This was a little meet-up of a few “regulars” from the forum.
The airport is 24hr PNR for immigration AND 24h PNR for removing the FR-only status. Also I could not make email contact unless google translating emails into French, which could not have been due to the guy who was picking up the emails (Patrick) who speaks English OK. I suspect dodgy antispam, like I have seen before with .fr domains (bouncing everything unless in French). The other guy who does the tower cannot speak English, hence the 24hr PNR.
The weather was nice although there was a lot of haze and also serious concern regarding fog which made it fairly likely that the return may have to divert to Biggin Hill, yet again… but the fog never made it much east of Bournemouth. One pilot cancelled due to the Belgian ATC strike.
Nice wx for departure
Le Havre
A nice DCT, after some initial messing because when ATC had a flight plan to LFOX, and with a very different route to what I had filed – more here
LFOV was under this haze layer
RNAV 14 via LADAV IAF
Nice airport, very friendly, cheap, but have to watch the opening hours; it closes 1100Z for a couple of hours
At 2 mins past 1100Z the tower guy is heading to lunch
The town is certainly scenic; not to the standard of say La Rochelle but still pretty good
Spot the Brit telephone box
I always bring chocs for the fire/hangar crew back home
We checked very carefully that the police were waiting for us, but were told they were not coming. I didn’t want a repeat of this
Heavy dew on the plane; it was better to not have covered it for the 1-night parking, since the cover would have been soaked and unpleasant to remove
Laval town, and the airport
Back at the N French coast, near Caen
The fog never got to EGKA
EGHH 140920Z VRB01KT 0200 R26/0325 FG VV/// 01/01 Q1032
TAF EGHH 140808Z 1409/1418 12003KT 0200 FZFG VV/// BECMG 1409/1412 9999 NSW FEW010 PROB30 TEMPO 1412/1414 9000
EGKB 140920Z VRB03KT CAVOK 08/02 Q1033
TAF EGKB 140804Z 1409/1418 15006KT 9999 FEW025 PROB40 1409/1411 8000
EGKA 140950Z 11006KT 6000 NSC 08/08 Q1033
TAF EGKA 140833Z 1408/1415 13004KT 9999 FEW025 TEMPO 1408/1410 7000 PROB30 1408/1409 3000 BR
A great trip and thanks to those who made it
Looks like a nice trip :)
A good read, thanks!