November | 2013 | Fly with Stan - Sharing (not only my) flying experiences...

Last saturday the weather forecast was not the best one, but we have decided to go to the North Airport (GCXO) and see if it was truth… Unfortunately yes….

Not the best flying weather

This airport is situated some at 2.000 ft and the base of the clouds in the Canaries is normaly around 2.500-3.000 feet, and the best place is over the airfield… Normaly around midday the weather improves, when there is sun and a little wind, the clouds usualy disappear.

We have used the time to prepare the aircraft, I have polished the windows and have installed the Gopro inside the cabin. Since I saw a coupple of nice videos made from the cockpit, I have decided to install it inside.

Todays place for my Gopro Hero3

The weather started to improve, so we have pushed our plane out the hangar…

Piper ready for pushback…

After the rain everything looks more colorful

The leg to El Hierro was flown by my friend Daldo and we had a passenger on board Oliver, who loves flying as well.

The crew on the way to El Hierro

The crew 😉

The flight was very smooth, almost no wind and no turbulence, so we have descended near La Gomera to see closer the rocks called “Los Organos”.

Los Organos, La Gomera

We have enjoyed a short round flight around the island El Hierro.

El Hierro in sight

El faro de Orchilla

Flying along the coast at El Hierro

Landing at El Hierro Airport (GCHI)

Arrived at El Hierro Airport

After the landing we went to Valverde for some lunch, came back, paid taxes, made the flightplan and departed direction Tenerife. On the way back, I was at controls and Oliver was able to fly for a while as well. He did a good job! With his experience from flight simulator he was flying the plane (almost) better than me ;-).

Our flight back, Oliver at controls

On the way back I have performed 2 low passes at La Gomera Airport, one at the former La Gomera’s Airport “El Revolcadero”, following the next low pass at Tenerife South Airport (GCTS).

There were plenty of clouds on the way back, but luckily Tenerife North Airport awaited us with some nice weather so we could landed without to having divert to the alternative airport.

Return flight El Hierro-La Gomera-Tenerife South-Tenerife North

When holding over Playa de las Américas we had very nice views over the zone.

Holding over Playa de las Américas

It is actually strange to see, that the people were cutting from the volcano to built their houses on this hill…

Los Cristianos from the air

Landing at Tenerife North Airport (GCXO). I was happy that my friend Daldo used his new Iphone 5S to make the video of my landing, with its 60 frames per second you do not see the propeller. I have edited the video with iMovie, sincronized both videos (Gopro and Iphone 5S) and this is the result:

After the landing at Tenerife North Airport, a nice Learjet was parked on the general aviation platform (reg. D-CGRC). I´d love to have a jet like that, but unfortunately my garage is not big enough :-).

Learjet 35 (reg. D-CGRC)

A couple of weeks ago I have lost my PPL licence. Just couldn’t find it anymore where it was. A total nightmare! Image somebody to cut your wings off; this is how I felt.
I made all the necessary paperwork, paid taxes and since 10 days I have my licence back! I am a person again. Couldn’t imagine that a “piece” of paper wuld be so important to me.

So I have scheduled a flight for next week, hopefully the weather will be good and I will be able to fly. In the meantime I was looking between my old pictures and found some from my experience in a Airbus A320 full flight simulator which I did I think some 4 years ago.

Really fantastic experience, worth of the money I have paid. It was not cheap, if I remember I have paid around 600€ for this one hour experience. Took of course my wife, my brother and his wife with me on the trip.

I have booked this flight through Proflight and we have travelled to the Lufhtansa flight training center in Vienna to live the experience. After a short briefing we have enter entered the training center, and there was the standing the Airbus A320 full flight simulator. Something like this I would like to have in my living room! The only problem is, the living room would be to small for this 😉 It looks like a space ship!

Airbus A320 full flight simulator

The cockpit is a copy of a real Airbus A320, even it has its tailnumber and the plane really exists. You could google its tailnumber to see the pictures, it is D-AIPA.

Inside the cockpit

Once on board I took the seat, the instructor has programmed the FMS and we were ready for takeoff from the Vienna Airport.

Lining up for departure

I still remember the details; I have pushed the thrust levers forward and I have been pushed into the seat and after a couple of moments we were airborne. It makes so much fun to fly the Airbus! After departure it was the left turn and to enjoy the “virtual reality”.

Banking the plane to the left

In the flight I have asked for some light turbulence, because I found it a little boring, so the instructor have pushed one button and it has started to be a little shaky. The we have tried the traffic alert, and it worked nice as well. Followed by couple of landings the hour was gone.

Approach to Innsbruck

Approach to Madeira Airport RWY 23

I still can here the engines roaring in my ears 😉 Viewing now all these pictures I think I should repeat this experience somewhere this Christmas! You can see here the video of my (not the best) landing at Madeira Airport (LPMA)… Following the pilot’s wisdom, this was an excellent landing: “A “good” landing is one which you can walk away from. A “great” landing is one which lets you use the airplane another time.” 😉 Safe landings!

Fly with Stan – Sharing (not only my) flying experiences…

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Monthly Archives: November 2013

Flight to El Hierro (GCHI)

Airbus A320 Full Flight Simulator Experience