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Rosklide 1800 local 8th Sept
we were flight planned to arrive about 18:30 perhaps 18:45 cant remember exactly but a stonking tailwind meant we touched down at 18:00 - yet another crosswind nearly 30 kts knots (mike if you read this I know it was almost down the runway - but it was a good landing? and the crosswind makes a better story !!) Frederick from EFT had organised two hotel rooms for us nearby but Mike was on a mission - he decided that he had time to make the last plane out of Copenhagen Intnl to Zurich or somewhere getting him back to the States 11:00 on Sunday - Mike I hope you made it - you were excellent company and thoroughly professional - I would not begrudge you one minute extra time at home - you did the whole thing so well.
Now I've decided that as I have to do the last leg on my own without the expected ferry pilot I will have to be strictly VFR and guess what there is a humungous low coming over DK tomorrow so I am stuck here until Tuesday
Expect to sort out the paperwork tomorrow and will try and post some tourist pics
we were flight planned to arrive about 18:30 perhaps 18:45 cant remember exactly but a stonking tailwind meant we touched down at 18:00 - yet another crosswind nearly 30 kts knots (mike if you read this I know it was almost down the runway - but it was a good landing? and the crosswind makes a better story !!) Frederick from EFT had organised two hotel rooms for us nearby but Mike was on a mission - he decided that he had time to make the last plane out of Copenhagen Intnl to Zurich or somewhere getting him back to the States 11:00 on Sunday - Mike I hope you made it - you were excellent company and thoroughly professional - I would not begrudge you one minute extra time at home - you did the whole thing so well.
Now I've decided that as I have to do the last leg on my own without the expected ferry pilot I will have to be strictly VFR and guess what there is a humungous low coming over DK tomorrow so I am stuck here until Tuesday
Expect to sort out the paperwork tomorrow and will try and post some tourist pics
Wick 1300 8th Sept
We went up into the offices (an old RAF style tower) after gratefully getting rid of the immersion suits - frankly I felt I was home - never mind having to go to Denmark next - I was overcome... - know how the Pope feels when he kisses the ground - well no I don't really - that is just religious PR or BS - just felt I was home and wanted to go home. Andrew Bruce - pictured left deserves special mention - he handles loads of transatlantic ferry pilots/planes coming in and out and was by far the most on the ball handling agent and pleasant with it. I had bent his ear over the phone about various things before hand - not wanting to leave things to chance or my ferry organisation. I have to say I would trust Andrew implicitly he sorted out the paperwork like a pro- Wysywig as they say - he does what its says on the tin - to use another cliché - you cannot praise him more than that - I just wish other parts of the chain had been more black and white and had known what's what - like Andrew
We went up into the offices (an old RAF style tower) after gratefully getting rid of the immersion suits - frankly I felt I was home - never mind having to go to Denmark next - I was overcome... - know how the Pope feels when he kisses the ground - well no I don't really - that is just religious PR or BS - just felt I was home and wanted to go home. Andrew Bruce - pictured left deserves special mention - he handles loads of transatlantic ferry pilots/planes coming in and out and was by far the most on the ball handling agent and pleasant with it. I had bent his ear over the phone about various things before hand - not wanting to leave things to chance or my ferry organisation. I have to say I would trust Andrew implicitly he sorted out the paperwork like a pro- Wysywig as they say - he does what its says on the tin - to use another cliché - you cannot praise him more than that - I just wish other parts of the chain had been more black and white and had known what's what - like Andrew
8th Sep Sat We arrived in Reykjavik about 19:15 local -as I said
elsewhere I was stunned to be directed to a blonde plaited hair tall female
marshaller still looking shapely in an oversized weatherproof jump suit (now I
know the weather in Iceland is bad but we were the ones who needed that wrapping
up. Anyway all very efficient if a little unsmiling - they organised taxis down
town - For this I have to give credit to the ferry organisation American KingAir
even though their planning and communication (to me) left a lot to be desired
they have obviously done this before many times and Reykjavik went well - we
were whisked to a local hotel (it was Friday night and most hotels were full up)
but that was sorted. All the stories you have heard about Iceland
being expensive are true. a couple of hundred pounds for the evening meal for
two and drinks (if Don reads this -"no that was not on your account!") Another
ferry aircraft (TB20 ) following us about an hour behind was on the tarmac at
Reykjavik - I gather they decided to layover 24 hours. For us it was on on on
with the same routine - bed about 11 up about 6 - actually slightly later in
Reykjavik as the FBO did not open until 7:30 . The weather again called for a
weak occluded front and tailwinds
Out of Reykjavik - guess what ? the terrain database disappears from the Avidyne MFD- right now the great overhyped gizmo is about as much use as the engine dials in my 40 year old Robin. Now how many people did I talk to and how many times did I ask "are you sure the European database is on there?" I myself was convinced it was OK when we eventually got the Garmin 430 European database (only after my persistent nagging). If you ever want a better demonstration of how the world ends somewhere mid Atlantic this is it - Even now in Roskilde I cannot find out how why or where we could get a change to the terrain database on the Avidyne 500 - all I can say to is Avidyne - Try looking at your web site from a European perspective - it is clear that you are racing to provide more and more facilities for North America but where do you explain what we can have in Europe and how to get it? No doubt you charge a premium as always for European versions justified on the basis that it is a smaller market For the record - XM weather doesn't work in Europe (sad that because it is superlative) - I knew that already though most people I talked to in the US didn't and therefore were inclined to use it as a sales advantage- but I did expect to get a terrain and point database - apparently this is a possible option but how to get it - only Merlin the magician knows - Etaws terrain avoidance has given up completely - these options are worth up to $25k and the American aircraft brokers are not bashful in promoting these features but no-one is much use in helping get them work in Europe. Word to the wise, if you are buying in the States, an aircraft with electronic gizmos - discount it all you will have endless extras to pay for. Exasperated once again -I wish Cirrus could offer alternatives to this monopoly
Out of Reykjavik - guess what ? the terrain database disappears from the Avidyne MFD- right now the great overhyped gizmo is about as much use as the engine dials in my 40 year old Robin. Now how many people did I talk to and how many times did I ask "are you sure the European database is on there?" I myself was convinced it was OK when we eventually got the Garmin 430 European database (only after my persistent nagging). If you ever want a better demonstration of how the world ends somewhere mid Atlantic this is it - Even now in Roskilde I cannot find out how why or where we could get a change to the terrain database on the Avidyne 500 - all I can say to is Avidyne - Try looking at your web site from a European perspective - it is clear that you are racing to provide more and more facilities for North America but where do you explain what we can have in Europe and how to get it? No doubt you charge a premium as always for European versions justified on the basis that it is a smaller market For the record - XM weather doesn't work in Europe (sad that because it is superlative) - I knew that already though most people I talked to in the US didn't and therefore were inclined to use it as a sales advantage- but I did expect to get a terrain and point database - apparently this is a possible option but how to get it - only Merlin the magician knows - Etaws terrain avoidance has given up completely - these options are worth up to $25k and the American aircraft brokers are not bashful in promoting these features but no-one is much use in helping get them work in Europe. Word to the wise, if you are buying in the States, an aircraft with electronic gizmos - discount it all you will have endless extras to pay for. Exasperated once again -I wish Cirrus could offer alternatives to this monopoly
we made it into Wick eventually - again a crosswind - about 30- 40 degrees off at 25kts - Mike reckoned that was almost straight down the runway -anyway all good
