Flight Club to the new EU countries.

During the photo reunion of the last flight of last year it was decided to go to Bulgaria.

At another meeting to identify the needs and opportunities the idea came arrised to also fly to Turkey. Furthermore, we talked about opportunities in Bulgaria to visit Varna, Sofia, Plovdiv and any other possibilities.  At the second meeting  the plan which was prepared was discussed.  The plan was to use 7 planes and 15 persons to fly with destination Black Sea and Turkey.

On Monday, June 4 2007 at 10 o clock we where ready to depart.

The first leg of the flight was from Rotterdam to Nurnberg, a reasonably familiar route because we also flew this last year when we went to Croatia. After the stopover in Nurnberg for pilots change, something to eat and a refuel we departed to Voslau Vienna to stay the night over there. After a sumptuous meal some further maps were distributed what we would need for the next part. The next morning there was much doubt about the weather enroute to the next destination.  We made a long weather analysis at the airport Voslau to asses the weather situation. The weather at Voslau was bad and enroute was even worse.  The outlook for the following days was very poor and gradually it became clear that our goal was not possible and should be delayed perhaps one year.

After extensive meteorological information was collected, the group through the democratic process decided that the next days we would not go to Bulgaria but stay in Hungary and after that to  visit Berlin and northern Germany. In the excellent pilot shop at Voslau we could buy enough maps for the new plan to be able to plot the route on a map.  

The next morning we flew to the Sarmellek at the Ballaton lake, a short flight of about 1.5 hours.  Some of our group decided to do a little sightseeing with an extra round over lake Ballaton.  After landing at Sarmellek, a airport with nice extra. There was a very nice price AVGAS over the less than 1 euro per liter. The checkout and payment of gasoline was not a punishment because of the very beautiful view.  Then by taxi to a hotel overlooking the lake where we remarked at dinner that the bad weather of this region could be very intense.  Heavy thunderstorms and strong wind and rain forced us inside to continue our meal.

 The next day we planned to go to Budapest when we arrived at the airport of Sarmellek it became clear that we had to pay extra for fuel (roughly 700 euros for all aircraft together). We instantly decided to go decided to Bratislava a destination for which we did not heve to pay extra.  After we drawed some quick lines on our map and we planned our route we could depart. Not everything was entirely coordinated so some of the group followed a different routing than the others.  We had a nice trip and after 1 hour, all of our group have arrived in Bratislava.

There was sufficient time for sightseeing in the city and during that we found a nice restaurant for dinner. With life music this evening was an evening with Slovak specialties and after an unexpected dance for Willy it was time to go back to the hotel.  The next day we would go to Budapest.  Because the weather and weather forecast had become much better the group discussed the possibilities to fly towards Bulgaria.  The decision was taken to see how the first part of the route would be and then decide to continue.  The first route ran along the Ballaton more from Bratislava to Belgrade where we arrived after a journey of 3 and half hours. The weather was no problem, we occasionally got a little rain but that did not bring any problems.  So after landing in Belgrade we had a refill with fuel and some food and decided to continue to Gorna orhavitze (this is impossible to pronounce) we will call this Gorna.

Gorna went all the way to the fine and chat via the channel was 123.55 MHz in terms of dialogue or not it was better to be right to fly to Varna.  Just starting or Varna was toerijkend gasoline and possibly an alternate and then we decided to go direct to Varna.  It passed to the traffic that all aircraft in our group would go instead to Varna Gorna. No sooner said than done and the route was continued to Varna.  Some time later we flew Gorna and we continued along the route to Varna.  Meanwhile, the fastest of the group flew to Varna all sightseeing to do some of the traffic when we were told that all aircraft in our group not to Varna but that we were going to come back and Gorna countries.

 It was here at yet but responded to the task to go there to Gorna countries.  Once we arrived at Gorna were then treated to an extensive security check and passport control we had to do and all our luggage checked.  We decided to try again as soon as possible to continue because there Gorna area nou not looked so attractive to stay there awhile. . Of each box was a man back to the tower to make the flight plans and other looked after the security check and handling.  By submitting the flight plan was clear we were not very many directions.  The fields that theoretically we could do was to Varna, Bourgas and Primorsko.  We were already not to Varna and today said we could not go to Varna. Now we heard that the reason parking because we were not to Varna.  We also heard the reason of the extensive security check what to do with President Bush's visit to Sofia which there was heightened security.  To Bourgas we could not fly so we finally could go only to Primorsko.  That is a whole new general aviation airport with a runway of 900 meters long and close to the Black Sea is also significant and which has sufficient AVGAS.

 Primorsko We decided to go after the route was selected and plotted on the map.  The route was simple, almost a straight line to us just south of Bourgas Primorsko brought.  Once in the vicinity of the field was the exact same care as our position was not entirely clear.  Soon we saw one of the other boxes in our final group for screwing so we were able to easily tell.  After we had planes neatly parked in the hangar, (which we have not been on our flight club), we were in a van to our hotel where we could immediately move to the dinner.

 The next day was not a flight one day excursion to a river where water turtles in the wild and then to the town Souzopol where we visited a museum and tour of the village were.  Then a tasty lunch with dishes from the region.  In the afternoon, a group share a jeep safari to do but one case was not by luck. There was an opportunity to visit the town of Primorsko and of course a swim in the Black Sea.  Primorsko we were finally in 2 days.  Because we at the dinner included none of the map suggested we move to the kitchen to make some dishes with the specialties of the region what we tasted fine.

