Monday 24th May
We're finally ready. We have charts for NE France, Munchen, and Stuttgart, and have stopped panicking about all the restricted areas in France. Pilot Warehouse have swapped the 2003 charts they sent for our flight planning, for the 2004 ones which they received late; we just got them in time. PW, thanks a million for being so helpful! We eventually decided on ICAO charts since they seem to show more detail. We also have Bottland Trip Kits for France and Germany, a held-held radio for emergencies, life jackets, ELT, etc. Yes, this is normal...but the problem in a C150 is the weight and balance....G-ATKF is just not a touring aircraft. If we weren't both fairly small and light, the trip would be impossible. As it is, we have about one change of clothes each, and I've been throwing things out and checking the weight of me plus gear all weekend. But we're within limits, and the wx for the next three days looks good.
I drive to Sleap, and fly to Wellesbourne to pick up B (who doesn't want to be named on PPRuNe, and who can blame her). She flies us to Manston, where we've decided to stop for the night. Neither of us has ever been in there, but over the weekend I phoned the handling agent, got my PPR number (first time I ever had one of those!), and booked into a B & B they told me about, run by one of the flying instructors. So we're organised, and it's a nice uneventful flight in good weather. We land on Manston's huge runway - 67m wide as well as being very long...you think you're close to it long before you are!!! Taxi to the flying school, where one of the instructors recognises KF; this is always happening, since she was a flying school aircraft for years and years, and everyone seems to have flown her once. I explain that she is now a group-owned aircraft, and has a new home at Sleap.
The B & B is in Broadstairs, and we feel a bit like we're in a time warp. It's like a boarding house from the 1950s; perfectly adequate, but half the lights don't seem to work, and the town looks like British seaside resorts did 50 years ago. But no matter, it's all we need, and tomorrow we're off to Calais!!!!
More when I have time, and don't worry, it gets more interesting...at least, we thought so....