Blackwing
Ahead of the Luxembourg–Georgia expedition, preparation goes beyond route planning. Moving from a Lycoming-powered Mooney to a modern Rotax-equipped Blackwing, I am deepening my technical understanding through maintenance involvement, Rotax training in Biscarrosse, and mountain flying preparation with Robert Sentef — all part of getting both pilot and aircraft ready for the journey.
Europe’s high-end ULM segment (Blackwing, Shark, VL3, Risen, Bristel, Ellipse,…) is a mature European industry and regulation must catch up with reality. The 600 kg MTOW boundary is outdated; these aircraft deliver major safety (parachute, short-field margins), capability, and dramatic fuel-cost advantages—e.g. at 100 hours/year: ~€2,400 Mogas vs €10,000–€11,250 Avgas in typical certified touring aircraft. Europe should stop trying to regulate everything and focus on simple, proportionate rules and smoother cross-border flying.
A new airfield development on the Riviera: 16 apartments with hangar space underneath at Fayence–Tourrettes. High-end ULM finally gets a home base near Cannes. Delivery autumn 2026.
This summer I welcomed two special guests on board in Provence: Ambassador Vakhtang Makharoblishvili for a lunch flight to Aix-en-Provence, and Catherine Zivoder for a scenic tour around the Plan de Canjuers and Mont Lachens.
The final leg of our Europe at the Edge 2025 journey: a sunrise departure from Sterpenich, dodging thunderstorms across France, and a safe arrival in Fayence to conclude an unforgettable adventure.
From Warsaw’s historic old town to the sobering grounds of Auschwitz, this leg of our Europe at the Edge journey took us deep into Poland. After exploring the capital, we flew south to Kaniow airfield, where Marian – a true aviation pioneer – welcomed us. His son drove us to Auschwitz, a visit that left a lasting impression. With the Blackwing refuelled and our thoughts heavy, we set course towards Ostrava, carrying both memories and miles further west.
Leaving Narva with the memory of new friends and a small parcel to deliver, we crossed Latvia under degraded GPS signals and entered Poland via Suwałki. By evening we landed in Warsaw, a modern and vibrant city where we paused for two nights to rest and explore.
Connectivity is becoming a hot topic among Blackwing pilots. In my aircraft I use the Golze ADL190 with Iridium for reliable weather data directly on the Garmin G3X and my iPad. Some fellow owners now fly with a Starlink Mini, enjoying broadband internet in the cockpit – but without panel integration. In this post, I compare both solutions, explain how they can be combined, and invite fellow pilots to share their first-hand experiences in the comments.
Our stay in Narva began in the Narva Hotel, a building with a distinct Soviet touch. The corridors were wide, the rooms oversized, and the decoration reminded us of another era. From our window we could catch a glimpse of Ivangorod, the Russian border town across the river. It seemed alarmingly close – less than…
On day two, our journey took us from bustling Gdańsk to the Lithuanian border town of Druskininkai, and later to Narva. A long call with Polish air traffic control set the tone, as we carefully plotted a route through one of Europe’s most sensitive corridors – between Kaliningrad and Belarus. From navigating busy runways alongside airliners to searching for fuel at the edge of Belarus, this leg was as much about preparation and resilience as it was about flying fast across shifting borders.