Favourite Flight of 2005 and 2006 recommendations

[dublinpilot]

Now that the VFR touring season is drawing to a close, I thought it would be nice to hear about your favourite flights this year?

So what was your favourite flight this year, and why?

And secondly, where have you been during 2005 (not necessarily your favourite flight) that you would recommend to the rest of us as an over night destination in 2006? And why would you recommend it?

Well to kick things off, my favourite flight was a touring trip I made with a friend, going from Ireland, down through Paris and on to La Rochelle, and then back via some of the Atlantic Islands off the French Coast. It was my first trip to Continental Europe, and was far easier than I was expecting. We spent the best part of two weeks on the trip, landing somewhere, and leaving the aircraft on the ground for 2 or 3 day, to go and explore the local area, before flying on to somewhere else.

Actual route was Waterford-Southend(Overnight)-Le Touquet (customs)-Lille (lunch)-Beauvais(Paris-Overnight)-La Rochelle (o/n)-Ile D'Yeu(o/n)-Belle Ille(o/n)-Nantes Atlantique(customs)-Guernsey(Lunch)-Swansea(o/n)-Dublin.

http://homepage.eircom.net/~dublinpilot/France/Base%2031%20Beauvais.JPG
Right base 31, into Beauvais


http://homepage.eircom.net/~dublinpilot/France/Final%20Ile%20D%27Yeu.JPG
Final 33, Ile D'Yeu


http://homepage.eircom.net/~dublinpilot/France/Belle%20Ile%205.JPG
Belle Ile, true to its name.


http://homepage.eircom.net/~dublinpilot/France/Bristom%20Channel%202.JPG
Bristol Channel


http://homepage.eircom.net/~dublinpilot/France/Pigon%20House%204.JPG
Almost home now. Holding at the Pigon House Chimneys at Dublin. This is a commonly uses VRP for those routing into Dublin from across the sea.


http://homepage.eircom.net/~dublinpilot/France/Dublin%20Airport.JPG
Transiting across Dublin Airport, to get to the runway we need.


On the second issue, overnight destinations for 2006, I would recommend two.

First one, was one from the French trip. Belle Ile. It's actually not that far away really, only about 2 & 1/2 hours from London in your average spam can. The island itself is beautiful (at least when the sun is shining), and there's enough to keep you occupied at least for a weekend. I would strongly advise getting a hire car though. You will need it, if you don't want to get bored! If you're travelling with someone who's favourite pastime is lying on a beach, then they will love Belle Ile. There are lots of quiet secluded beaches around, that you won't have to share with too many others.

http://homepage.eircom.net/~dublinpilot/France/Belle%20Ile%2019.JPG
The island that lives up to its name. Belle Ile.

Second one, I would recommend is Sligo in Ireland. If you don't want to stay very long, then try a 15 minute walk into Strandhill. Walk out of the airport along that road until you come to a T junction. Turn left, and follow the road up by the church. At the next T junction turn right, and head into "The Venue". You'll get a lovely lunch. Sligo town isn't too far away either if you want to stay over night, and the place is full of history if that is what takes your fancy.

dp


edited to add pics as promised

[DubTrub]

Had a great vfr flight to Spain this year. Highlights were:

Stopping off at Carcassonne, and staying in the old citadel on the hilltop.
Flying round the Med coast from Perpignan, over the Spanish border, and then low level down the beach to the Costa del Concreta.
Flying over the high plateaux of Taragona & Zaragosa and over the top of the Pyrennees to the San Sebastian aircraft carrier.
A couple of nights at Quiberon.

[stiknruda]

Okay - it's not exactly a secret but I generally fly aerobatic biplanes and pooh-pooh most things about procedural flying.

So - aerobatic displays and competition flying has been my bread and butter this year - until this past weekend................


A very nice friend of mine invited me to go to Pitlochry in a Robinson 22B. Not exactly my cup of tea, I thought but I should go and try it.

Well - we went and preflighted the "aircraft", strapped in and set off. (Thanks to FormationFoto) I'd actually been in an R22 but that was a couple of years ago.

First leg Midlands to Fishburn - the weather wasn't too clever but we were legal and safe. The first difference between fixed-wing and helicopter that I liked was the fact that when the vis got bad was that you could slow right down and remain safe!

Fishburn was nice and the Morgan's were very hospitable.

Second leg up to Perth (Scone) was more of the same, sh!tty vis, low cloud but again the helicopter was far more usable than the Pitts/Tigers that I generally fly.

The guys at Perth (Joe and Simon) were super and sorted us out with a taxi as the third leg up to Pitlochry was just not going to happen as the weather was pretty ropey by this stage.

A forty quid taxi ride to the East Haugh Hotel in Pitlochry and we could start to relax! Three hours 15 - not too shoddy at all!

The East Haugh Hotel certainly needs a second visit as it is a superb destination, food great, wine list superb, fantastic accomodation and the hosts, Lesley and Neil were great fun and so welcoming.

Sunday's weather looked better and we were offered a lift to Perth and we collected the helicopter and made our way back to the hotel.

