130nm trip is nothing much to talk about.
What makes a difference is the mission. We transported the medical protective equipment.
The whole story goes like this:
There has been a group of young people with a great project: to create a volunteer team of hobby pilots, to deliver the medical gear such as face masks, respirators, filters and other stuff from local manufacturers to hospitals. The project is called Piloti Lidem (Pilots Helping People). When they started their web site and invited pilots to register, the very next day almost all of us GA and ultralight pilots of Czech Republic registered.
Initially it looked like a no-go, as the relevant authorities refused to provide any approval. Our Government is not interested in local production anyway, buying from China is a better business for politicians. Yet, many Czech universities and companies started development and production of protective equipment. A natural network of manufacturers and customers has grown rapidly, and we are the link that takes care of speedy delivery. As the delivery is a volunteer not-paid activity, no approval is actually needed, and the flying has really picked up. Now there are about five to seven flights daily.
Finally, the day has come and we did our first delivery:
The addressee was the University Hospital in Olomouc, 130nm from Praha. They ordered a number of full-face respirators, designed and manufactured by the Czech Technical University as a crowdfunded project. We landed at the airport of dispatch, it is a private airport LKTC, just touching the southern part of Praha CTR. We were three aircraft and a small helicopter at that moment. A volunteering taxi driver brought in a pile of boxes in his Tesla (of course, this all is a hi-tech activity) and each of us picked a share. And off we went, each of us to deliver to a different place. The flight itself was straightforward, 1:10 on the way to Olomouc, handover of the boxes to the happy doctor, 1:15 to fly back.
Now we are waiting in the queue for our next transportation flights.
About the trip itself:
The destination city, Olomouc, is a historical city in Moravia, dating its existence from 2nd century. The picture shows the historical centre, second largest in the country after Praha:
In the centre of the picture there is the gothic Church of Saint Maurice, famous for its organs, one of the largest in Europe. The dark peak that looks like a tower of the church is actually the UNESCO registered Holy Trinity Column. Left of that is the town hall from 15th century, with the astronomical clock. After being damaged during WWII, the clock was re-built in 1955 in the official style of that era, interesting to see. What is not on this picture, yet worth visiting, is the Saint Wenceslas Cathedral.
The following building used to be a monastery since 1077. After rich history full of highs and lows, in 1802 it has been transformed into the military hospital. In active service today:
A few prop turns away is the most visited pilgrimage site in our country, the basilica of the Assumption of Virgin Mary:
In our beautiful country even prisons are beautiful:
After the victory over The Virus, when you start contemplating about where to fly next, consider Olomouc. Unlike, say, Český Krumlov, it has not been discovered by mass tourism, yet has a lot to offer.
Thanks Pavel, an interesting and encouraging read. You’re right, the buildings really are beautiful.
Great initiative! And. BTW beautiful photos 
Hi Pavel,
that was a great initiative and good promotion for GA! Spread it as wide as possible! It also shows, that a combination of a useful and important task with fun and pleasure is possible, which is a good thing especially these days…
Thanks for sharing the beautiful pictures which motivate me to make a trip to your nice country again as soon as possible.
BTW – fantastic aircraft 
Regards
Roland
Cool
That`s a good advertisement for GA.
Pavel wrote:
to create a volunteer team of hobby pilots
I understand it that way: So if you don’t have a taxi driver license, you’re a hobby car driver? Or are people with experimentals hobby pilots?
Nice initiative, Pavel
For a moment I thought that was Svata Hora, where I used to walk every Sunday to a radio ham club, OK1OFA
@Emir, there is one specialty offered only for you by the Olomouc region: the Hranice Abyss, the world’s deepest sweetwater pit cave. As you techies are pretty well interconnected, I am sure you know many of those who have explored the cave.
@europaxs, great, let me know when you come. Keep on mind, we are a small country, plan the descent from your FL230 properly to make it
@highflyer, my thought was that everybody, who lives on something else and has flying as a recreational activity, is a hobby pilot. But, actually, you’re right. There are jetliner professional pilots that fly GA in their off time, so they are hobby pilots, too. And actually those participate in this delivery activity as well. Some medical equipment was transported by AN-2s or by historical Lockheed Electra 10A.
@Peter, Svata Hora in Příbram? Remarkable place. I learned to fly at the airport next to it.
Yes; I lived in Příbram 1960-1969. I flew to LKPM c. 2008 to an aviation exhibition there. There used to be a guy called Karel Bocek who was the head of the uranium mines, and he flew a Morava 200 out of there. I went up in it when I was about 6.
Hranice Abyss, the world’s deepest sweetwater pit cave. As you techies are pretty well interconnected, I am sure you know many of those who have explored the cave.
Super-deep, more than 400 m. I don’t personally know the guys who did (and still do) the exploration but they are very well known in cave diving community. AFAIK they reached depth of more than 250 m.
