Preflight Report
Good morning everybody, welcome back to Farnborough on this auspicious day as we depart the UK for what may be until after Christmas, we’ve run out of the things to check and make sure it all correct it’s time to go. Fully loaded with fuel, tools, parts, light saving equipment and not to mention luggage and with a new passport in hand (including some in flight food and entertainment) the aircraft is fully loaded.
The route today which may be a single flight was prepared earlier in the week and has been submitted to ATC services at Farnborough and we’ve been cleared to operated into Europe and through French Airspace including clearances through Paris. We are hoping to see some of histories most iconic beaches in the French region of Normandy, the beaches of Utah, Omaha, Gold, Sword and Juno which as most of us know where the focal point of D-Day landings of the 6th June 1944. From there we’re turning towards Paris and prepare to take in the sights of The Arc De triumph and The Effiel Tower before a landing at Orly. Our initial routing and climb to 5000ft will take in the sights of the South Coast of England and the Isle of Wight and over the English Channel.
Inflight
Our flight has been somewhat lower than we had hoped and also a bit more bumpier, thanks to the great British summer cruising at 3000ft over the south of England meant we did get some good views below. Once out of English airspace the coffee machine was filled and prepped by my faithful engineer and a sweet mug of hot joe was in my hands.
Post Flight
Arrival into Orly was a standard affair with Paris ATC handing us over around 17nm from the airport. Orly has grown into a massive international hub making our arrival a fair bit more expensive than I thought and frankly we’re going to make a similar mistake on leg 2 but going forward we are going to be looking at smaller regional or private airfields where possible, in addition in flight which takes us into a country in the first instance will have to clear a customs and border control point.