Monday arrived and the wx was so appalling that we decided that we would not fly that day. The hosts at the hotel lent us their Shogun and we went off touring around Loch Rannoch and Bruar.

Tuesday (today) was far better and we flew from the hotel to Newcastle (expensive) and then down to Nottingham.


All in all a great trip - far easier to achieve this in the R22 than in my Pitts in the weather that we had. East Haugh Hotel should be a must for any rotary pilot as the lawn next to the A9 is very heli-friendly.


Stik

[DubTrub]

I...pooh-pooh most things about procedural flying...Robinson 22B The nice thing about R22's is that they have a bigger front window than most other aircraft, so what makes that "procedural"? :hmm:
The last aircraft without a front window (as I am often heard to say) was the Spirit of St. Louis. ;)
Glad you had a good time, Stik

DP: A few photos to whet the whistle:

Carcasonne Citadel:

http://www.dubtrub.freeuk.com/Dscf1402.pprune.reduced.jpg

The model of the citadel within the castle walls:

http://www.dubtrub.freeuk.com/Dscf1405.pprune.reduced.jpg

The "perimeter" walk:

http://www.dubtrub.freeuk.com/Dscf1415.pprune.reduced.jpg

The Zaragoza plateau (and yes, this year it really was that bleak colour this year):

http://www.dubtrub.freeuk.com/Dscf1465.pprune.reduced.jpg

Just short of Pamplona, there were these very typical mountain villages:

http://www.dubtrub.freeuk.com/Dscf1469.pprune.reduced.jpg

...and after crossing the northern Pyrenees, the San Sebastian aircraft carrier apperars at 12 mile final...

http://www.dubtrub.freeuk.com/Dscf1498.pprune.reduced.jpg

After transiting through the western reaches of France...

http://www.dubtrub.freeuk.com/Dscf1514.pprune.reduced.jpg

...we do the "grand"..er..low-level tour of Belle Ile en route our arrival at Quiberon

http://www.dubtrub.freeuk.com/Dscf1541.pprune.reduced.jpg

..and then we flew home.

[J.A.F.O.]

Didn't go anywhere flash, didn't fly anything flash but I did have the best three flights that I'm ever likely to have. During the school summer holidays this year I took my kids flying, one at a time. They'd never flown at all before, let alone not just with Dad and the look on their faces and the chatter in the car was worth every penny that I've spent on flying over the last 20 years.

[Laundryman]

DT

I think even I could get the PA28 down on that runway without having to take a dip at the other end.

[J.A.F.O.]

I think you'd be able to land it across that runway.

[dublinpilot]

Pics added as promised. Sorry for the delay.

JAFO,

Sometimes those simple flights are the most enjoyable :D

My most enjoyable one ever was my first post PPL flight, where I got to take my best friend with me. Didn't do anything taxing at all. Kept it all very simple. But being able to share it with such a good friend was very satisfying. :ok:

dp

[pulse1]

For medical reasons its been rather a poor flying year but I'm ramping back up to speed now. However, I did enjoy one of my more spectacular flights in a Piper Cub floatplane at Loch Earn. Not only did I enjoy the novel water landings and take offs, I found the mountain flying across to Loch Tay in a low powered aircraft pretty good experience too. Oh, and great to fly with a stick again.

[DRJAD]

Ours was three days touring in a PA24, starting from Tatenhill.

Routing Tatenhill - Sherburn - Carlisle (overnight, pick up two passengers) - Oban (fantastic welcome) - Inverness - Kirkwall (overnight) - Wick (weather, and waiting for HRH to take-off before we could get going again) - Inverness (overnight) - Dundee - Carlisle (two passengers disembark) - Tatenhill.

Reason: company, scenery, places we'd not been before.

Result: memorable and enjoyable.

[Zulu Alpha]

My favourite flight was when I turned up at a friends place and unexpectedly he asked whether I wanted to go for a ride after lunch. I had to change some plans but decided that it would be worthwhile. He was just going for a bimble around Suffolk / Norfolk. He has a two seater but no controls in the back. I wasn't sure quite what to expect and as a pilot I do like to have my hands on the controls.

So we took off for a 30 minute flight and climbed to 3000ft on a Gin clear day. We could see for miles and being a passenger I could spend a lot of time looking around without having to concentrate on flying... he looped and rolled ... 5 mins later we were over Bury St Edmunds....7 mins later over Felixtowe , then up the coast and back home again. Oh... I forgot to mention, the aircraft was a P51 Mustang. Smooth, fast, suprisingly almost no vibration. There was very little sensation of speed except that you just got places very quickly...as my friend said, you can get lost in a big way in a Mustang.

I'm still Smiling

[boomerangben]

Apologies for intruding into the private forum. St Kilda. Always wanted to go, got the chance this summer. Awesome place.

[dublinpilot]

Guys,

If you have some pics of your favourite flights of 2005, please post them!

dp

[DRJAD]

Sorry, none of us took a camera, nor did we with a Stornoway tour last summer - perfect visibility all the way there and back.

Actually I prefer not to be encumbered by cameras, etc. - just prefer to hold it in memory.