A few pics from a short VFR bimble today, aimed at fighting the withdrawal symptons which are typical for wintertime…
Our Cheetah now has an ipad mini as a PFD, runnung Jepp MFDVFR and IFR.
Crossing the Rhine westbound, north of Worms.
Doing 125 knots true (in a bit of a updraft admittedly)
Right base at Bad Dürkheim (EDRF), with the Pfaelzer Wald in the background.
After I had lunch at the wonderful restaurant at Bad Dürkheim, I flew home, talking a bit of a detour via the northerly parts of the Pfalz and parts of Rheinhessen. Here’s Bad Dürkeim.
Bad Muenster am Stein-Ebernburg and the Rotenfels. That rock wall there is – believe it or not – the highest steep face between the Alps and Scandinavia.
This is Langenlonsheim airfield (EDEL), or what’s currently left of it. Looks like Britain! 
Overhead Bingen, looking downstream the Rhine towards Koblenz.
That’s where I turned upstream to fly back to Frankfurt.
Just west of Mainz, one has to descend back to 1500 feet MSL or below due to the Frankfurt class C.
Schloss Biebrich in Wiesbaden.
Wiesbaden airport (ETOU), which is unfortunately off-limits for GA. Frankfurt “skyline” in the background.
Bridges over the Rhine in Mainz.
On final for runway 07C at Frankfurt. :smile
Left base for 26 at Egelsbach (EDFE).
Final.
N9920U, our 1977 Grumman Cheetah, nicknamed “Lisa Bravo”.
Great pics Bosco.
fighting the withdrawal symptons which are typical for wintertime
I flew for 55 minutes too, yesterday, for the above reason (‘t was my first flight in 2016) plus to get the oil warm but really warm, in preparation for draining it. Weather was rather poorer, though, than in the above pictures, at one moment I doubted if I’d make it home as the visibility was (ahem) very close to legal minima. I had already tuned into neighbouring EBZW when suddenly it cleared just enough to get me home safely. Then while I was draining the oil, before the hangar doors, down came the rain, and more than the DZ in the TAFs…
Thanks for sharing the story, Bosco, and the pictures. Do you take such photographs without activating an auto-pilot?
Your final at EDFE looks slightly fearsome, with that railway including its high-voltage lines. I would instinctively come in very high, cutting the engine over the railway then side-slipping for all I am worth, in such a situation.
I note with great interest that Bad Dürkheim has a good restaurant, there seem to be plenty of them on the rural German fields. Idar-Oberstein is on the top of my list, has been for a good while.
Great pictures!
I also love your DIY iPad EFB. How’s the GPS reception under the glareshield? Or do you use an external receiver?
Good catch. That is exactly what we are still having a bit of trouble with. GPS reception is a bit intermittent (whilst the ipad on my lap works perfectly). We are probably going to install an external GPS soon.
Do you take such photographs without activating an auto-pilot?
Sure. These four-seaters tend to be quite a bit more stable than microlights. Also, I have two hands.
Your final at EDFE looks slightly fearsome, with that railway including its high-voltage lines. I would instinctively come in very high, cutting the engine over the railway then side-slipping for all I am worth, in such a situation.
That would be uncalled for. The runway is 1400 meters long…
But even with those obstacles, it is no problem to put it on the (displaced) threshold.
I note with great interest that Bad Dürkheim has a good restaurant, there seem to be plenty of them on the rural German fields. Idar-Oberstein is on the top of my list, has been for a good while.
Well, yes and no. some airfield restaurants are indeed good. But most of them are downright average. Still, you will find tons of pireps on how great these restaurants are (The Greek restaurant in Koblenz comes to mind). It’s a bit of a phenomenon in GA. I mean, let’s face it: most pilots are more or less wealthy and do know what is good food. Still, one gets those totally positive pireps for totally mediocre restaurants. My guess is the main reason is that pilots are often enthused by the flight itself and by the nice day out and then their judgement is slightly influenced by their enthusiasm.
Great report
That PFD looks like the KFD840, yes? I think the number B/K sold could be counted on one’s fingers and this is without using binary
Still, one gets those totally positive pireps for totally mediocre restaurants. My guess is the main reason is that pilots are often enthused by the flight itself and by the nice day out and then their judgement is slightly influenced by their enthusiasm.
Well, different people like different food. Famous chefs denigrate Greek food for example because it is made with simple and good quality ingredients, whereas in “fancy restaurant” cooking one uses a load of sauces to cover up poor ingredients, which charging people €50 a course. There are very few countries where I could eat (for more than about 2 days) the stuff which is found on every corner and especially in hotels, and Greece is one of them
