The return home (1)

Let’s get this thing back home! It took some time to return to the keyboard to write the return story. The first item up on arrival was to complete the annual inspection on DSY. Your patience is appreciated. How cool was it to fly in Switzerland? Every pilot knows that our perspective from above is… Read more »

The slow, insidious degradation

We have to deal with the issue every day we fly. That is why we are taught early on its lethal effect. Write the exam with 99 other questions then forget about it, you got the licence, right? Never mind how to deal with it or seriously prevent it. I would venture that is why… Read more »

The journey to Switzerland (4)

From Iceland to Wick The morning weather in Iceland was a good VFR, only if you remained in the coastal areas. The inland solid overcast prevented flying over the hills and so we were negated a fair closeup of island’s majestic countryside. We also faced forecasted extensive icing up to 13 000 feet over the… Read more »

The journey to Switzerland (3)

Greenland: the wall One thing has to be said about sleeping: it repairs. That is what kept Winston Churchill going during this world’s darkest hours. We were, of course, nowhere close from being in such predicament and quite frankly Iqualuit was basking in 24 hours daylight at this time of year. An 8 o’clock departure… Read more »

The journey to Switzerland (1)

The wall « A lifetime planning for the journey » Chris de Burgh Well it seemed that way. Certainly we are far from the heroics of the pioneers who could not depend on much more than a compass, dead reckoning on flimsy charts and weather reports based on a fledging science. No, the project to cross the… Read more »

CYFB layover

The transatlantic crossing begun yesterday aboard the PA-30. We required 7,5 hours of flying with impressive tailwinds for most of the day. Clocking 185 kts in a Twin Comanche is an agreable predicament. Fueling in Schefferville (CYKL) in late fall weather conditions ( crashing rain, 20 kts gusty winds in 3 deg C temperature) was… Read more »

Crossing the Atlantic

Flying to Europe in a Twin Comanche How many phone calls, how many people you talk to? Probably not enough. I have been actively planing this journey for a year, thinking about it for a lifetime. Of the thousands who have had the guts to undertake it with half the equipment and aircraft, I have… Read more »

The one you trust

We all take it for granted. Take a peek into any cockpit it is always there: the instrument panel centre piece. Certainly a few light, day VFR only aircraft do not require it, why would it be required? It adds weight, cost to maintain and some will even claim that it dulls seat of the… Read more »

Enroute to Sedona (KSEZ)

It is never too late to learn and confirm with modesty that you need help wherever you can take it. We are not alone. I am sure I heard this one in a sci-fi movie. A funny thing happened on the way to Sedona Airport (KSEZ) last week. We were flying VFR at 10500 over… Read more »