Windy weekend, didn’t go flying.
Just a relaxed dinner BBQ at the airfield
I am trying to get to LDLO but the current lousy wx makes it impossible unless one goes without any evident prospect of coming back on a date a few days plus or minus the planned date 
This is not new; wx is more convective and in 2023 I did not manage that particular trip until August, and even then had to fly back via 1 night at LFMT.
So I am doing short trips now, also getting my GF used to flying. She loves it but I don’t want to push my luck. Did LFBH recently which at 2.5hrs return flight (30-40kt headwind) was “good training” for the 5.5hr LDLO one So far done Alderney, Guernsey, Le T, La Rochelle and I think some others. Prestwick is also planned, as well as Ireland etc. Deauville hopefully next weekend. Plus airline trips (my old stomping ground around LKPR/LKPM) but they don’t count.
Yesterday I had a lunch at the ever great Le T with @lionel who got there in his gas turbine powered speed machine Rented an e-bike this time because if you want to explore the area then there are some hills. Also the LFAT airport €36 e-bikes have working brakes, which is a rarity on their €12 non-e-bikes
Right base on RNP31. Wx was good but with manic traffic this was safer
Some planes are seen often, like this one
The Robin of the aeroclub of Air France?
I did a quick alpine flight on Saturday around the central Swiss mountains with the AC4.
Right downwind departure out of Buochs (LSZC), with the Pilatus factory at the left, Lightwing factory left from middle, and the Bürgenstock below my wing, where the Ukraine peace summit will take place this upcoming weekend, and causes my grounding for a few days.
A view in direction of the Eiger from the Tannensee. Heavy thunderstorms in the mountains were coming. I returned safely back, before the thunderstorm hit Buochs. I couldn’t get the airplane dry in the hangar, but that was not a big issue.
After polishing the aircraft was done and the thunderstorm was over, I inspected the new barriers on the Herdenstrasse, which is a local road that crosses the middle of the runway at Buochs. The old barrier in front, the new signal (like a railroad crossing) with two half-sized barriers still lying on the grass, behind and closer to the runway. The new barriers will begin their service on the 15th of July. Thanks to new sensor technology, there will be no risk of getting stuck between the barriers any longer. The second half-barrier will only close, when all traffic and pedestrians have crossed safely. In addition, there will also be a signal that displays the waiting time, as this can be quite some minutes.
In normal daily usage, the tower operates the barriers from their working position. Outside tower operational hours (for example weekends and evenings), the barriers are connected with the PCL system. Unfortunately, only home-based pilots are allowed to use PCL. The aerodrome manager must always be mobilized for guests, who will operate the barriers and lights, which costs a hefty handling fee.
€36 e-bikes
Do you find it expensive or is it a normal expected price? LJPZ offers them at the same price but last time I was there we just skipped them in favor of (much cheaper) taxi.
Depends on what one wants to do.
On an e-bike one can
Also airport bikes tend to be one-gear jobs which simply cannot get up a slope above some % no matter how hard one works.
I agree that just to “get into town” a taxi would cost similar. However at LFAT you can walk into town in 20 mins…
My own bike is a normal MTB; I plan to buy an e-bike when I get to 80, but it will be something like a Cube AMS (£6k) and not a crappy £1.5k “airport bike”
Rental of most things is overpriced. Look at skis
I did a short flight on an LSA airplane on Sunday:
Guess where this is :-)
I had a short trip to Le Touquet LFAT on Sunday, although I didn’t see Peter or Lionel (saw Peter’s TB20, though), with three non-flying friends. I arrived at about 1330 local, just before the tower closed for lunch; and the place was packed – I’ve never seen it so busy. No bikes left, so we walked to town. Fantastic weather; lunch by the beach and drinks there afterwards. Back at 18:30 local just before customs left, and back to the UK – with quite a headwind.
Good to see the new signage at the airport – now called “Le Touquet-Paris-Plage Elizabeth II”.
Did my PPL revalidation flight in Herzogenaurach and Neustadt, then dropped the FI at Burg Feuerstein. After a quick (non-alcoholic for me) drink with him there, I headed back to Neustadt and lingered on the way.
Landed in Neustadt, parked in front of the hangar, and shut down. I was still in the plane when I heard “Nice bike, bro” – it was one of the crazy skydivers who share the same hangar. As far as I can tell, all skydivers are crazy, in a “burn the midnight oil to enjoy life” kind of way. I had left my e-bike in a corner of the hangar, unlocked, (thieves are rare in EDQN), and the guy just decided to take it out for a spin for kicks. And obviously liked it.
To which I retorted, “You like my bike? You should try my airplane!” 
There was still about 1hr of flight time left and the promise of a beautiful sunset. So I invited him to try the airplane too. He jumped in, bringing the beer bottle he had been drinking. Probably not the first that evening. We had a beautiful sunset flight together. Although he had been skydiving for years, he never had a chance of steering an airplane. He enjoyed my explanations about flying and trying it out “for real”. And I enjoyed a couple beers with him after the flight. A spectacular conclusion to an unspectacular day.
etn wrote:
it was one of the crazy skydivers who share the same hangar. As far as I can tell, all skydivers are crazy, in a “burn the midnight oil to enjoy life” kind of way.Haha – I can relate to that as well!
They’re fun people, I enjoy their company for some time, but it’s clearly not my world.
