Flight Log: Bastia LFKB -- Hannover EDDV 04.12.2015

Distance: 687 NM
scheduled Flying time: 5:15 hrs
Filed Route:
ATIS Bastia:
Clearance:
Take Off Time: 09:15h
ATIS Hanover: 14:30h
04.12.2015 Bastia/Hanover:
At last we were at the airstrip more than one hour before departure. Our taxi driver was really quick. Then it was time to get going. First of all our luggage was thoroughly screened, then we had to go through security, have our passports checked, go through security again and pay the landing fee. Nevertheless, we were in the plane almost three quarters of an hour before take-off. We started the preparations for the flight and were delighted to be flying earlier than scheduled. In a good mood Martin asked to be allowed to switch on the plane at approx. 9.30 a.m. To our enormous astonishment we weren’t given permission, but were told that we wouldn’t be able to fly until 10.58 a.m. Long faces in the cockpit wanted to know what was wrong now? We asked the air-traffic controllers who confirmed that air-traffic control in Switzerland had secured this slot and the tower had no choice but to comply. Shortly afterwards Andrew from Flight Service called my mobile and told me that the Swiss authorities were responsible for us not being able to take off until 10.58 a.m. He said that we could change the flight plan so that we would be flying a longer route at 140,000 ft., i.e. about 4,600 m. He explained that we wouldn’t be able to return to our usual altitude of 10,000 ft. or about 3,300 m until we had crossed the Alps. Of course we wanted to get going so agreed to 140,000 ft. However, this meant that due to the weather conditions we would have to switch on the oxygen equipment and the de-icer. Because a cold front was approaching the Alps. Some ten minutes later we were actually given permission to take off. In the meantime we had prepared the de-icer and the oxygen equipment so that we could start our flight to Hanover without any problems.

After just quarter of an hour a thick blanket of clouds was beneath us and you could only see the peaks of some Corsican mountains. That changed however when we reached the Italian mainland. We were surprised that there were no clouds at all over the Alps. We had a fantastic view over the mountain ridges, the snow-topped mountains and could see way beyond the Alps. What a surprise and at 4,600 m with oxygen equipment running. Shortly after the Alps a blanket of cloud appeared and there were signs of some ice on the wings, but that wasn't really a problem.

We called Marie on the satellite phone and announced our landing at 3.30 p.m. in Hanover. Marie had already been told by Derk who had been monitoring our progress online. He even knew that we had asked for permission to drop from 140,000 ft. to 100,000 ft. again after we had left the Alps behind us. He guessed that we wanted to save oxygen and he was right. What’s more, we wanted to emerge from the clouds and prevent ice from forming.

Shortly before Hanover the weather improved so that we were able to land in sunshine. We were welcomed by a small team which included Derk and of course Marie as one of the ground staff. So that was the end of our attempt to fly to Brazil for this year. In January 2016 ((nicht 2017 oder??)) we’ll be better prepared and definitely be flying to South America.