Return Flight EGJJ - EDLP (Long)

In order to clear customs, we planned to fly back to Paderborn; this airport is relatively cheap, has a hotel 300m from the terminal and open 24 hours. Initially, we were intending flying night VFR back from Jersey and taking in the view of the Blood Moon at the same time. However weather was looking dodgy for the Friday afternoon hence our revised plan was to fly VFR to EDLP. clear customs there, refuel and file a flight plan to fly NVFR around the Ruhr Valley to enjoy the sights as the sun set and the moon came out.

At least that was the plan. By flying in daylight hours, I could fly further north, I wouldn’t have to divert via (e.g.) Luxembourg but fly through Maastricht (Holland still refuses to allow Night VFR). It would also be my experience in flying through Belgium, but had read plenty of comments of people stating that if you plan to fly IFR waypoints, you’ll generally be cleared.

We filed EGJJ –> St Germain → CAN –> SOPOL → RODIN → MATIX → ADIXO → ERIGO → GESBI → PADBA → EDLP at FL075

Once airborne, we could see the weather wasn’t looking too good with showers and other nastiness lurking around Caen so we transited though Brest FIR and called Deauville to request a clearance through their airspace. They asked whether we would be following the coast, we would be avoiding the precipitation to the south and remaining off shore. The controller was pretty helpful and cleared us to FL075, asked us to report abeam CAN and Le Havre.

As we got closer to Belgium, we could see that the line of CBs / TCUs spread from the coast, south east right the way down to the border of Luxemburg and these appeared to be higher than FL075 so we asked (and were granted) a climb to FL095.

Passing Cambrai, I contacted Lille with the intention of leaving their frequency and start negotiating a crossing with Brussels. Unfortunately they could no longer hear me, hence after a few minutes attempting to call them in vain, I called Brussels, advised them of the situation and asked for clearance. In the mean time, I circled just before EB-R18B.

5 minutes later, the controller came back and asked whether I could accept direct ERIGO at FL100. I looked and saw this would take me straight through numerous TCUs and a couple of CBs, asked whether he could clear me at FL070 or below – at least I could see the precipitation and ask for a diversion.

A further 5 minutes later I was told ‘negative, what are your intentions now’?

Well, what can I do? Fortunately I’d planned for such an eventuality and said I’ll fly outside controlled airspace, which meant a descent to 4500 feet. Then on track. The reason for the refusal was the fact that Belgian F16s were practicing in that area; additionally, my route would take me close to EBCI and the arriving CAT would be uncomfortably close to me, especially if, as they expected, I would need to divert to avoid weather.

Eventually we passed Florennes at 2500 feet, where we could see the F16s returning to base and onwards, cleared at 4000 feet through Maastricht’s Airspace. From there, a short jaunt across the west of Germany, ducking beneath the Düsseldorf & Köln/Bonn Charlie airspace.

After 3 hours 46 minutes we finally landed in Paderborn, refuelled and checked into the hotel, took a shower and filed the flight plan for night VFR.

The final flight of the day was enjoyable enough, with less thermal activity, watching the day turn to dusk and into night, seeing CAT descending into Düsseldorf but the reason for choosing to fly at night, to see the Blood Moon from above, was left unfulfilled because the high level clouds impeded the view.

Additionally, on return to Paderborn, descending to fly to the airport, the windscreen suddenly went bright green before my eyes and I was momentarily dazzled. Fortunately the autopilot was on, I asked my co-pilot sitting to my right whether they had seen anything – but she was looking out to the side, not straight ahead hence had seen nothing.

As other aircraft were inbound, I called the tower and advised them that I had been targeted with a laser and asked for them to warn others. They called the police who started investigations and were waiting for me upon landing.

Once I’d made my statement, I found myself wondering whether I had dreamt it all up, but upon returning to my room, I watched the video which I had recorded from an externally mounted GoPro Hero 6 camera and sure enough, on approach, you can see the green flash of the laser pen…..