Recent flight to the UK and back

[Deleted]

I recently got back from my first flight since 2016 to the UK and back in my Savannah, which I wrote about on my blog. The flights in both directions were 'interesting' but for quite different reasons.

Flight from LF2467 to EGKH 24/08/2019

Flight from EGKH to LF2467 03/09/2019

Total flying time north was 5hrs 45 mins and back south 5 hrs 55 mins with small tailwinds in both directions (how rare is that!) the difference mainly being down to a long delay at the hold at Le Touquet on the way back waiting for selfish Grp A pilots waiting for and writing down IFR clearances just prior to take off instead of picking them up before taxying. It meant that both they and we poor unfortunates behind them were stationary wastefully burning fuel while they blocked the runway for 10 minutes.

Might be back again very soon as I have a project underway to 'rescue' a UK ultralight and bring it to France. When it happens I'll let you all know.

Life remains interesting and exciting!

Roger

[bhk]

God, you're adventurous, Roger!
Here I am, playing lawn bowls or lazing on a beach and there you are giving life a good shaking!
More power to you, mate.

[Deleted]

Morning Bruce. It's 8.15 am here as I type this. Not really Bruce, just living and trying to make the most of it. Got another interesting day today. With winter approaching I need another wood splitter as my old one began leaking oil towards the end of last season and I sold it for spares. It was a 5 ton horizontal model and I got sick of constantly bending down to work it - gets the old back. So I was looking for a 7-8 ton vertical one but no matter what I'm looking for, I can never find what I want in this area. So I'm off today with my car and trailer down to Bayonne which is right down in the far sw corner of France near the Spanish border. It's just over 200 miles each way but the seller accepted my offer which makes it worthwhile for the machine in question. Pity that it's decided to be dull, wet and cool as the remnants of the Bahamas hurricane hit us here.

[Roger]

A good read and some great shots!

[Deleted]

Thanks very much Roger

[bhk]

Sept 10, 2019 1:23:09 GMT -5 rollerball said:

Morning Bruce. It's 8.15 am here as I type this. Not really Bruce, just living and trying to make the most of it. .......

Pity that it's decided to be dull, wet and cool as the remnants of the Bahamas hurricane hit us here.

Morning, Roger.
This is a strange world; half of it gets battered by hurricane and typhoon whilst we go up in flames (again) in an ever-worsening drought.
The weirdest thing is that firies were fighting a bushfire near Ebor and it started to snow.

I trust that your journey was enjoyable and trouble-free and that split wood is piling up in your yard!

[Deleted]

G'day Bruce, funny actually because it turned out to be another completely incorrect forecast! It was a lovely drive down and back again and very warm work for the seller and me getting the log splitter, which was very heavy, up onto my little trailer. So after having poor weather forecast for the whole trip I saw just a single shower, admittedly quite an intense one, for about 5 minutes on the way back. Luckily I'd covered the machine up with a tarp though, so no harm done.

It was a fantastic buy, an 8 ton German-made Lumag that had hardly ever been used and even after the drive there and back I ended up with an almost new 700€ machine for about half-price. So well worth the trip. Haven't started splitting wood in earnest yet but have ordered 4 stère (cu metres) of mixed oak and 'chataigne' for the winter and if my trial log was anything to go by, it'll be effortless this year getting it split down to size and stacked in my wood store.

But what is astonishing is how fast the year has gone since I last went through the process