delight in flying over increasingly hilly and beautiful country, sometimes only at 300-400ft above ground when crossing the ridges.

We found ourselves South of a very active weather system with plenty of lightening and again a weather system to the South of us that we were going to have to turn into to make the strip South of Cuneo. One flash of lightening from this system was not repeated but 5 miles out we encountered rain and the landings on a relatively short and wet grass strip were executed in copybook fashion!

We are now in the poshest hotel of the trip so far (and the priciest!) but I only have to think of those bloody mosquitoes at Speziana and I can't get my euros out fast enough.

So I am now sitting on the private balcony outside my room (oh yes!) looking at clear blue skies which have been forecasted for two days. I hope that's right as it is our plan to fly back over the Alps today on a more Southerly crossing than last time which will end for us at Gap.

At Gap we plan to join up with the group coming direct from Icaro Village (South of Venice near Ferrara).

Ciao!

Wednesday 1 July

15:50
This evening's weather and early tomorrow changeable in the West. Steve & Karen, Tom and Mike & Mike are now up and flying to Speziana (South of Milan). Currently at 1700ft, 106mph, 80 miles to run and some thermal activity. Temp inside cockpit 34C, outside 26C; Laurie & June, Kevin & Sheila and Rick are spending another night at Icaro Village and will leave early tomorrow morning.


13:40
Approached hills North of Verona at 1500ft with decreasing vis and the need to climb to 2500ft. It then started raining and we are now on our way back to Icaro Village and some more planning!


12:48
Now taken off from Medicina after re-fuelling (a few miles South of Icaro Village) and flying at 1200ft towards Lake Garda. We're hoping to do stear a touring course around the lake. I say hoping because looking ahead the clouds are looking quite 'busy'! Thermals around - we've just been given some free lift at 500ft a minute!

07:52
No blog yesterday as too much going on. Made it to Venice yesterday in lovely weather conditions - nice flight, nice water taxi, nice views, nice photos, nice lunch in the shade and no culture. Perfect! At the end of the day thunderclouds appeared ominously over Venice but thankfully they stayed North as we flew South.

That island of heaving humanity looks quite small from up here

Sheila, Laurie, June and Karen on the water taxi

I know, I know, you've seen this picture many times before.
But when you're there it has to be done.

You concentrate on the architecture - we're thinking about lunch
Rick, Laurie, June, Kevin, Sheila, Karen & Steve

It's not the first time someone's given Laurie a funny
look because of something he's said.
Sheila, Kevin, June, Laurie, Rick and a disbelieving gondolier


The Blogger enjoying a sublime moment

Our supper last evening was huge fun in comparison to the night before when it was a spectacular failure with the manager of the restaurant so apologetic he said we could, if we wished, have the meal for nothing. In the end, he did quite well out of us!

The air conditioning in my room is quiet and very efficient. I will be sorry to be parted from it. Today's plans have yet to be fixed but the general plan is to fly to one of the lakes (Garda in the frame at the moment); so we are now starting our return leg.

Hopefully, more anon.

Monday 29 June

19:00
What a day it's been today! We have now arrived at Icaro Village near Ferrara in North East Italy. It is hot and very still so the compunction to drink 'a couple' of beers before going to our rooms was irresistable. My subsequent siesta was deep and satisfying (!) and we now prepare for going out to eat shortly.

Tomorrow we stay put here for another night. Perhaps we sit around, swim or just chill - or perhaps try and wangle our way into Venice airport. I would love to get some aerial video or photos but the thought of a day of stillness sounds pretty good, too! We'll see ...!

A word of thanks to my brother Peter for uploading the blogs for me and including the pictures taken on my mobile phone. He also put up the SPOT satellite track over the Alps which I first saw while flying between Speziana and Icaro Village on a Blackberry. Isn't modern technology something?!

Passing to the South of Mont Blanc

(The black lines on the right are caused by the propeller)

Climbing consistently from over Lake Annecy

Mont Blanc is the bruiser at the back

First landing at an Altiport.
Interesting conditions and challenging landings at Megeve
Sheila, Kevin, Steve, Karen, Mike, Rick, Tom, Laurie & June

As I said to Laurie at the time:
"No names, no pack drill"

Sadly, Rick's little tree-topping exercise is only on the video. That's the next project!

and more ...

... and more. Mile after glorious mile of it

12:49

Now at Speziana and looking forward to lunch.

11:07

Blogging from 7700ft having passed Mont Blanc at 11000ft. What can I say? Amazing peaks and valleys made the more dramatic by broken cloud above, beside and below. We are now just past the mountains and over the flatter land (overhead Biella). Next stop 70 miles to Speziana (South of Milan).

