Real World, or " no live in clover"....

Hey Folks,
It´s me, Michael...... Yes, I´am still alive.....
I don´t wanna disturb your "Dolce Vita", but there are more things in the "real" world than Flying, Flying, Flying ;-)

Let me tell you about hard work, building new premises, fighting with craftsmen, looking after wiring, thickness and compression of gravel, installation of toilet bowls, tiling, move of people and desks, relocation of quite huge tanks, special machines and things you probably can´t imagine.....

BUT , I am hopeful that my live will get back to normal once this stressful period will be behind me. And than Guys, I will try to catch up on everything!!
And finally, Gee, I´am so fu... jealous of your trip and experience.....
HAVE FUN!

PS: Pssst... Sometimes I still slip away with small-single-engine-aircrafts for short trips around the corner.... ;-)) Don´t tell...

Ground operations

So, this is the story...We are followed since the airport by the Italian mafia in their Fiat Cinquecento: They are in close contact with the Belgian mafia, who knows we are this team of journalists on a secret mission. We can't tell you more now, but will when we get home...

Anyway...we just try to be as "tourist" as possible and do not show our secret mission. We read on the beach, visit Sorrento and Positano and keep quite... Aleee, Joerg tries to keep quite ;-)

Euh.... N896677Y... clear to land your helicopter...

We left Siena in the early morning for the place we both believed to be "the hot spot" in Italy; the Amalfi coast. We decided to go for a VFR flight, got well prepared on how we wanted to make the flight but did have no idea how to cross the limited airspace from Roma and Napoli which seemed to cover half the Italian country.

But he, we do it the Italian way... Talk the walk! So, while Joerg was chatting away to the Italians in the control towers, I watched traffic (especially the yellow Cessna who wanted to practice some morning yoga in the air) and tried to keep track on where we were on the map.

After two hours and 33 degrees Celsius in our little cockpit, the Amalfi coast looked more inviting than we ever expected. And he... Joerg chatting up the Italian controllers paid off...They let us fly in 1000 ft over the Napolitan and Amalfi coastline, crossing Capri and the wonderful town of Positano.

When being handed over to the Salerno airport to land, Joerg was so convinced that his Italian improved... However...The Italian controller, suprised to be waken up at work, asked about six times for Lola's call sign after which he finally said " Ah, I understand now... N896677YP...Clear to land your helicopter..."

San Anna in Camprena

So, what do you do when being on a trip? Some people sit in the sun, others keep them busy reading or doing sports... Joerg and I decided to organise - for ourselves - a dead reckoning geo-cache. Whatisthat!?!

Take Lola, put off the gps (who did not want anyway) and start looking with the help of a map, mountains, a highway and a river for San Anna di Camprena - a Roman church in the middle of nowhere...

An amazing flight over the Tuscan countryside, overflying lakes, turning 360 degrees over wonderful small villages and chatting away with the Italians in the control towers...but San Anna de Camprena? We think it does not exist...

But we like to challenge you to find it :-)

Even Germies like good food ;-)

It was an amazingly warm day when we left our little Nissan Micra cabriolet (we did not even know it existed - But the Italians love it!) at the airport of Genova to head for Tuscany. We decided only the evening before we wanted to make a stop in the well-known gastronomic area of Italy, after all the touristy food of Cinque Terre... and admit, how nice is it to decide then just to make a stop in the middle of the country?

When taxiing away for AVGAS, we realised that that might become harder than expected...Lola's right engine did not want to start. No matter what we tried...So Piper Maintenance (who all love our lady) decided to have a look, and again, and agin, and again... Untill we discovered that my incrediiiiiiiiiible long legs touched one of the circuit breakers in front of me... Sorry Joergie, sorry Lola... I put the fuel pump for the right on "off". Hmmmm... a lot too learn....

Anyway...We put it "On" and off we went...A VFR-flight over Pisa to Siena for good food!
Well, not really...We were not allowed to fly over Pisa due to traffic, but were send along the coastline untill Cecina. After that we were sent into the beautiful Tuscan country side untill our destination.

A mini airport popped out of nothing, surrounded by beautiful yellow and green fields. A dinner with too much "Sex and the City"-daiquiri did us realise good food and wine are one of the best reasons in the world to get your PPL ;-)

Greets from La Bella Italia,

Private Pilote Joerg and the long-legged Annelies ;-)

A daytrip to Siena

Day 2 of flying: Genova - Siena
Thank you, Piper Italy ;-)

Here we go ...

... the first impressions of the Genova-Cinque-Terre flight. Beautiful as only flying can be.

Italian days and nights ...

After a thorough preparation of our Italian adventure it took us finally 2:50h to get to LIMJ (Genova) from EDVK (Kassel), our first waypoint in Italy. A smooth Alps crossing in best weather conditions provided a beautiful view on the surrounding terrain, the Alps, the italian lakes and the approach to the coastline.

Due to "limited uploading capabilities" of our camera/laptop system within the italian IT-infrastructure we still owe the pictures. But he, a 30°C - bluesky-country will definitely come up with something gorgeous :-)

Shooting approaches and trophys!

Jens is the organizer of a very unusal event. Every year there is a "fun-shooting-competition" in the "Westerbecker Moor", a turf moor in the north of Braunschweig.

So I took Lola for an early-morning IFR flight into Braunschweig and from there another 30 min by car to Jens` property and a closed-by shooting range. What a fun!! Breakfast, BBQ and the disciplines:

* pistol, revolver
* archery (recurve)
* ax throwing (yes, really ... there is even a world championship in sweden )

So in a green, healthy environment with great boys and big boys toys :-)
Good to know, that shooting approaches is a great exercise for fire arms as well ... so i went home with the trophy of this year. THANKS GUYS and definately see ya´next year!