Biggles69,

i have done this trip a few times before and just in case you plan to use Hof EDQM as a refuel stop they dont have avgas at the minute! Our usual route is Lydd(EGMD), Bonn Hangelar(EBKB) very helpful people there too. Hof(EDQM) which as i say has no avgas until april so i would suggest maybe Karlovy Vary(LKKV) in Czech rep. and then direct to Brno. You probably have your route sorted but this may be of help. Hope ye have a safe journey and enjoy!

Hi Fuktifino,

you should be called Fukmiudoono.

thanks for the advice, those stops aren't on our planned route, but you comments are noted and gratefully received.

and thank you to everyone else for the support and wise words.

We are all pilots and we make up a very small percentage of the population as a whole: this back-biting and bitching should stop. It is sad and a trifle pathetic.

Yours, trying to keep the peace,

Big Ls.

Biggles . I only started on the rules for a laugh :eek: Believe me if you were in any other machine i would go like a shot . I have only flown down to S of France a few times and know it will be fun and i agree an excellent way for a pilot , new or with hrs, to open his horizons and learn whilst not in a formal lesson . I personally would try to get the WHOLE cost of the trip but thats me :ok::ok: Anyway sorry for stirring := I hope you have a nie trip nigelh

well guys did you make the trip? how was it? weather, scenery, ATC, customs and all that good stuff? did a nice new ppl go along for the experience? I hope someone got the benefit of such experience on this trip. let us know. thanks

Yes, we made the trip, and it was fantastic!
Weather: very varied, and absolutely awful at times, to the point that the trip actually took three days.
Scenery: Gorgeous, like flying across a christmas card.
ATC: Very nice and helpful. (Though the accents made things interesting.)
Customs: No problem.
Well, I don't know about nice, :E but yes, I am a new PPL. I had 84 hours when we left, I've now got 91.
I learned a lot, and it was certainly the most interesting flying I've ever done (so far!).

I am glad to hear that. Do you have any pics? do you plan to do your cpl/h or is the flying only for a hobby? either I am sure that the flight you made will have given you some very different views to flying a 44 and to flying in general that you may have had previously.

No, I don't have any pics, but the guys do. Perhaps Biggles99 will be posting some at some point.
I intend to do my CPL and IR as soon as I have the money, but for now I'm stuck at university for a while. I'm hoping that flying will be my career, but I know it's a difficult industry to get into.

Hi Biggles,
I Would have loved to join you but extremely busy at work this coming week. If there's any future trips or if this 44 trip is delayed by a week or so then count me in.

Mission accomplished
 

As Gypsy Air has said already, it was a fabulous trip.

The route was basically 110 degrees all the way.

Tuesday

Bristol (well very near there) depart 07:15
Calais arrive 10:30 local. Weathered in there all day due fog and rain and drizzle. Landing fee 4 quid

Wednesday leave Calais 10:30

Refuel Bonn (EDKB Bonn Hangellar,the small one, not the International Airport) A super airfield, puts our GA fields to shame. Landing fee 7 quid, I think.

Refuel Karlovy Vary, LKKV. Serious snow here, minus 7. Everyone ever so helpful, they changed the active runway to make it easy for us and put the lights on. Landing fee 10 quid.

Arrived Brno early evening. Weathered in again 15 NM, 8 minutes to go. On debating whether to continue journey or wait until the morning, learnt new Czech expression from the local HEMS pilot: "It is not a good thing to pull the Devil's tail." We decide to stay put. The beer was superb.

Thursday, landed Brno International 09:30, ATC happy, and relaxed. It's more like landing at Lydd than landing at Stansted, despite it being a Ryanair destination. There's no "handling" and the landing fee was 30 quid. New owners over-joyed at the condition of the aircraft they had just bought.

Blagged an aerobatic sortie in a Zlin with one of the Czech Republic's most experienced pilots. Awesome.

Ryanair-ed it back home. More detail and pictures available by request!!

Big Ls.

I'd love some pics too please!

Hey there Big Ls (what does "Big Ls" mean?) sounds like a wonderful wee trip for u? Im sure your pilot has a few tales to not tell! tehe ;-) please post some pics. Is it not just wonderful to get a guy with 84 hours and have him take a trip across a part of Europe that he otherwise may not have made for one reason or another, and let him see that while a heli is always capable of biting your ass they are also so much fun and open so many doors if you let the spirit of adventure just sneak a look at what might be?

1helicopterppl
 

Be interested to know reg of 44 & of course see those pics, sounds a great delivery !