07:34

Annecy at its best last night. Even the dying embers of a setting sun were warm and walking (ambling more like) along the shoreline of the lake was a pleasurable preamble to a most enjoyable meal under broad umbrellas in the old district of the town. As if the meal and beer weren't enough, the ice creams to follow as we wandered around eating them, were a delightful excess! I slept well last night. I wonder why. I'm outside the hotel in delightful coolness with the promise of reasonable flying conditions in the mountains; although that will be made clearer by the tower at the airport. The plan is to fly East to Megeve and onward to Italy. We'll see ...

Strolling along the lakeshore at Annecy to work up a thirst
(Laurie, Rick, Kevin,Sheila, Steve, Karen, June, Mike & Tom)

Tom and Mike in Annecy
(They only smile like this when less than five strides from a bar)

What does eating ice cream late at night in Annecy have to do with flying?
Everything. Absolutely everything
Laurie, June, Karen & Steve

Sunday 28 June

17:50

Left Bourg-en-Bresse for Annecy early afternoon. Hazy at 4,500ft and full of active clouds which were being frequented by gliders, paragliders and paramotors. Annecy Aeroport instructed us to approach on long final (10 miles!) and with good air clarity the surrounding mountains were magnificent. What a day of contrasts! Six aircraft with ten people who are off to the centre of Annecy shortly for food and drink. I'm looking forward to it!

Long final for Annecy Aeroporte

11:55
We were about to take off for Annecy a few minutes ago and then met some incoming pilots who said Annecy is fine but the high ground in between isn't! So we have retired into the shade for lunch. Great! I'm starving.

(Later: By this time the weather was clear and very hot at Bourg and the restaurant refused to provide us with food! It looked as though they were only doing food for the helpers that were working on the little local airshow. So we queued uncomfortably for a very indifferent pizza and I gave up trying to get some frites because they were so busy. )

Kevin and Tom - Probably haven't tasted the pizza yet

08:00
After a three hour delay because of fog yesterday, we had a very pleasant flight from Bagber Farm (Dorset) to Beachy Head where we coasted out for France and diverted to Abbeville. The low-level mist over the Channel looked so attractive with blue sky above and bright sun shining down on it. We arrived Abbeville at 16:00 to see most of the squadron taxiing out for takeoff, met up with Kevin & Sheila, cleared formalities and then flew to Autun for fuel. The squadron was then together. We then took off for Bourg-en-Bresse one hour before sunset with 75 miles to run. Our final landing was completed in a dramatic yellow sunset.

I then discovered I had broken the screen of the notebook kindly lent to me by Jill, my sister-in-law and so at present I am unable to process any photos for the blog. This is being written on a Blackberry and if you're reading it, it is thanks to my brother Peter who has posted it.

This morning we were planning to fly up to Megeve altiport (a mountain airfield) at 07:00 but we are sitting waiting for the fog to clear and still hope to do it.

Quite a change from the previous evening!

High-level strategy meeting (with hardly a chart in sight)
which decides to make to Annecy

Saturday 27 June

08:50
Mike has not yet been able to leave his home strip but the fog is lifting nicely. Flight now unlikely before 10:30.

I have just received a text message from Laurie & June in G-CZMI who have got away and were over Headcorn (Kent) 15 minutes ago.

06:00
As expected, there is mist which Bournemouth Airport forecasts will clear by 09:00. Light winds from the South East means that we won't have a wind advantage to get us to our first stop at Meaux, close to the Eastern side of Paris but the forecast is reasonable for us - just skirting some poorer weather conditions on the Eastern border of France.

Have just heard from Mike and conditions look better at his end so I had better get on and cook the sausages I'm taking up to the strip for him. I've got to look after the pilot!

So I expect a start from here later than 09:00

Italy 2009 preamble

It's taken me a long time but here, at last, I'm starting a blog page. It seemed a good idea to have one so that I am able to maintain contact with all those that have been briefed about the SPOT satellite tracker that we have installed in the aircraft.

The aircraft is a microlight CTSW G-KUPP and the pilot is Mike Hurn. I am his .. er .. co-pilot and as long as I don't push on the stick or dance on the rudder pedals when he wants them, we should get along fine.

I, too, have a CT (G-CCNP) but when I left for this holiday last Tuesday (June 23) I had a good flight over the Channel from Studland to Cherbourg and then did a heavy landing which damaged the aircraft. It now has to be trailered back to the UK for repairs.

Our intention is to have the satellite tracker in G-KUPP and for anyone who has got here without a briefing from me, the URL is

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/gogl.jsp?glId=0L6kxo9Yp0ngUNPjyvU0Vc964jJ8I5akt

If this doesn't load from here, it should work if you paste it to the URL address line of Internet Explorer or equivalent.

Our intention is to fly on Saturday June 30 from Bagber Farm in Dorset to Meaux (nr Paris), clear customs and bladders and load up stomachs and fuel tanks and then on to Bourg-en-Bresse for the night. The following day, weather permitting, an early start will take us over the Alps into Italy with a couple of stops before arriving at Icaro Village a few miles South of Venice.

And maybe I'll manage to sort out the technical impossibilities of the internet and post some more stuff up here.

A bientot