As we have discussed in other threads, flying is not only a selfish satisfaction, but can also be socially fulfilling…
I usually avoid flying locally on WE since a nice day will draw hordes of… WE flyers, and the skies quickly become quite crowded.
Anyway, today’s general assembly day of our EAS, the weather’s good so quite a few will be flying in, and I’m looking forward being reunited with some good friends I haven’t seen since… last year’s GA 😆
Sooo, now back from the GA, and it was a good one 👍🏻
A patch of fog descended on the field early morning, but cleared right in time, and quite a few homebuilts were able to fly in. Ranging from a SW-51 Scalewings Mustang to a Culp Special, Colibri, Cherry, Kitfox, etc, and a few RVs 😃
I jumped briefly to Calabria and Puglia for extended weekend. We landed to Lamezia Terme LICA, took rental car and drove from there all the way to Adriatic coast and then to Ionian Sea and back to Tyrrhenian Sea. Beautiful cities (Alberobello, Locorotondo, Ostuni, Matera, Lecce, Gallipoli, Taranto…), nice weather and great food.
Wonderful photos and wx 
Here in the UK we are still plagued by RA, -RA, +RA, and everything in between, and same goes for much of N Europe.
Nevertheless I managed a trip to La Rochelle LFBH; the old favourite but maybe my last trip there due to the stupid police requirements, with hassle and a lack of transparency and predictability – here.
Amazing tailwind on the way there – up to 65kt
Normally La Rochelle is “shorts weather” but this time it was damn cold – about +7C.
The equally amazing aquarium – always worth a visit
Everything was open and fairly busy despite the cold.
Nice sunsets but you need to walk a long way along the coast to get good ones.
Also popped over to Ile de Re. No use complaining about airport charges when using French taxis! €60 seems to be the entry level
The city and Ile de Re on departure
I knew a price would be paid for the tailwind, and I got up to 60kt HW on the way back Tops also went up to FL120 and used up a bit of TKS
La Rochelle (the town) is nearly always busy. Most day visitors to the Isle de Ré park up and cycle across the bridge. Crossing by car is expensive (in Fremch terms), even in winter.
As a matter of interest how much was your landing and parking at LFBH.
No idea; an invoice will probably arrive someday…
The little hut seems to get bypassed because the police escort you. A good point; I will email them!
Nice reports and super pictures guys! Inspiring too 😀
Peter wrote:
Nevertheless I managed a trip to La Rochelle LFBH; the old favourite but maybe my last trip there due to the stupid police requirements, with hassle and a lack of transparency and predictability – here.
Great pictures!
I am hopefully going in a couple of weeks … although now with some trepidation re. the C&I situation given your reports!
It will be fine. Just send in the PN for both flights and keep that secret phone number handy
The 48hr in the AIP seems to be total fiction as far as the police are concerned. They think it is 24hrs, and insist on an email even when you are speaking to them face to face.
The funny thing is that when you fly back to the UK, they stamp your passport in the passenger hall and then you walk back out on the street and enter airside via the coded gate
First flight as an officially licensed PIC !
I could not go to the coast since the weather was not great there (rain and potentially TS). Instead I did a short hop to Compiègne LFAD with my brother (well, baby steps !)
It was the first time I actually use SDVFR in flight, and it’s really great. I’m backing everything with paper (including filled navlogs) for various reasons discussed many times here, and I regularly have to confirm the position with visual cues, but it really makes things easier during navigation.
It was an overall uneventful flight. The land is still a little flat for my taste (again, baby steps). But definitely very enjoyable !
