Raduno 2010: Reprise

Well that was my big trip for 2010. The facts and figures were:

Facts and figures:
- Estimated distance flown: 2105 nautical miles
- Flying hours logged: 21.1
- Fuel burned: 464 litres
- Number of legs flown: 9
- Longest leg: 3.4 hours (Troyes to Avignon in headwind)
- Shortest leg: 1.4 hours (Vichy to Troyes)
- Cost: No, I am not going there!

Highlights:
- Troyes town centre, very picturesque
- Landing safely at Avignon in horrible winds
- Avignon town centre, ditto
- The wonderful VFR low-level coastal route around the French Mediterranean
- Making it to the toilet on landing in Tuscany!
- Great countryside and weather in Tuscany
- Wonderful meal at the agro-tourismo in Tuscany
- Vineyard tour and lunch at Carpintero vineyard in Tuscany
- Cannes airport – it is just so plush and classy!
- A forced divert inland and making my route up on the fly
- Vichy town centre

Lowlights:
- Getting stuck in Troyes for two days and missing out on Cannes
- Spending a fortune in taxis in Troyes
- Learning that another forumites had made it through Troyes on the day I cancelled
- Battling high winds in the Rhone valley
- The reported and actual winds on landing at Avignon
- Getting hot and bothered in the plane then throwing up and stomach cramps
- The airstrip at the agro-tourismo not being 200m longer
- Grosseto Approach, a radio service run by the Marx Brothers!
- Intensive gliding at Lasham – bloody sky rats!
- Cleaning the plane at the end of the trip
- Getting a puncture at Gloucester

What did I learn:
- The plane and I can handle crosswinds better than I thought
- The RV can be used for touring, but it really isn’t ideal for it
- My wife would sooner be driving with me than flying!
- Maybe all towns in France are really nice to visit
- Many French speak no English at all and maybe my French isn’t as bad as I thought!

I will be doing other day trips of course and maybe even an overnighter to near France later in the summer, but that is the big one.

Now, what’s the plan for the 2011 big trip. I think Iceland may be out if the rule regarding an instrument rating is true. If so, maybe Denmark and Sweden?