This Saturday was one of those rare winter days: freezing cold, but with perfectly clear blue skies. When a fellow pilot mentioned he was heading to Utscheid, a small airfield in the German Eifel, for a coffee, I decided it was the perfect excuse for a mini expedition.
My son, Alejandro, joined me in the cockpit. We took off from EBAR (Arlon Sterpenich), following a yellow FK9. For those who don’t know it, the FK9 is a popular German-built high-wing light aircraft, known for being a reliable “all-rounder” in the microlight world.
The 14°C Mystery
Luxembourg Radar cleared us to cross their TMA at 3,500 feet. As we levelled off, I noticed something strange on the display: the OAT (Outside Air Temperature) was 14°C. On the ground at EBAR, it was only a few degrees above freezing. My first thought was that we had a faulty sensor, but it turned out to be a classic temperature inversion. We had climbed out of the cold ground air into a much warmer layer of air trapped above.
Warm Welcome in Utscheid
Utscheid is a stunning airfield perched on top of a hill. Even though it is mid-winter, the place had a great atmosphere. We met the FK9 pilot along with some locals, Willy and Egon, who took us to the clubhouse for a drink.
Pilots are friendly people, and the welcome was certainly warmer than the ground temperature! We had a chat about the Luxembourg DAC and the lack of 600kg microlight legislation in Luxembourg. It’s a frustrating situation that forces over 90% of local pilots to register their planes in Germany, France, or other EU countries.
Racing the Sunset
With December days being so short, we headed back around 4pm. Taking off into the low sun, I noticed the unusual 14°C OAT again. With a strong tailwind over Luxembourg, our Blackwing reached ground speeds of 170 knots. We love how fast this plane can go when the conditions are right.
We touched down at EBAR just before sunset. It seemed everyone had the same idea; the circuit was busy as pilots scrambled to make the most of the weather. We finished the day with a drink at the clubhouse with about eight other pilots before driving home.
A perfect Saturday in the air.
