The second crash in a week that resulted in a major fire but no victims. It shows that if one can survive an impact but remain conscious, the chances of exiting even a burning aircraft are perhaps not that bad.
This could potentially lead to more operating restrictions at Bagnères-de-Luchon…
Back from a great trip to Menorca as well – thank you Bosco for the idea.
The Hostal Ciutadella in Ciutadella (sic) and the Carlos III in Es Castell next to Mahon come very highly recommended. The latter has a great view on the harbor and La Mola fortress.
Es Moli and Aurora restaurants also come to mind in Ciutadella, and special mention for the tuna tataki at Es Enegall (Cales Fonts, Es Castell). Stay away from the sea anemones tho :-)
Also had the pleasure of meeting Aart in person – thank you for hopping over!
The baby mustang has performed flawlessly.
And finally Geneva’s status as a French Customs airport is at last reflected explicitly in the French AIP – it only took what, 30 years to happen :-)
Leaving monday in the afternoon. I have a landing slot at 7pm to make in GVA. Sunday morning I’ll be still in Ciutadela, but bussing back to Mahon around lunch.
Until when are you there? I may go there on monday, or maybe sunday morning. Cup of coffee?
Departed this morning at 930 in “few at 300 broken at 1800” which in fact when up there was more like overcast at 1000 which obliged me to depart towards Lausanne instead of southwest. Luckily around Yverdon I found a hole, climbed on top and turned back on course towards Menorca.
Re – customs Geneva has dual French and Swiss status so that saved me. 2:43 later was on the ground in San Luis all in including the 30 min detour to Lausanne and back.
Agree with Beziers for a Fuel stop, very fast turnaround – its an Air BP machine so much quicker if you have the card
also unusually they ask for PPR, emails to [email protected] are very quickly returned.
‘PPR compulsory from AD Managing authority (SM) 4 HR mini before estimated
time of arrival or departure and latest 1 HR before OPS closure.’
Alternatively Carcassonne now have fuel available to visiting aircraft on weekends and public holidays only, no PPR required, full customs etc…
This strange restriction is due to the location of the Air BP pump (you must have a card to use this ) on the apron of the local ENAC training school, and can only be used when they are not active (go figure!)
Indeed, there are many easy customs/fuel stops in France that will cost you less than 25 minutes ground time. On your route, Beziers comes to mind as a totally perfect place. Montpellier just the same.
Did you depart yet?
I’m just wondering whether I should stop somewhere in France for Customs and then fly on, or just play dumb.
I would not play dumb.. Even if you fall through the cracks at your point of departure, while on approach to Menorca you’ll be in touch with an approach frequency and/or Mahon tower and they will know and send you to the main field. That will set you back around 150 euros (obligatory handling)
FWIW, what totally transformed my ability to go places, starting with this trip (and one before, in 2003, to Biarritz which I never wrote up) was absolutely certain navigation – using a moving map GPS all the way, end to end.
It avoided the ridiculous PPL-taught map reading business with which I would have never dared to go beyond the Shoreham-Lydd kind of run, along the coast.
But back then it was difficult. I paid a scanning bureau several hundred GBP to scan various charts (mostly Jepps, US ONC for Greece and such) and they ripped me off by 10x because they could see the stuff was copyright and that I would pay “anything”. Then I ran the scans under Oziexplorer.
Nowadays you just use one of the several moving map apps 
The aircraft is less important, but you need to trust it. If you have constant hassles (as I did in 2002) that also has a corrosive effect.
So I think
are the two big things.
