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| Alpha Charlie at home |
"There are old pilots. And there are bold pilots. But there are no old, bold pilots."
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| The Route |
Monday 13 December 2010
First Post: December 2010
How did I get myself into this? Cranfield to South Africa and back in a single-engine, light aircraft. I could blame my wife who gave me a flying lesson for my 60th birthday and said " Stop wingeing about being over-the-hill". But that would be ungracious. It was a far-sighted gift.
I was, in fact, sitting in my hospital bed, lighter by one, large, nay voluminous, prostate and thinking: " OK. What now?" I saw an advert in Pilot magazine. I had Alpha Charlie, a lovely, modern Archer III (the most forgiving of mistresses) barely 200 hours in my logbook, time and an incurable wander-lust.
So here we are, Alpha Charlie and I ( Steve my flying buddy who's coming south and Jo, my new,no-nonsense French pilot friend who is flying north) figuring out how we're going to get to Cyprus in February 2011 and then head south via Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Mozambique. Then north from Johannesburg to Namibia, Angola, Gabon, Congo, Nigeria, Algeria and home via Ibiza in time for an Easter Egg hunt. Eight aircraft, mostly Brits, two Belgians, one Frenchman, all-round Good Guys, without exception more experienced than me and, reassuringly all fully paid-up members of the Ackward Squad. Just over 18000 nautical miles and around 120 hours flying time.
I keep thinking of Saint-Exupery who said: " Self-discovery comes when man measures himself against an obstacle." I'm sure there will be plenty of obstacles. Might be a bit late for self-discovery.
Just over six weeks to go: time enough to swat up on the intricacies of Pressure Altitude and other only vaguely-remembered stuff I was taught by my long-suffering instructors at Bonus Aviation (http://www.bonusaviation.co.uk/ )
buy some survival kit; research Michelin-starred restaurants in Addis Ababa and brush up my short-field landing skills. Oh, and lose some weight or we'll never get off the ground with all the clobber we're carrying.
Can't wait. Trip of several life-times.
Watch this space.
I was, in fact, sitting in my hospital bed, lighter by one, large, nay voluminous, prostate and thinking: " OK. What now?" I saw an advert in Pilot magazine. I had Alpha Charlie, a lovely, modern Archer III (the most forgiving of mistresses) barely 200 hours in my logbook, time and an incurable wander-lust.
So here we are, Alpha Charlie and I ( Steve my flying buddy who's coming south and Jo, my new,no-nonsense French pilot friend who is flying north) figuring out how we're going to get to Cyprus in February 2011 and then head south via Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Mozambique. Then north from Johannesburg to Namibia, Angola, Gabon, Congo, Nigeria, Algeria and home via Ibiza in time for an Easter Egg hunt. Eight aircraft, mostly Brits, two Belgians, one Frenchman, all-round Good Guys, without exception more experienced than me and, reassuringly all fully paid-up members of the Ackward Squad. Just over 18000 nautical miles and around 120 hours flying time.
I keep thinking of Saint-Exupery who said: " Self-discovery comes when man measures himself against an obstacle." I'm sure there will be plenty of obstacles. Might be a bit late for self-discovery.
Just over six weeks to go: time enough to swat up on the intricacies of Pressure Altitude and other only vaguely-remembered stuff I was taught by my long-suffering instructors at Bonus Aviation (http://www.bonusaviation.co.uk/ )
buy some survival kit; research Michelin-starred restaurants in Addis Ababa and brush up my short-field landing skills. Oh, and lose some weight or we'll never get off the ground with all the clobber we're carrying.
Can't wait. Trip of several life-times.
Watch this space.
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