Looks like a great trip.
One day I’ll make it!
Emir wrote:
I guess it’s pretty common flying there without transponder – it’s uncontrolled airspace and it’s not mandatory.
It’s not mandatory to carry a transponder but if you have one it is mandatory to operate it.
In the UK I’d file an Airprox. Not sure what the EASA equivalent is, but there must be one. I shy away from submitting reports to officialdom as there is the risk of a prolonged exchange of paperwork. But in your case Dan, this incident really should be investigated by the authorities who have access to all the radar data. He didn’t hit you this time, but there’s always the next time!
Here we go with some trip pics:
Reasonable and typical UK wx on departure 
Settled at FL070, later FL080 to remain VMC on top
After about 3 hours of thousands of fields, the scenery gets more interesting
For the intermediate stop, I gave up on the SW French airports traditionally used. They are 24/48hr PN (LFMT is 3 days PN – what are they smoking / what kind of bizzare work avoidance scheme is this?) and mostly don’t confirm the PN, while the handler for Beziers (due to a mistake I didn’t quite do the 24hr PN and asked if they will accept the flight with about a 15hr PN, which some pilots claim does work) said
The 24h notice is mandatory for Customs.
The risk is an expensive fine from Customs.
Maybe you can make your fuel stop at LFMT to avoid any problem?
(he was obviously unaware LFMT is 3 days PN )
So, no ack of the PN email and they can fine you if the email does not arrive… really great stuff. Frankly, for the €109+VAT at LEGE, who would bother with these places? LEGE is 3hrs PN and the handler communicates properly and arranges everything. I used Centervol… No reply initially because the AIP and everybody publishes the wrong email for them so I told them; whether the AIP will be fixed within 10 years, who knows?
E-mail: [email protected]
The email is centervol.es, not .com!
Hazy ILS Z 19 to Girona LEGE
Airline airport with airline buses but functioning well enough for GA. One funny moment when going to the toilet needing a pass through security, and the policewoman could not understand how we could be travelling with no luggage I did not explain the contraband is left in the aircraft 
Fuel arrived after about 45 mins (filling up 4 Ryanairs first). AIR BP card preferred. Did not check other cards.
The LEGE-LECD flight was initially somewhat concerning. Started with the SID (to avoid concerns about CAS in the vicinity of LEGE and to keep it simple for ATC) and then went to look for a suitable route around the buildups, with haze and cloud around the tops of the terrain, but this cleared up after a bit and we headed straight to LECD
The Flightaware track ends well before LECD due to mountains. It is quite ambiguous in this area who you should talk to and whether you are VFR or IFR, but we did formally cancel IFR at some point (with Barcelona)
The alternative would have been LEGE DCT LECD at about FL100 and it would have worked, but one could not be sure to start with.
There are actually several ways to LECD which don’t need much above 7000ft, or even less via LESU, I think… This meetup was abandoned in April 2018 due to bad wx in the area and probably for right reasons.
La Cerdanya airfield. A nice friendly place, almost no traffic, a bit of gliding at times, lots of parking, negligible costs, no fuel (aeroclub has some but won’t release it) and no customs/immigration
The restaurant for the big dinner – Mooma – is right at the airfield. It was really excellent
A great sunset pic. Tom Cruise – eat your heart out (Aart walking back from his plane)
Next day 2 of us did a really nice 8-9km walk through the woods to Molina. About 1000ft elevation rise across the walk, starting at about 3500ft. Not an easy walk for old cogers like me at the altitude but in the shade, so was very pleasant.
There was a spectacular helicopter rescue of a guy who came off a mountain bike on a narrow track. They lifted him out via a tree clearing no bigger than 10-20m.
