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Mathijs Kok aka The Falconer


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  • Aerosoft

I decided to fly with the historical class and will fly the PBY Catalina in Amphibious version. Not only will this allow me some more freedom in the route but also because it's just the coolest aircraft. Not yet made the complete plan to cross the Pacific but with some additional drums of fuel in the cabin I can go via Hawaii, Wake, Iwo Jima. A looooooong route.

 

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  • Aerosoft

In preparation for my round the world I have flown the Cat to Stuttgart today, great weather  and no problems.

 

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Waiting for the doors to open and a tug to get us inside.

 

A specialized company here will fit 3 auxiliary tanks adding another 600 gallons of fuel. to the 1,500 standard in the aircraft. Two will be added in front of the CoG, one aft. We'll need to do some tests to see how much that will affect balance and performance but we do not expect much problems.  As these tanks prohibit moving from the front section to the rear they will be used first. As they deflate they can be walked on (with due care).

 

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Fitting should take a few days and then we're off Lelystad where we'll replace one engine and do major maintenance on the left one.  If time permits we'll also paint a nice logo on the side of the aircraft.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • Aerosoft

Just arrived at London City airport where I will prepare my aircraft for the last preparations. Decide to switch to the Dutch Civil variant, but it still has the aux tanks fitted!

 

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As said I will try fly fully VFR for this trip, favoring places that are dear to me and coast lines. No planned fuel stops, will get fuel when I get low on it.

 

My first leg will go from London Charing Cross station (or rather the Thames next to it) to Dover and Normandy (remembering the great bike rides I had there as a youngster visiting the D-Day beaches). The cross to Bordeaux when my daughter studies. Then over my house in the Dordogne to Southern France, Monaco,.cross to Rome, following the coast south. 

 

Cross to Greece, Athens where I took the boats to the islands so often. East to Patmos, my favorite island. Then a long crossing to the mouth of the Nile to land in the center of Cairo on the river as close as possible to the main train station. Will have tea in a small cafe that I can't find on the map right now but that I pretty sure I can find when I am there. Had my first poppy tea there. Forgive me, it was 30 years ago. Will stick to tea this time.

 

 

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Call me the schmuck of this leg.... 

 

I took of from the Thames, did a fine circle over London to say goodbye and set off in my VFR trip. Nice weather, 5000 feet, engines humming away. Got myself some coffee.  Mmmmm I should see the channel by now.... strange. Ahh well few more minutes....

 

Turns out I was flying due west.  

 

Flew back to Biggin Hill, found a pub. New attempt tomorrow. 

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I love the Cat, ferried one once from our hub in Norway to our then new hub in Alaska. Bloody scary trip that :-D.

On this venture she's just too slow for me, so hats off to you Mathijs.

good job on getting lost on the very first leg though ;-) :-D

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  • Aerosoft

First leg and already behind the curve...

 

Decided to transfer to Heathrow, load her up to the gills with fuel and take off in the early evening to arrive in Cairo at day break. We got two Garmin handheld GPS devices to lead us the way. After midnight it should be easy to get permission to cross control zones so we hope to fly an almost straight route. Only Paris will cause us to divert south.

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