End of September into early October, I spent a couple of weeks doing some intensive cross country flying. It was one of those things that start out as a throw away comment (by my brother-in-law) that, within no time, take on a life of their own. Thus September 25th saw us depart for Toulouse in a Turbo Arrow IV to join the annual Toulouse – Saint Louis de Senegal air rally. This year 17 participating aircraft plus four aircraft from the organizing committee retraced 5000 nautical miles of the French Aeropostale route flown the 1920’s and 30’s. This year’s route was along the east and south coast of Spain, across the Straits of Gibraltar,down the coast of Morocco, Mauritania and, finally, Senegal. 47 hours in 14 days. Absolutely fantastic if exhausting! (I haven’t flown since and, thanks to some typical November wx, tomorrow’s planned outing looks very doubtful indeed.) Those two weeks are so crammed full of events and images it’s almost dreamlike … FL85 on a perfect late summer’s day over central France, crossing the Straits, dinner overlooking the ocean in Casablanca, the circling approach (which, for once, worked out a treat) to the desert strip at Tarfaya, a couple of nights under a desert sky in Berber tents, the Piano Bar in Dakhla ….. without a piano, 3 hours 15 minutes over the Mauritanian desert inbound Nouakchott: total contacts: one railway line, two roads, not one living thing! FL75 through the Atlas mountains (courtesy of a river valley) destination Marrakech … what a city! And then the ……… ooops! Sorry folks, got a bit carried away there.
In addition to the flying experience itself, the educational aspects of the two weeks were (in some ways) equally impressive. While the trip was organized at the level of a package holiday (necessary if you want to move 21 aircraft 5000 miles in two weeks), it still imposes considerable demands both mentally and physically. (At least I found it to be so.) It was a great opportunity to discover just where my personal limits lay. As an exercise in expanding my expertise, it was second to none. A little background. The crew for the trip consisted of yours truly, PPL 400 hours, aircraft commander by virtue of having undergone a check with the local FBO (the guys I rent from on a regular basis). Crew member number 2, ATPL, 10500 hours, currently training captain B737. Getting my head around that experience gulf and finding a way to operate constructively within it was challenge number one! Just watching the guy operate, the operational info he sought as flights progressed and what he did with it, was an education in itself. Twice we were confronted by a minor gear problem and, again, the additional aspects which the
professional brings to the analysis of the situation are quite an eye opener. (The italics are in no way meant as derogatory. It’s the approach I like to think I adopt whenever I take to the air.) From my side, having to operate as a crew, on an equal footing with someone of such disparate experience was quite an exercise in CRM. I learned more about myself in those two weeks than in the past decade. Somewhere in amongst all that I had an absolute ball
I spoke with the brother-in-law this evening. We’re already planning next year’s escapade.