Ok, by popular demand, I've written this one up early. Thanks again for the likes and comments since last night - now I know people are enjoying this then it gives me the motivation to continue the writeup!
So... onward!
Day 3 - warning... this one's going to be picture heavy
Having agreed to meet at 8am we did just that. As with the previous day we'd all checked outside our bedroom windows before getting up... and today we were blessed with far better weather! The now traditional trek to McDonalds for breakfast (well, we'd been the day before, so I guess it was now a tradition!) took place... but whereas the day before we'd dallied with breakfast because we had a cloudbase we needed gone, today there was none of that and we had lots of flying to catch up with! Whilst we waited for the table service we quickly planned some routes... The aim was to head up in to the Pyrenees and visit Andorra (La Seu) Airport (which is actually in Spain). From there we'd then head back the way we came and make our way to Annecy airport in the French Alps. James used his local knowledge of the valleys between Carcassonne and Andorra to plot a route on Blaz' iPad, we quickly ate our breakfasts, headed to the Aldi once again for baguettes, cheese, ham and bottled water and then went back to the airfield to load up the plane, get some fuel and get on our way!
The sleepiness of Carcassonne airport had vanished, and the circuit was busy with various TB10 and TB20s of the local flying school, and our little Warrior had gained a Cirrus friend next to it overnight. We got in the plane, with Blaz in the captain's seat, James next to him and me in the back, fired up the engine and requested fuel. To absolutely nobody's surprise, our credit cards were now a valid form of payment, so we taxied round to the pumps and waited for the refueller to arrive and get the pump working for us. And waited. And waited.... and half an hour later got bored of waiting so went in to the refuelling office to try and find out where the chap was. A couple of phone calls and another 10 minutes later and our refueller sauntered over merrily to top up our tanks. I paid the guy, we all got back in the plane and we finally departed Carcassonne.
The flight up to the Pyrenees was non-eventful... our heavy little Warrior obviously taking its time in getting up to 7000ft but we eventually got up there, over the foothills and in to the Pyrenees.
Once in, we set track for Andorra, Blaz flying us through the safest path on the slow descent back to the airfield elevation of 2630ft. From the back of the plane I got to admire the scenery en-route, eventually spotting Andorra airfield, seemingly carved into the edge of one of the hills. Blaz brought us in to land and I could see that the wind, although light, was making Blaz work the controls hard, particularly as we were approaching the threshold where the runway began at the edge of the hill with a sharp drop just before and higher ground immediately to the right.
We touched down, parked the plane, then James and Blaz went to wake up the chap in the tower and pay our landing fees whilst I filed the flightplan for the flight direct(ish) to Annecy. It was soon time to get going again... but not before the time-honoured picture of the plane on the apron and one of the three of us...
We'd decided that I'd fly the next leg, but first we'd do a circuit and touch and go of Andorra before climbing back out of the Pyrenees and set track for the three and a half hour leg to Annecy.
I backtracked 03, lined up and we got going... I was quite mindful of the sheer drop at the end of the runway but MX got up with plenty to spare. I was then mindful of the big hill directly to the left in the direction of the circuit! Taking a tighter turn than I'd usually do we got round with plenty to spare and we went round the circuit. As expected, on short final there were plenty of updrafts and side winds to contend with but the touch and go was carried out and we went back round again to gain some height and escape the mountains... after carrying out an orbit in clear sky just to gain a bit more height out of the clutches of the mountains!
Full power, pointing upwards we climbed... and then we didn't... and then we were climbing again... picking our way up in to the sky and finding our route and valley out of there at 8000ft.
The next two hours or so were fairly uneventful, following the magenta line over relatively flat ground at 5000ft, skirting the Mediterranean at one point, getting clearances through Class D and Danger Areas without so much as a 'remain outside'. Around halfway through the flight, the in-flight meal was served.
And all was good in the world.
Before too long, the sun started becoming obscured and the terrain was getting a bit more interesting as we approached the Alps.
We mainly stayed at 5000ft but as cloud started to appear we dipped down to 3000ft just so we could remain VMC. We need not have bothered, as from below it was quite obvious that it was merely scattered, so we climbed back up again to give us greater terrain clearance as we flew towards Chambery.
Chambery's one of those airfields that I've loved going in to in the back of a 737 on the way to a skiing holiday. The views as you come in on final down the Lac du Bourget are absolutely incredible, and although we weren't landing at Chambery I got to experience the sheer joy of flying this little PA28 over scenery that I'd previously only ever dreamed about flying down.
But there wasn't too much time to adore the scenery (well, there was enough!) as Annecy airfield was only about 15 minutes further on. Still plenty of time for some more gorgeous scenery though as we flew past Lake Annecy on our downwind leg before turning final and landing at Annecy with another 3 hours and 20 minutes in my logbook, for which was my longest flight by far.
I taxied us round to the fuel pumps and filled us up whilst Blaz and James went in to pay the landing fees and plot our next route and file the flightplan. We can't have been on the ground for more than half an hour (shame, Annecy looks like it's well worth a stay) before we were back in the plane with Blaz taking over flying duties and me heading to the back seats again for our next leg, which was to take us to Freiburg im Breisgau in Germany.
We departed Annecy, and I got time to admire more of the gorgeous scenery without worrying about accidentally flying in to it...
Avoiding Geneva's airspace we worked our way around the mountains, spying Mont Blanc in the distance along with the giant Lake Geneva.
Before too long though, the higher ground dropped away and we were relaxing as the two hour trip over to Freiburg almost took care of itself.
Freiburg itself looked quite pretty as we joined its very geometric circuit pattern and descended over the town
Blaz brought us in and we parked up on the grass for the night. After getting landside we quickly got out our mobiles, opened up Expedia, Hotels.com and Booking.com and had a look to see what was available for three (by now very) weary travellers. We found a Super 8, which looked quite nice and fit the bill of being cheap, got a taxi, drove past what must be the world's largest chair and went to check in, dump our stuff and get some food.
I'll spare you the details about the walk to dinner, but needless to say we found ourselves a nice pizza place and a few beers, before eventually retiring to bed.
Tomorrow was going to be a good day, one where I'd tick an airfield off the bucket list.
Video of Andorra to AnnecyTo be continued (probably next week now!)