Routed:
Leg 1: LFMD – EW – NA – COAST ALB – COAST SES – COAST SESTRI LEVANTE – FOSDINOVO – VIAREGGIO – LIQL
Leg 2: LIQL – CASOLE D’ELSE – CINIGIANO – PASO CORESE – TORRENOVA – FRASCATI – CASTEL GANDOLFO – APRILIA
With a two-leg day to Aprilia, we wanted to get away as early as we could so we could go in to Lucca for lunch (as we had heard that this was a very scenic town).
We couldn’t repair my headset reliably and Ben was kind enough to offer me a loan of one of his DC’s.
Today was team T-shirt day and the big one – our arrival in Lucca. So I got the masterpiece out – a commercially printed high-vis yellow t-shirt each with ‘Pilot’ on the back of mine and ‘I’m with stupid’ and an arrow on the back of Dan’s.
The day was sunny with high cloud. We checked the weather and it was fine so we filed our flight plan for Lucca and out to the plane to load up. Dan loaded up while I did the checks.
We requested taxi by 09:30 and got airborne. We were routed a little inland to avoid the TRA around the film festival. Initially to Nice EW, then to Nice NA then E VRP’s at 2000’. We basically followed the motorway valley through to Monaco.
We crossed the FIR but couldn’t get any contact with Milan or Albegna, but we did get air to air contact with G-BRCD who were 15 nm in front and even they didn’t have contact. We continued coastwise as planned at 1500’ passing stunning scenery. Eventually we contacted Albegna and reported at their various VRP’s.
To the north of Albegna we came across some low cloud and were forced to 700’ to stay VMC – we entered some cloud for a few moment and Dan was disoriented by an island to the right and thought we were flying into the side of a mountain. I was hoping that this wasn’t the start of some nasty weather and was relieved when it lifted about 10 nm later – from then on it was sunshine and blue skies.
We contacted Genoa who gave us a transit out to sea at 500’ parallel with the airport and we had to push further out to avoid the track of their ILS while a 737 was using the approach. Past their area, we routed inland to avoid La Spezia danger area and had to climb to FL55 and even then were ‘brushing’ the impressive coastal mountains.
Once past La Speizia, we contacted Pisa Approach who routed us back to the coast at 1500’ to Viareggio VRP then to follow the road inland to Lucca.
Lucca looked lovely from the air. A real walled and fortified town with intact walls. The airfield was the far side of town and we spotted it easily. My first approach was too high so rather than pressure myself, I decided on a go-around. Next approach was better and we landed. I taxi’d in and was met by a formula one style refuelling set up as three people set about the aircraft falling over each other to get us re-fuelled. I had the not very pleasant task of telling them that the expected 15 aircraft had reduced to about 5 now.
We jumped in a very smart big black Mercedes taxi and were dropped in Lucca. The driver said not to bother paying as we could pay on the way back when she picked us up. We wandered around and had lunch in a square – EUR28 for 4 cokes and burger and a pizza slice!!
Many of the tourists seemed more interested in our T-shirts than the lovely middle ages architecture! Dan was of course taking great care to always stay on my right so the arrow pointed at me!
We were picked up and back to the airfield by 14:15 and paid for the fuel – at an eye watering EUR 2.20 per litre – no wonder they were pleased to see us!
We were airborne again by 14:35 and it was very hot and humid by then and I could start to feel it in the aircraft performance.
We went for the inland recommended VFR route with zone transits as marked on the Jeppesen maps. Initially we were at 2000’ then climbed to 3500’ or as required to clear hills (always a good idea). Radio contact was difficult due to the terrain, but we got some of Pisa, then Grosseto then Rome.
The scenery was sublime, with lovely hill-top tuscan villages passing underneath the wing as we passed low overhead.
Dan was helping with the flying but got a bit distracted in a descending turn that turned into the start of a spiral dive – a lesson well learned.
Closer to Rome we descended to 1500’ for the eastern VFR transit route. The bit where we headed to Frascati VRP was particularly interesting as Frascati is on the side of a hill and was basically level with our altitude of 1500’ as we headed straight for it. Needless to say, I didn’t exactly leave it until the last minute to turn south following the trail of VRP’s!
Castel Gandolfo is a huge lake and has the summer house of the Pope there. By now we were handed over to Pratica Information who asked us to call when visual with Aprilia. I broke out the aerial photos and plugged the GPS into the Aprilia co-ordinates I had entered back in the UK. We spotted the Bridgestone test track and tried to orient it to north to figure out where the airstrip was. My GPS was indicating that I was on top of it, but in that part of Italy, they farm in strips, so the whole bloody countryside looks like a series of grass strips! I figured we were on top of it so temporarily switched channels to 130.0 and Ben answered. He kindly vectored me until I was visual on the right downwind (despite other nasty forumites shouting at him to stop so they could enjoy the fun of my aimlessly wandering around at 1500’ looking for the strip – nice guys huh?
Unfortunately, the wind favoured 22, which involved PowerGen type pylons half a mile or so from the strip and telephone pole height power lines at the threshold – so a high and slow approach was called for. This I managed and chopped the power over the cables at the threshold, nosed down and flared on the stall warner to a good landing though I say it myself.
On taxi back up the strip, the aircraft was chased by a demented Alsatian dog! I was last in and Riccardo was mashalling me with beer bottles in hand – this guy clearly knows how to motivate! We stopped, switched off and Riccardo opended the door, shoved a beer in and said ‘Welcome to Aprilia’!
He had snacks laid on in the farmhouse and we pulled the aircraft in together to park and lock up. The farmer kindly looked after the aircraft and he had two guard dogs – we weren’t worried about theft!
Riccardo arranged a big coach to take us to our very posh hotel on the Appian Way. I had a fantastic room at the back by the BBQ area. Huge with aircon, a separate study area and a Jacuzzi bath.
I unpacked, had a bath and we met again at 20:00 to go to the Agro-Tourismo. Basically, these are farms with restaurants attached where only local produce is served and the menu is set. If you want a Coke – tough, they don’t grow it there. What a great idea.
We were joined by many members of the Latina Flying Club and had great discussions in broken English / Italian and universal gestures.
Ian Seager made the presentation of the signed print to Riccardo, and we also presented him with top quality English wine and some liquers. There were speeches and we were very surprised to be presented with a box of three local Italian bottles of wine and a lovely hand-made glass plaque for our visit. The number of courses and the amount of food and wine was astounding. The quality was excellent and all for…… EUR25 per person – no subsidy – that’s what it cost! Amazing!
Of course we had to toast with Grappa. Now this really makes me gag so Dan sneaked mine into a spare glass and poured water into mine – so I toasted with water (I was to pay for this indiscretion later when Riccardo found out).
We piled back to the hotel on the bus by 01:30. Dan and Riccardo and other foolish souls decided to go to the bar, but I was shattered and so toddled off to my bed. A great day indeed.
