Hi FD,
Yes enough about the mixture (went much better tonight actually, given the advice on this forum).
The adventure so far is proving rather fun. Left the UK on a glorious day, June 12th, in formation with my travelling companion in an L21C. (I am in a PA18-150.)
1st leg, Eggesford --> Old Sarum, also in company with an Auster from Eggesford on its way to the KZ fly-in at Stauning in Denmark. Met an L4 pilot at Old Sarum about to depart for the same destination as us (the French Piper club rassemblement at a private field near Lisieux in Normandy), except he was going straight across the water to Cherbourg, two-up, and we were going the long way round in Super Cubs, one-up. Anyone familiar with the L4 / J3 will understand that this chap deserves some kind of merit award / one-way ticket to a lunatic asylum! Needless to say he beat us to Lisieux by some hours.
2nd leg Old sarum -- Headcorn via the South Coast. No problems and I can thoroughly recommend Headcorn as a departure aerodrome. The fellow in the 'tower' there is so helpful.
3rd leg Headcorn -- L2K. Three of us (the two cubs and the auster) set out in formation and we waved goodbye to the auster halfway across as he coasted off North to his night stop of Midden Zeeland. (Gasp, horror, we might have been talking to each other on an air to air frequency!) You could see the French coast from Ashford, so no big deal for the crossing. L2K itself was a doddle and an introduction to the laidback nature of things to come.
4th leg L2K -- St. Pierre des Ifs (Terrain de l'angleterre), near Lisieux. From L2K it was low level down the coast, skirting round and under the Deauville TMA to Lisieux, arriving as everyone was departing for dinner at a little bistro. There were two British Vagabonds, a Colt, the L4 and a Super Cub like mine already there, so the flag was well and truly being flown. Huge friendliness all around, and even the small contingent of short, fat, elderly gents who ran around getting a bit steamed up about where you parked were extremely pleasant and on the whole helpful. Amazingly, Richard and I were the only ones camping out of about thirty aircraft.
To be continued (when I am a bit less pissed).
David