Gloucester to Texel
Route: EGBJ DCT DTY DCT NORWICH DCT RAVLO DCT EHTX
Capacity: P1 (Pilot)
Logged time: 2.3 hours
The route from Gloucester to Texel
As forecast, the weather was much better on the Sunday than the Saturday. METAR's were good for Texel and the cumulus was scattered at 4500' over the land and almost certainly minimal over the sea (as it tends to be on days like this), pretty severe CAVOK, but starting to get hot already. The plane was still prepped from yesterday, so it was a case of changing the GAR form at Gloucester, re-do the A-check, file the flight plan and away.
Gloucester weather on Sunday morning
So we saddled up and were away as quickly as we could be as with the bubble canopy of the RV and the bright sun leads to it getting pretty hot real quick until you get some airflow going through the blowers, and the only way to do that is to get airborne.
We climbed en-route to DTY VOR up to 4000', to stay below the tricky 4500' but of category A airspace around the VOR itself, it is very easy to miss this on the chart and we wouldn;'t want to get a nasty letter from the CAA now would we?
It was all pretty scenic then setting track to the overhead of Norwich airport, so we spoke to them out of courtesy and routed through their overhead at 4000'. Once past them, we climbed to FL55 for the North Sea crossing of some 130nm and coasted out and switched to Anglia Radar on 125.275 who gave us a transponder squawk.
We would obviously be well out of glide to land range in the event of engine failure, but at that height we would have plenty of time to get organised and get a good Mayday off if it came to it. We were of course suitably equipped, wearing lifejackets, I had a seat belt cutter and the PLB secured to my belt. There was a liferaft in the back that the passenger would reach and hold etc.
Coasting out over the North Sea near Norwich
The sea crossing was uneventful as we approached the FIR boundary at RAVLO. Anglia Radar gave us a handover to Amsterdam Information, who gave us a new squawk for the transponder. Amsterdam confirmed that the military danger areas we would be passing alongside were all 'cold' and we started a cruise descent to get in below the cumulus that hugged the land from about 15 miles out.
I switched to Texel Radio at 10nm out and built a picture of what was going on there in my head. The main grass runway of over 1000m was in use in direction of 22. The wind was giving a bit of a crosswind from the right, but nothing much to worry about.
We coasted in over the island and set about trying to spot the airfield. It is always a bit of a challenge to spot grass airfields and this was made a little more difficult as they definitely did NOT want you anywhere near the overhead as they had a lot of parachuting taking place. I did spot it and set myself up for a left crosswind join for 22.
Texel Airfield (not obvious)
I tucked in behind another aircraft in the downwind and turned base and started slowing the plane down to deploy flaps. All going well and descent started, nicely spaced from the aircraft in front now on short final. Lined up on final with two stages of flap and speed where it should be. Then a PA28 at the hold lines up on the runway just as the plane I was following flares, then because the plane landing took a while to trundle off the runway, the aircraft sat on the runway to take off was blocking me and forced me to go around - thanks buddy - you knew I was there, what were you thinking!
OK, go around and this time I am following a motor glider (oh great), well I just couldn't stop from gaining on him, so again on final, even thoughb he was doing a touch and go, I decide to go around again rather than orbit in the circuit or try a land-after.
Texel Radio are by now feeling sorry for me and suggest a 'short circuit' to cut in front of the motor glider. I need no more encouragement, so pull around into a tight racetrack type circuit at probably 600' and position on final for the third time.
This time I get a clear run and flare and touch nicely for my first landing in both Holland and Texel! We trundle clear and ask for fuel. We are directed straight to the fuel pumps in front of the tower. I shutdown as quickly as I can as we are really cooking in the cockpit now, and I gratefully pop the canopy.
Refuelling is easy enough and we are soon joined by a few other RV owners who want to have a look and a chat. I go through the usual slightly embarassing explanations. No I didn't build it, it was originally built in Canada. No, I didn't fly it around the world, that was one of the other group members, Manuel, who now has a book out about it. etc.
Other RV owners descend on us at Texel
We park up and head for some much needed refreshment at the airport cafe, which is buzzing, but service is surprisingly prompt and the food good.
The busy but efficient airport cafe
I make my way to the tower and receive a very friendly greeting. The guys there can't do enough and they even apologise for the number of go-arounds I had to make. They said that the PA28 captain was a vastly experienced instructor and he was mortified at making us go around, he just diodn't think the landing aircraft would take as long as it did to vacate!
They have both an internet PC and WiFi in the tower for planning, so we check the weather for the next leg to Flensburg. Texel looks like a really nice place to stay and they offer us all sorts of help in the tower, from finding suitably priced accommodation to bicycle hire. They are excellent ambassadors for the island and I must come back here to stay for a few days sometime.
Texel to Flensburg
Route: EHTX COAST ISLANDS DCT WILHELMSHAVEN BEDERKESA DCT EDXM DCT EDXF
Capacity: SNY (Self-loading freight!)
This route was flown by the other group member, basically along the line of the very scenic Frisian islands, then cutting across the narrow bits of the Weser and Elbe estuaries in Germany. All of this was flown at around 2000'.
Hopping along the many Frisian Islands
I have to say that this part of Germany is definitely 'wind turbine central' with loads of them either in place of being built.
Northern Germany - wind turbine central!
We approached Flensburg at around 17:00 local and the airfield was pretty easy to spot. Again they do parachuting, so don't try any overhead stuff.
Flensburg airfield in Germany - EDXF
The airfield was very quiet, but friendly. We bumped into some locals who had just got back to Flensburg from a tour of their own to Denmark and picked up a few tips, like if there is no one on the published frequency or it is after hours, just land, they are quite happy (unlike both Germany and the UK!). They also gave us a lift to our cheap out-of-town Etap hotel.
We got freshened up and took a taxi into town. Flensburg is a small city / town. the most scenic bit is along the harbour and there is an excellent micro brewery there (Hansens) which also serves really good food, that certainly sorted ot our personal refuelling needs.
Flensburg at the harbour front
Well, we were off on the tour good and proper now, albeit one day behind schedule. As we had accommodation already booked and too late to cancel in Goteborg, we decided to skip Aalborg tomorrow and do two legs to get to Goteborg and back on the planned schedule.
Note to self: Don't book things that can't be cancelled same day, just take a chance and ask at the airport on arrival, they can usually sort you out.
