Red's Cape-to-Cape Snowbird Adventure

Red, I just flew into there tonight going the other direction. Expect thunderstorms at FOOL and on up the coast.
 
Flying into a thunderstorm is never a fun experience, especially so if you're heading into a place you've never been before. Thunder was booming all around and flashes of lightning lit up the cockpit on the descent. Visibility was quite poor on the approach, and for what seemed an eternity I couldn't find the airport. I scanned back and forth among the buildings at Libreville, saying to myself, "I don't get it...it should be right there!"

It was only when I was about to make my base turn that the airport revealed itself between the bottom of the bluff that the town stood upon and the ocean. It would be quite easy to see from the east, but from the west the bluff conceals it until you're almost perpendicular with the airport heading. (Suppose that's why it's called FOOL?) Anyhow, we were very gratified to get the wheels on the ground, having successfully ridden out the storm.

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=P6PlXQLNIViz0O3hrlQGrWDrdM

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Next up, a flight over the Atlantic to the town of Cotonou, Benin (DBBB). Thankfully the weather looks a lot better for this leg than it did the last one.
 
Some great flying Red!


I really like these screen shots ... The Aero Commander is growing on me.


Easy to see why you would have chosen it.
 
Thanks Austin! I had the privilege to watch Bob Hoover perform in his Commander when I was young. The things he could do with that plane were simply incredible!

I'm now continuing on to the next checkpoint at Niamey, Niger. Lucky me, Cumulonimbus clouds have been observed in the area....:kilroy:
 
RedGreen said:
I had the privilege to watch Bob Hoover perform in his Commander when I was young. The things he could do with that plane were simply incredible!
Click to expand...

Me too RG. I saw him at an airshow back in 1976. Amazing stuff.

Nice run so far-
 
I'm now starting the "desert voyage" portion of my journey. Next stop Tessalt, Mali (GATS). And yes, I've checked the map multiple terms ensuring this is east of Timbuktu. I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've seen a weather report of "widespread dust" at a destination airport!
 
Well, it appears no paint got sandblasted off my plane. Wasn't in a good position on my approach and was high and fast and over the numbers by the time I finally got the plane aligned with the runway. Big ugly bounce on landing, and I'm certainly glad I got the plane stopped when I did. Probably less than a thousand feet to spare by my guesstimate.

Although if I had gone off, I highly doubt I would have run into anything. Nothing to really crash into in this place....

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=qmgZbVLrrVvUmczUeU0aFIdXTCs

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The long journey across the desert continues to the town of Adrar, Algeria (DAUA). I have already determined I'll be quite happy to get out of the desert. Seriously, I've flown over oceans that provided more scenic variety than the Sahara!
 
The time has finally come to get out of Africa and make landfall in Europe! Well, yes, technically Palma de Mallorca (LEPA) is on an island in the middle of the Mediterranean, but it's part of Spain. It counts in my book!
 
Farewell, Africa! Buenos Dias, Espana! What a thrill it was indeed for the Sea to finally come into view, and then to leave the land of Africa. Knowing I had travesed from the southernmost points of the continent and leaving it from the north was a very satisfying feeling. Landing at Mallorca was a cinch. Plenty of navaids and a gracious runway made for a very easy and routine landing.

Now, some calculations are in order to figure out my strategy in the Swiss Alps. Good thing I haven't misplaced my slide rule....

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=2EwZRcmWK4QrJqMbp4TWxxb1Wo

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After some downtime in Palma de Mallorca, I'm off to Aosta, Italy (LIMW) to pick up some bonus time.
 
Well, as happy as I was to see Europe, the continent of Europe clearly did not share my sentiments. First it gave my horrific headwinds and IFR conditions at 15,000 feet(!), then it gave my crazy windshifts while over the Sea. In my entire CtoC run up to this point I had zero overspeed incidents. I had three on this flight alone. Thankfully, things cleared up over the Alps, but it didn't make the approach to Aosta any easier. With no navaids to speak of, it was entirely visual and hand-controlled from the time I nosed into the valley until I touched down. And this landing is one of the ugliest I've ever done. Had an awful bounce on touchdown and only got the plane stopped by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin before I ran out of runway. And yet, green duenna and an hour of bonus time after all was said and done.

This flight is proof I would rather be lucky than good!

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=XsZIcvyamZn2c68w9ZeBlojVuh0

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Onward to the checkpoint at Interlaken. Short flight, but lots of terrain issues packed into a small amount of nautical miles....
 
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