An unplanned stop in the alps due to an engine problem turned out to be a great trip in 2013.
We were 8 pilots in 3 aircraft departing from south Sweden (ESMI) with destination Brac in Croatia. We departed on a Friday morning and landed uneventfully at Salzburg airport (LOWS), after a short fuel and food stop in Hof (EDQM). We spent a great evening in Salzburg and did some sightseeing after dinner.
On Saturday morning we headed out to the airport again. Everything was looking good, including the weather for a VFR trip through the alps towards Portoroz in Slovenia, until we did our engine checks in the Cessna. In a few seconds we understood that Salzburg would probably be the final destination for this trip, it was obvious that 1 cylinder wasn’t running. Vibrations and smoke puffs are usually a bad sign.
The other aircraft continued towards Brac while a pilot friend and myself were forced to stay at the airport. Since it was Saturday we were unable to get in touch with any mechanic, instead we decided to make the best of the situation, which meant renting a car and after a quick glance at the map we steered towards Zell am See.
We expected a quiet and peaceful stay in Zell am See since it was the in the middle of July, but nothing could be more wrong. We managed to arrive just in time for the Zell am See water festival 2013. Those Austrians know how to party! It turned out to be a great afternoon and evening with lots of live music, beer, fireworks and a view of the largest lederhosen in the world (according to Guinness World Records) which they seemed very proud of :) The stay at grand hotel wasn’t bad either ..
The next day we drove to Zell am See airport and had a coffee while we watched 10 or so go-arounds in an hour and also a rough landing with an ultra-light, which ended with a broken nose wheel and lost self esteem for the pilot. After lunch we headed to werfen castle and stayed in a nearby ski village (this time quiet and peaceful).
On Monday morning we were back at the airport and got great help from AAC maintenance. To make a long story short it turned out to be a more serious problem than we estimated, so we had to fly back to Sweden with SAS. The aircraft needed 4 weeks or so at the maintenance shop. Lucky it happened on the ground and not in the air.
Sometimes it doesn’t turn out as expected, but this time plan B turned out to be great!
Going from the deserts of New Mexico to the frozen seas and wilderness of the Arctic over three weeks, taking in so many interesting sights and meeting so many kind and interesting people.
Mark1, great trip and great writeup! Congrats, that’s prob the ‘trip of the year’ on here!
flying my RV-8 back from LA to England after my job finished in California.
That is an awesome trip. Not many RVs doing that route!
Mine has to be flying the Spitfire from Duxford to Goodwood.
Wow. Where did you book all that sunshine? 
Great photos.
Without question, my best trip was Fairoaks – Edinburgh – Stornoway – Prestwick – Islay – Biggin Hill. Some pictures (in a strange order) on flickr .
We had a wonderful flight up to Edinburgh where stayed overnight and picked up a friend. Then low level through the hills on a beautiful day past Perth, Pitlochry, Loch Rannoch, south of Ben Nevis to Loch Leven, then up the Great Glen to Inverness, climb to FL90 and over to Stornoway in a straight line.
We stayed overnight in Stornoway, then flew down to Prestwick via Uist, Benbecula, Barra and Tiree to drop our friend off. Then a quick hop over to Islay and another night’s stay.
In the morning we went for a walk over the mudflats from Bridgend to Bowmore, followed by a perfect flight back home to Biggin Hill.
The TB10 may not be the fastest plane around, or have the best range, but it is perfect for this mix of low level scenic flying and medium distance touring.
Without question, my best trip was Fairoaks – Edinburgh – Stornoway – Prestwick – Islay – Biggin Hill.
We had a wonderful flight up to Edinburgh where stayed overnight and picked up a friend. Then low level through the hills on a beautiful day past Perth, Pitlochry, Loch Rannoch, south of Ben Nevis to Loch Leven, then up the Great Glen to Inverness, climb to FL90 and over to Stornoway in a straight line.
We stayed overnight in Stornoway, then flew down to Prestwick via Uist, Benbecula, Barra and Tiree to drop our friend off. Then a quick hop over to Islay and another night’s stay.
In the morning we went for a walk over the mudflats from Bridgend to Bowmore, followed by a perfect flight back home to Biggin Hill.
The TB10 may not be the fastest plane around, or have the best range, but it is perfect for this mix of low level scenic flying and medium distance touring.
Great trip with your RV! And nice list of stuff you carried with you. I’ll add bear spray and a laser pointer to my requirement list.
Flying the 617 squadron Dam-Busters route, finishing with a low(ish), run up the length of the Mohnesee.
For several personal reasons (not only, but not least, that I was named after one of the pilots) the Dam Buster story is a very personal one to me, and whilst I perhaps don’t have a historian’s detailed knowledge of the raid, the human significance of it has always been something I understood extremely well. Flying up the Mohnesee and over the top of the dam, aware of the great young men who died flying that route, was the most emotionally significant thing I’ve ever done in an aeroplane. I was not prepared at-all for the emotional “hit” at that moment, but will never forget those few minutes in particular.
Not for a moment to compare anything I’ve ever done to what those young men did, but I believe for that trip I understand it far better than I ever could have done otherwise.
G
Good read, Mark!
