Maule from Rotterdam to Sudan
 

Some of you might remember seeing a post some months ago looking for someone to fly a Maule down to Sudan and back. Well, that project has now come to fruition and I shall be the one making the trip.

We shall depart tomorrow morning (hopefully, see below!), and fly down to Egypt, basing out of Luxor. From Luxor we plan a day trip into Sudan and back, on June 10th, before returning the aircraft to the UK.

You can follow the trip, if interested, at katamarino.co.uk - Adventure Flying Resources - the whole site is not complete, but that page will be working fine.

I am currently wrestling with Dutch bureaucracy and the need to have a Mode S transponder in controlled airspace. I was told by Amsterdam flight service centre, weeks ago, that they could (and had) arranged permission for me to fly in and out of Rotterdam with Mode C - and indeed, I followed their instructions and arrived without a hitch on my VFR flightplan on Sunday. However, my VFR flightplan OUT of Rotterdam has been rejected, with the flight service centre now claiming they CAN'T give permission and that it has to come from the IVW (they can't quite explain how I managed to arrive fine). So, I'm trying to urgently organise permission with the IVW; all of whom are on holiday, but one very helpful guy from another department is trying to push it through...interesting that one can fly into Rotterdam fine, and then get trapped by bureaucrats.

Will you be at the club tonight? Would love to take a look at the Maule.

I'm planning to be there about 18:30, hope that you can still join us! They serve food on Wednesday evenings, right?

As far as I know the bar is open each day from 16 onwards, and from 11 onwards on weekends. And they serve food every day.

I've got an appointment with the fire department and am going to have dinner there. But I'm going back to the club once I'm finished there - probably around 19 or so.

See you tonight!

Where´s this club please?
Do you have a street address………….

###Ultra Long Hauler###

Rotterdam Airport - stop by any time!

The Aviation Ministry has at least one efficient and helpful employee, I have received my transponder exemption :ok: They are beginning an enquiry into what happened with my being allowed in in the first place...

I wish you a enjoyable journey

thanks for posting, it will be very interesting indeed to follow your adventure.

Nice meeting you... finally.

The Maule looks basic but certainly suitable for the trip. Good luck on this adventure!:ok:

Have a great trip !!!

Well, we made to Cannes ok!

Great. See you lunchtime at Sabaudia :)

Glad to see flight going well - we'll have your Sudanese clearance for you shortly.

Fly safe, Sam.

Thanks Sam, looking forward to that! We're in Crete now, and enjoying a couple of days off after 20 hours flying in 3 days.

You lazy one. Go to Sudan ! Go Go Go !

:E

Well, we never made it to Sudan (due to certain c*ckups by the owner, no fault of Prepare2Go!); but we did get to Luxor and spend a few days. Maps, and a bit of the blog, updated at katamarino.co.uk - Adventure Flying Resources - we're attempting the Alps tomorrow!

6th october ?:zzz:

Full trip report now up at katamarino.co.uk - Adventure Flying Resources !

Hi Katamarino,

Fantastic write up! Really enjoyed it and would love to do the same some time. Very inspirational...

Cheers!

:ok:

Very good :ok:

I did check into what happened at the Ikaros private airfield. Apparently it is virtually abandoned. Yeah, the website is still up, but so is the website for Air Touring Ltd :) That is a real shame, and is a micro sample of what is happening in Greece more widely.

Should have borrowed one of the abandoned barrels of AVGAS :}