We’re getting married !
This Friday, We are getting formally married. Kika and I know each other from the mid-’90s, we’re formally engaged since 1999 and our son was born back in 2009. We however never formally married. The Covid-19 crisis with its confinement brought us closer to each other and so we are now marrying this Friday, May 29th. I’m a lucky man as being with Kika made me happier than ever before. She has been flying with me for many years although she is not an aviation enthusiast as I am .
Last pre-Corona flight
Annual check flight
On March 14th, 2020 I conducted my most recent flight in a Cessna 182. I flew from Luxembourg to Trier airfield with Bernard Frechen for my annual check flight.
The weather was so-so, but flyable. I did some 5 touches and go’s at Trier airfield. The check flight went seamless. Not bad after a long winter break of your private pilot.
Whilst returning to Luxembourg Airport, we flew nearby the Luxembourg prison of Schrassig. I did not realize at that moment that all pilots shortly would feel imprisoned.
Corona crisis developing
As the Corona crisis was developing, also in Luxembourg, our flying club Aéro-Sport initially took some precautionary measures to promote social distancing. However, I did not expect that this would be my last flight momentary on a club airplane. The day after, a bold decision was taken to shut down operations and prepare for a lockdown of our club and the country. The situation seems to worsen rapidly. We are now all grounded for an indefinite period, whereby weeks can become months. Quiet a disaster for the people, our businesses and for us as pilots.
It looks to me this crisis is now only a developing sanitary crisis, but quite possible a big financial crisis will be following next. Possibly devastating in many ways. Meaning, no new flights anymore in the pipeline whilst the weather seems to start improving shortly. This Corona thing looks very bad, reason enough to drink my last Corona bottle in my house after today’s flight. I made the reflection that Corona was until today a Mexican beer and as of now, the name will be remembered as a devastating and destroying global virus. What a tragedy!
From Genk-Zwartberg to Parma (Part 4): exploring Parma
Tourism
The next morning, we discover the Parma area. Not many tourists around for mid -August. This region is so beautiful and full of historic buildings. Wonderfull! We enjoy it very much. Mimi brings us to “La Rocca”, that seems to be the best store to get ham and cheese from Parma.
From Genk-Zwartberg to Parma (Part 3) : The bay of Genua
Preparing to take off
We are in Cannes right now, preparing to take off for Parma this morning. According to Aeroweather, skies are clear, but on the satellite picture, it tells me something different. Maybe a thin cloud layer in the Bay of Genua. Anyway, we’re going for it. It is the first time I’ll fly to Italy on this route, With all the digital tools and AIP, it was not too complicated to find how to plot a route. I also consulted my friend Maurice whilst preparing my flight.
After take-off in Cannes, I’ll follow some kind of corridor north of the Nice airfield. I plan to do so because of the break-in procedure of the Mooney. 5000 feet is recommended and I can not pass over 8000 ft.
As we’ll fly over the sea for quite a while, we have to put our life jackets on. Enough writing, time for action and taking off.
From Genk-Zwartberg to Parma (Part 2): stopover in Cannes
Changing plans
There’s a lot of rain on its way to Luxembourg on this long August 15 weekend. I planned to go to a pilot’s fly-in in Kalinigrad initially and meet there with a Polish pilot, and attend an AOPA supported event, but as I fly VFR, seems not to be a good idea to go that direction due to the poor weather.
Time to work out an alternative plan as I booked the Mooney of the flying club in Genk Zwartberg for several days
As it rains on August 15th, I decided to go working and had a long and productive day in my office with the outlook of a nice new flying adventure on August 16th.
From Genk-Zwartberg to Parma (Part 1) : the departure
A new engine for the Mooney
I drive to Hasselt to visit my mother, who’s 89 years old now. After staying overnight at her house together with my son, my mother drops me off the next morning at the Genk-Zwartberg airfield. Today, we are going to pick up the Mooney of our flying club. The plan is to fly the Mooney to Luxembourg, whilst trying to land on the new Parking 5 which just reopened for General Aviation visiting pilots
Private flight to Fayence : flying back to Luxembourg :
Return delayed due to bad weather
Bad weather followed us to Fayence and the next day looks really bad. Impossible to take off again and so we have to wait until the sun appears again the next day.
Private flight from Luxembourg to Fayence – GDL69 failure
A hot Summer day flight
My family and me remember late July 2019 in Luxembourg for its extreme hot record temperatures of 40 degrees Celcius. I’ve booked since quite some time a Cessna 172 SP – call sign LX-AIO – at my flying club Aéro-Sport for a long weekend fly-out. I always enjoy when my wife and 9 year old son are joining me for a flight. The extreme hot weather won’t keep me from flying to the French Riviera. Arriving in the Aéro-Sport clubhouse, another pilot informs me that the plane I booked, call sign LX-AIO, has an error with the G1000.
Part 4: From Castellane (ES) to Almeria (ES)
Southern Spain
Franky and me enjoyed a lot flying around the Spanish coastline. We rapidly approached Almeria where we considering making another fuel stop. There was a bit more wind in the Almeria region, but the views were absolutely stunning.
