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EPILOG
Karl and John's flight, crossing the Atlantic both ways, was about as flawlessly planned and executed as it can get. They departed on April 10, and returned a month later on May 9--exactly as scheduled. A remarkable feat! The daily reporting of their progress and sharing photos of their activities on the Internet was something new for this flight, and comanchepilot.com was pleased to be a part of it. However, some of the technology involved is not quite up to speed yet; not quite as reliable as the Comanche, for example. But, it went pretty well. In spite of trouble in finding Internet connections in Europe, and a mysterious loss of data from Iceland, most of the reports got through, and many of them were posted on the Internet the very next day. Karl and John worked hard to keep us informed, and much of their reporting was done as it was happening. Karl used his laptop computer to compose reports as they were flying, and sometimes while riding in a rented car in Europe. Then, as soon as a connection could be found, the reports and pictures were fired off. The rigors of flying, the pressures of operating in complicated airspace and complying with foreign restrictions, dealing with regulations of various governments and agency officials, converting foreign currencies, quantity measurements, and inches of mercury to millibars, were more than enough to keep them fully occupied. But they took the time to cut into their activities, find connections, and make their reports, and we are most grateful. The reports were given top priority and all got through except one which had inadvertently remained in the computer and was not discovered until unloading and reorganizing the material from the flight. Since it covered a highlight of the trip--the Fly-In at Macon--it is presented below. Even retroactively, the report is of considerable interest and will complete the story of the flight. With great pleasure, comanchepilot.com brings you this final installment:
Saturday, April 19, 2003, 15:50 UTC (5:50 pm local) Report from Macon, France, by Karl Hipp Yesterday it was up at 6:00 am. We caught the subway to Waterloo station, then the train to Wokingham, where Barbara, John, Judy, and I were met by Dave Buttle. From there, it was off to the Blackbushe airport. Dave had the mains and tips on 56Y filled for us on the previous day. So, after sumping the tanks, checking oil, paying for fuel and the landing and parking fees, we checked out with customs and departed for France on a VFR flight plan that had been pre-filed by Dr. Buttle. John flew the one hour leg to Le Touquet where we landed, cleared French customs, and paid the landing fee. We then departed VFR for Macon, this time with me in the left seat. I flew at flight level 54, which means we use an altimeter setting of 29.92, since the class A airspace boundaries are defined by standard pressure altitudes. We had some class A bases at FL55, so 5,400 feet at 29.92 worked out well. There are actually three different altimeter settings that are used in Europe: Qfe, which is height above the airfield; Qnh, which is actual height above sea level; and Qne, which is standard pressure, all given in millibars, rather than inches of mercury. We arrived at Macon about 2:30 pm local, with Friedrich and Monica Rehkopf from Germany just behind us. After a great reception with wine, beer, and food, we boarded the bus to the hotel. At the banquet later that evening, John and I received plaques commemorating our effort in crossing the Atlantic the long way, in a Comanche, to attend this European Fly-In. In addition, Judy, Barbara, John, and I, along with Art and Lois Jacobsen, who flew commercial from the west coast of America, received commemorative plaques simply for being here.
April 20, 2003 These Europeans are a wonderful bunch. They have made us extremely welcome. Their bonds of friendship here are much stronger than I have seen within ICS in the US. The flying here is much more difficult, and they all take it quite seriously. We spent the last two days touring the village of Macon, medieval churches, wineries, a grotto, and a medieval Abbey in the town of Cluny.
The Buttles, the Rehkopfs, Ron and June Nunn, and the four of us have decided to stay on in Macon another day. After that, we will travel to Avignon, France, about 60 or so miles south.
April 21, 2003 Today, we'll go to the airport to see the others off. Friedrich will help us with flight planning for Spain and the rest of the trip. Then, we'll take a boat ride on the river.
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