So, after the nice fly-in in Lausanne last weekend, I stayed in Bern for the week. The plan was to fly out to Mannheim today for a work-related event in Walldorf tomorrow.
Now I’m stranded at Baden Airport, cheers to that.
At the end of the day (no pun intended), my own fault: The margin of time that I allowed myself before utter darkness was too little – and was partially being eaten up on the ground already in Bern, when my train connection to the airport was messed up and I lost some 15 minutes due to that.
I knew when I took off that it was going to be close but I decided to monitor ground speed and ETA and hoped for a good tailwind to make it in time for my dinner appointment in Mannheim – but you cannot always win. I played a little with different flight levels but I never achieved any good ground speed. Enroute overhead the Schwarzwald area, I used the time during level flight to make diversion plans. Karlsruhe-Baden Baden is a commercial airport which was not much of a detour. I got their ATIS and decided to make the call once abeam. I would have made it to my original destination within legal limits, but it would have been very close and it’s an unfamiliar airfield and a single go-around would have rendered my flight illegal (and me in an unsafe position, not being night-trained) so I diverted.
ATC here was very accommodating and friendly and I found a bed&breakfast right next to the main terminal – flight to be continued tomorrow. 
Life is an adventure. 
Try find an instructor around the place, and get out and do the night rating tonight (if the weather is suitable)!
It’s five hours, so can be all done in one night!
It’s a quite enjoyable experience, with no pressure, as there is no test at the end.
What better way to spend an evening in a place where you know nobody else and have nothing to do!
Haha, dublinpilot that is a splendid idea!
I went for the easy way out: Pizza at the terminal and night rating will be done for the next winter season.
