Fantastic day's flying!

[Aerobatic Flyer]

What a great day today was for going flying instead of going to work!

It started with a trip to Verbier in Switzerland, where there is a landing strip called the Croix de Coeur. It was a long trip there from Megève in a 90hp Cub (70mph.....), but beautiful and windless when we got there. The only exciting moments were my landings and a Cessna 185 with 5 people in it that made even more of a hash of it than me and almost went off the end of the runway - which at 280m is shortish.

I got back to Megève, swapped planes for a Jodel Mousquetaire, and headed back to Italy via Switzerland, where a lunch party had been arranged.

When flying in the mountains, it's good to keep close to the hillside. There are thermals on the South facing slopes that help you to climb. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it's much safer than it looks:
http://albumphotos2.wanadoo.fr/VOLUME003/979epy/ncbzd91x7bt6yfn/image/03wt_3204774.jpg

On our right side was one of the most spectacular glaciers in the Swiss Alps:
http://albumphotos2.wanadoo.fr/VOLUME003/979epy/ncbzd91x7bt6yfn/image/1g94_3204775.jpg

At the end of that glacier at 11000ft, it was hard right to the Italian border - which is just the other side of the mountains in front of us here:
http://albumphotos2.wanadoo.fr/VOLUME003/979epy/ncbzd91x7bt6yfn/image/tiss_3204776.jpg

No photos for the next bit - I was a bit busy trying to find the airstrip at Chamois, and land on it without messing up. Chamois is a beautiful little village which can be accessed by cable car or aeroplane. No cars, and the village council are about to pay for an underground hangar! What enlightened folk. Their airstrip is a bit awkward. It's a one-way strip at 6000ft with a cliff just before the beginning of the runway.

Here's some friends in another Mousquetaire taking off:

http://albumphotos2.wanadoo.fr/VOLUME003/979epy/ncbzd91x7bt6yfn/image/eokr_3204777.jpg

And here they are landing again :) :
http://albumphotos2.wanadoo.fr/VOLUME003/979epy/ncbzd91x7bt6yfn/image/f172_3204778.jpg

After a huge lunch, we staggered home to Megève, crossing the border just to the South West of Mont Blanc. I drew the short straw this time, and was sitting in the back - which was a bumpy place to be after a big lunch.

Here's our arrival at Megève (15kts too fast, but we were late.....):
http://albumphotos2.wanadoo.fr/VOLUME003/979epy/ncbzd91x7bt6yfn/image/l583_3204779.jpg

All in all, a lot of fun! Only spoiled by the return to Lyon, where it was 42 degrees this afternoon. I want to go back to the mountains!! :{

[QDMQDMQDM]

AF,

Fantastic! Presumably, all this pain in the backside stuff about border crossings, customs and flight plans doesn't pertain when you fly from mountain strip to mountain strip?

David

[Aerobatic Flyer]

Presumably, all this pain in the backside stuff about border crossings, customs and flight plans doesn't pertain when you fly from mountain strip to mountain strip?

Does the French constitution have a 5th ammendment?:confused: :confused:

[knobbygb]

What? So you don't have inversion layers over there, trapping in millions of cubic gallons of smog! I tried to fly from one side of the pennines to the other today and decided not to bother due to viz. I am jealous in the extreme and feel a flying holiday coming on....

[dublinpilot]

AF,

What beautiful photo's!! ;)

You are really making me jealous here!:ugh:

dp

[Speedbird252]

well impressed, well jealous, thanks for sharing the photos,

cracking stuff.

Speedy


:ok:

[paulo]

15kts too fast? Go around then :p

err... on second thoughts looking at that approach, full flap, open the doors or canopy, lean cut, hands out of the windows, anything, dear god, please... :uhoh:

[Evo]

Great pictures, Aerobatic Flyer - "much safer than it looks"! :)

[QDMQDMQDM]

Does the French constitution have a 5th ammendment?

Ah!

BTW -- Richard and I may have identified a suitable field to practice in along the lines of Croix Rosier here in Devon, but we need you to come and sit in the back!

[TANGOWHISKEYINDIA]

GREAT pictures, beatyful scenery, must get my swedish a*s down there and fly sometime, maybe next vacation?

[Radar]

AF,
Fantastic post! Had a really enjoyable x-country at the weekend ..... but nothing to compare with your excursion. Thanks for the photos. Fantastic!

[Dude~]

5 up in a C185 and 280 meters?! Nutters.

Me? I took a PA32 into a 2700 meter runway. When I took off, I was already established in the cruise by the time I reached the end of the runway and drinks were being servred:cool:

[Aerobatic Flyer]

QDM
Richard and I may have identified a suitable field to practice in along the lines of Croix Rosier here in Devon, but we need you to come and sit in the back!

Tell you what - I'll stand on the ground and take photos, then afterwards you can analyse them to see what you were doing wrong! ;)

Dude~
5 up in a C185 and 280 meters?! Nutters

They only used about 150m. They were a bit high, and touched down almost halfway intro the strip. Fortunately the slope is quite steep, and - it seems - a heavily loaded C185 isn't prone to nosing over when you brake hard!