 The next day we wanted to go inside and watch we flew to Bulgaria Plovdiv, the second city of Bulgaria. The route was again very simple, with departure on runway heading, the same line and with almost the same countries are heading to a flight of 1.5 hours.  Along a varied landscape of small villages, industrial areas but also many bare areas.  In Plovdiv arrived we were warmly received and the staff of the airport seemed pleasantly surprised with so many general aviation aircraft from the Netherlands.  After a taxi ride of 45 minutes we arrived at the hotel which gave a very special impression.

 The rooms were quite ridiculous and probably a legacy from the earlier regime of Bulgaria. The rest of the day we walked around in Plovdiv with a visit to the old town and definitely worth it.  Meanwhile we also found a nice restaurant where we took a night our small group had dinner.  There was also a problem solved with a passport that one of the group had forgotten in Primorsko.  Yet moments later showed that the solution might very uncertain since the time the passport there would still be very uncertain and the group there really could not wait.  A taxi ride in Bulgaria is very cheap to our terms and after some negotiation it was an affordable and most reliable solution. Taxi driver happy happy and passport back in time to start going to make the trip to the Netherlands.  On the first day of the trip we would go to Belgrade as a stop and then to fly to Vienna or near Sarmellek.  The route to Belgrade went fairly smoothly, despite the fact that we had to climb to 7000 ft to remain free of the mountains.  This was sometimes a little juggling clouds and mountains but still continue to do well.  When we arrived in Belgrade we were No. 1 for landing and we continued the route to the runway.   We were rather high and roughly 1500 ft above the beginning of the track when we saw on a small business jet lines also got a take off clearance. But it also reported that the tower we were on a high threshold runway after the tower us about 360 gave a right, problem solved!  Then a much lower with 50 ft on the track at the end so as not to land 3 km far to taxi off the runway.

 Once on the apron arrived we wanted to refuel and discuss what time we would go.  Immediately that there was a busy, what nervous atmosphere hung. Refueling was not possible and we were soon inside the bus and because it came to weather. Curiously, because we had during the approach and landing of having nothing, why embedded!. Inside arrived quite quickly it started to rain and storms lot. The loss came in buckets and the whole apron was quickly blank. Fortunately, before the storm began, all the boxes of our group arrived on time. The storm came the plan for the area to go to Vienna under some pressure because we lost some time by the storm.

We could get some food in the airport building and some could not resist even as tax-free shopping. Meanwhile, plans were made to fly to Sarmellek and might as fallback Voslau direction. Ultimately it was good weather had cleared and the storm moved away to the east so we do not suffer from the move also would have. After start up we were taxiing to the runway and we got take off clearance, then koersje northwest direction Ballaton Vienna and more.

 After some discussion on the chat was Sarmellek decided to go because it was already quite late and because of the good hotel and cheap AVGAS. Immediately after landing to refuel all the crates, all expenses paid and filed flight plans for the route of The next morning, and again there was that beautiful view. Then back to the hotel where we could sit right at the dinner last night and we spent a whole group.  Of course there was also focus on Harm and Roel that this trip and had prepared a review of the many unexpected twists in the trip with two days finally to the black sea.  Then go to bed early the next morning to tackle the taxi to the airport.

 It was nice that we had arranged everything the night before and we did so only to make the security check and take the bus to our plane.  Check box and then load and go, we hung for 9 to 10.  The first leg of that day would go to Mannheim, but given the weather would be especially later in the day more chance of thunderstorms.

Along a while flying with clouds and mountains and occasionally even somewhat worse vision without problems but arrived on a flight from Mannheim exactly 4 hours flying. Again as refueling and then paying landing fees and customs check and then just decide what food. We flight plan called for by the FIO and the maps at Schiphol enrolled and studied. Then the last leg of this journey, from direction Mannheim Koln and Venlo in the cross direction Eindhoven. There have also flown along the flat where my mother lives, the price to continue to Rotterdam.  Just after we had passed Eindhoven sight was considerably worse, say 4 to a 5 km and therefore we had the last piece still like extra vigilant.  Yet here but the ATIS Rotterdam uitluisteren but that was no problem and once the past was Biesbosch sight even more slowly.  The last piece went smoothly and immediately after a final landing on runway 24 and we were back to Rotterdam.

 Looking back on this flight club is the memory of another very special trip.  From 2004 I followed the flight club but we have never had so much influence by the bad weather.  Finally it was predicting more bad weather and a much lesser extent, that way we really have had bad weather.  Ever occasional rain around where we could go but really only a heavy rain just after we all had landed at Belgrade. Furthermore, a few times heavy weather in the evening during our dinner. What we learned was that the weather on the outward journey which we found too scary to go through during the journey home as it was experienced much less severe.  Whether this kind of a rite was home or at the lesson that we got during the entire trip on the weather and our experience to date is not clear.  We do have the conviction that we never have flown in a dangerous manner and yet again have been actually pretty reasonable.
 The trip was a lot of improvising and adjusting the plans. We ended the evening at a place other than regular morning we had in mind.

 Bulgaria is a nice country but one with a language problem, especially if you go to the less touristy areas. An adventure with one taxi ride in Plovdiv made this very clear.  We wanted from the hotel by taxi to the airport, the first taxi did not take us because we had luggage with us.  The second taxi that took us we were standing so bad but did not understand what we wanted.  The cry Airport was not clear after a colleague of the driver was from the airport to explain that we wanted.  After a ride of a few miles the driver turned around and brought us back to the hotel.  We understood nothing but the driver did not explain why, but then again gotten out, obviously without pay, and sought that our third taxi to the airport took it.

 We obviously have much more experienced in this short story if I can describe very much.

Special is that we still have a great group of pilots with much of Europe and flew together while still able to operate in a fun way to spend some of the world to see.

Hans v Alphen.