La Molina train station. Pretty but no trains due to some car accident down the track. To get back to Alp, we found an off duty taxi because we recognised the driver from Alp
The place for dinner We had a really great group. The perfect weather obviously helped
Alp train station. The buildings were abandoned many years ago but the train still stops there. It goes all the way to Barcelona. We did a really great trip: Alp to Ribes de Freser, then a second train from Ribes de Freser to Nuria, then a cable car Nuria to Coma del Clot
The 2nd train used the geared track and amazingly you could see through the cab, which made it much more interesting. You could see the power drawn – around 1 MW max.
There are ski slopes but seriously hard-core
Lots of great hiking in the area
Our group (3 – Emir, Dublinpilot and me) were the last to depart out of 15-20 people
Baloons up every morning
Never seen this car before!
Emir departing, and with an impressive climb rate afterwards
The correct windsock look; usual suggestive comments were made
Entering and backtracking
In calm wind, you depart 25 and then we did a left 180 turn to the east which offers better terrain clearance
The Aera 660 terrain view shows well how to get in and out of there, in case it isn’t obvious by looking out. At around this point we got very close to another aircraft, which was never spotted (he was probably in the sun) but luckily he was Mode C/S so visible on the TCAS1 system. Shortly after we turned left to around 030 and then 360 and called up Toulouse for an IFR clearance
An interesting site which seems to focus many mirrors onto the top of a tower. I recall reading about this many years ago; they were renting it out for thermal shock testing of materials. Or maybe it was a solar power station?
The Pyrenees end quite suddenly
I recall this coloured lake from many trips down there. Is the water really that colour, or is it some chemical contamination?
An unpublished brand new runway inside a French mil area
We got a weird terrain warning at FL090. It turns out to be a DA which can have a captive baloon in it up to 10500ft. Looking at the photos it is obviously a long-wavelength comms station, probably for submarines which tend to use frequencies around 20kHz and the radiation has worldwide coverage
Then some hours of fields and more fields – a testament to the CAP
A quick stop for C+I at Caen (an airport which used to be easy but now tries to be as extremely difficult as possible with absolutely strict PPR requirements and multiple notifications, like 1hr before departure and if you forget you are not allowed to land there) and then to the UK, with the wx changing into haze and then IMC
RNP02 at EGKA
A great meet-up! It was especially good to meet up with new people. A very good location too, but for which most people will need a fuel stop and/or a customs/immigration stop.
Next one will hopefully be a fly to ski
Thanks to all who organized and to all who shared with pics that great weekend !!
It seems it was a great time
Dan’s close call is a bit surprising to me given he was at FL85 (really high for most VFR pilots, although near the alps they are more used to climbing).
I guess all our gear can’t protect us 100%.
Peter is typing used F16 radar on ebay just in case something pops up. A couple wires and he will get all targets from 50nm out on his HSI
Beautiful report @Peter.
You guys are getting good with pictures, I’ll soon have to up my game to stay in touch
this incident really should be investigated by the authorities who have access to all the radar data.
And
I guess all our gear can’t protect us 100%
Yes, I gave some thought about reporting what was a very close to final call to the authorities… but didn’t on the following grounds:
The final and only lesson for me, and for all of us, is to keep one’s lookout to the max, something I pride myself in doing, the more so when evolving in busy airspace…
Consider not flying at exact levels like FL85. That might help a bit.
This is the French mil site with that potentially very high captive baloon. Obviously antennae. I wonder if @tumbleweed recognises it.
Fantastic pictures! Wish I could have been there.
Where exactly is the French mil site with the new runway and the one with the balloon?
When I worked in the satellite biz I got told off for saying antennae. I was told “insects have antennae, satellites have antennas”.
Thanks @aart for the nice report , your hard work in managing everything and for entrusting your life to good ol’ Maria Centurion and myself…at least, unlike @Dan we managed to keep the right side up most of the way. Those pesky RV’s must have some wear on their gyros…
aart wrote:
Nothing else to do but to sit under a tree (see second pic) and watch this:
There are worse views to enjoy in life…those RV’s sure add a colourful touch to the beautiful environment, if only they had the flaps in the correct parking position!
