Yes, this is it. No engine covers on but shades on each single window to back-up the persistent overcast as a radiation blocker. Incidentally, the non-tied-down Cirrus had indeed parked into wind. It seemed to endure the winds allright.
Us three were alone on the ramp for several days, weather braved only by a couple of big Falcon jets.
before flying on Southwards and having our most serious flight incident of the trip
Do you work in the TV business? Talk about leaving us on a cliff hanger!
Thanks for the continued effort you are putting in to this report!
Still reading too.
Looks like your IR was put to good use.
Waiting for the end of the story !
DAY 11: COSTA DEL RHEIN BUT…WOULD WE MAKE IT TODAY?
Please indulge with my vulgar attempt at story telling, even if I am not in the TV business…at least I made the effort not to make you wait too long for the next one…
So here we were, my two beloved pax and I, happily cruising along at 195KTS GS and FL170, Southbound near Hanover in good smooth weather enjoying some tailwind and comfortably pressurized at max delta-P resulting in 7000ft cabin alt, ready for a relaxing snack. What more could a travelling PPL wish for? I mean, what could possibly go wrong?
Oh, well, since you ask….then, suddenly, without a warning or apparent reason the loudest popping bang ever heard in a small aircraft cabin filled our ears souls well above the sound-deadening capability of our David Clark’s. Adrenaline pumping, thoughts evidently and immediately driven to some kind of failure in the pressure vessel, eagle eyes to cabin pressure instruments which clearly showed…wait a minute, yes that was a hairy moment in our next flight of this trip but let’s not get ahead of ourselves…obviously we are alive so it cannot have been that bad…loss of cabin pressure at FL170 is not even a real mayday and perhaps only a mild pan pan pan requiring some descent without even needing a pull on the emergency O2 lanyards…what was time of useful consciousness? 20-30 mins? No mayday then, right?
So on with our story….we have some friends who run a hotel at Rudesheim am Rhein, AKA Costa del Rhein, west of Frankfurt . Beautiful place on the river bank, that they had been asking us to visit for some time. It was almost directly enroute from Roskilde, where we left our story, to our homebase in Palma. Since we now knew wx enroute was going to be fine, we planned to fly to Mainz-Finthen EDFZ nearby and visit for a couple of days. Mainz had no PPR, avgas available at a reasonable €2.78/lt, a 1000m long VFR runway and no apparent restrictions.
For weather there was a HP centered in Poland, some low-mid cloud remnants of the millionth recently passed occluded front in Denmark and N-Germany in the past few days, but without any icing expected, and a quartering tailwind at most altitudes…what more could you ask for a 400NM trip in N-central Europe? FPL estimated 2:08 and only 38USG trip fuel. We had landed at EKRK with 63USG remaining so there was plenty for the trip including a hefty diversion, holding, contingency reserve and 10USG extra…life was good! This time there was little incentive to fly low and we just filed optimal altitude of FL180.
Roskilde proved to be as easy as advertised. Maybe business model works mainly because it is run by Copenhagen airports in a somehow integrated fashion. Service is excellent and prices (other than fuel) reasonable (see reports).
Some views of the nice terminal/FBO.
The Cirrus and PA-46 had left but there was a lonely MS Rallye and a Falcon sharing the apron with Maria Centurion. Again a thorough preflight making sure all was fine after the windy past few days and we taxied to rwy 29 this time.
After giving way to some traffic we immediately got a clearance for departure
with a seamless turn enroute and climb to cruise. We went through a few showers
and then went IMC. I was not too worried about icing since cloud tops should be at or below freezing levels and sure enough we broke out on top at +1C into gorgeous sunshine sampled for the first time since we left Norway.
THis must be the famous feeling of UK aviators stranded below cloud for weeks at a time when they are able to climb on top for a spell of sunshine…
We were established in the cruise at FL180 25 mins after take-off (not that bad for a heavy old bird). Being lighter than before, performance was good at 190KTAS on only 15.5GPH, which translated to the magic 200KTS GS in the quartering tailwind.
As we went into Germany, the undercast started thinning
Shortly thereafter ATC asked that we pick and odd level. Mindful of the relatively short flight and the winds aloft being a bit off course higher up, we selected FL170. Once relaxing in the cruise
and having discussed we should start snacking, our incident happened: after the loud pop, my eyes went direct to the cabin pressure instruments to find that…nothing had changed: cabin pressure was stable at max delta P, I would have noticed something in my ears would I not? So if not a pressure hull breach, what caused the noise? Could we have hit a bird or something? It sounded more like a pressure sound than a hit, but then I start looking around at leading edges and inside the cabin, phone-camera in hand, when I see this angelical face:
do I need to explain any further?
Apparently the wonderful Trondheim chips had an important say in this trip beyond their own flavour. Heart back in its place, daughter and dad had a small but important inflight conversation…and went on to enjoy these…
Anyway, soon and eventlessly enough we were ready for a descent and cancelling IFR
, switching briefly with Langen Info but shortly thereafter with Mainz Radio. Mainz sits underneath Frankfurt Class C, very well explained in this information chart
We soon crossed the Rhein near Rudesheim where Mainz Radio “cleared” us to cross the extended centreline and enter a LH downwind for rwy 25 by a kind flugleiter.
Flown distance had been 380NM in 2hrs 12 mins or a respectable 175KTS avg GS with some helpful tailwind. Best we had used almost exactly as planned 37.5 USG.
No winds expected, we parked next to another 210 , took our stuff and set out to research what looked like a great place. Some interesting birds around
The terminal-restaurant-flugleiter-office-tower
The views from the tower and the restaurant Tower-One
with a respectable menu
The only downside is it was not easy for our friend to come pick us up, since Google and road instructions are very unclear: the place is a bit of a mess as some of the old access roads are now in disuse as some of the place is being torn down…he eventually made it and what else? It is great to meet friends after a few years.
After some hugs and games we set out to visit good old Rudesheim where everybody seemed to be enjoying holidays…is it not a Thursday?
It is obviously a popular place amongst German tourists. Riesling vineyards are all over the place on the Northern shores and, with such great weather as we were having, very scenic.
The next day we would set out to tour around the place a bit before our final flight back home, but only after yet another improvised flight…but we’ll leave that for a final chapter!
(edited to add tax to Mainz fuel price)
Didn’t know you visited EDFZ.
Avgas price there was ~2.80€ though. The price above is probably net of VAT.
That C210 there is the famous unique mogas-approved one which we talked about on this forum, which my club sold some time ago.
Tower1 Restaurant is indeed rather good, if slightly expensive. Lots of money in the Wiesbaden/Mainz/Rheingau area, as you can see also from the hardware at EDFZ.
I got caught in your story til the end. You are a storyteller !
boscomantico wrote:
Avgas price there was ~2.80€ though. The price above is probably net of VAT.
You are right. Now corrected.boscomantico wrote:
Didn’t know you visited EDFZ.
Yes, had not realized you were based there! We should have done another EuroGA mini-meetup!
Yes, a few more interesting aircraft we found there the next day…but don’t spoil my story just yet!
Jujupilote wrote:
I got caught in your story til the end
That was the intent, thanks!
Great episode again Antonio, look forward to the final chapter.
I had such a pop myself at FL100 years ago. I know how it sounds and how the brain reacts to it 
It’s now on my checklist to check that such things are not on board or are ‘de-activated’.
