MENORCA

The way we were…

The thought of being up in the gin clear blue skies with the azure waters below is still a bit of a dream. But Derek Thorpe takes us on a meander down Memory Lane with his 1988 trip to Menorca by Jodel…

The seed had been sown the previous year, when I had great difficulty getting last minute flights for my wife Marnie and me to join friends in Menorca for a holiday. The suggestion was made that we should ‘consider flying ourselves down the next time’, we laughed but later, after a few cool drinks sitting on the terrace in the warm sunshine, we thought well, why not, we’ll do that next year. After a lot of thought I bought the latest French charts, the Spanish ones were a bit of a problem as there didn’t appear to be any half mil. aeronautical charts. Airtours was able to supply me with two tactical pilotage charts, although they were dated 1981 and didn’t have any control zones printed on them. I arranged a visit to A.I.S at Pinner, and they were very helpful and gave us some useful advice on our trip and copies of the relevant A.I.Ps. I was then able to mark out CTR and TMA boundaries onto our charts. We planned to clear customs at Lydd and fly to Above Derek and Marnie Thorpe with their Jodel D120, which was restored by the late Richard Yates. Le Touquet to clear into France, then on to Troyes for lunch and refuel before heading down the Rhone Valley to Saint-Rambert-d’Albon, where we would stay the night. The following day we’d continue to Montpellier, then along the French coast to Perpignan for lunch, refuel and clear customs for Spain. We’d clear Spanish customs at Gerona and then continue our journey along the Spanish coast to Castellon (a pleasant unlicensed airfield right on the coast), where we would stay for two nights. From Castellon we would fly across the Mediterranean to Ibiza to refuel and then route along the south coast of Majorca and on to Menorca. However, things don’t always go to plan when flying! We spent some time improving the engine cooling on the Jodel and adding extra cabin air vents. Shades were also made and fitted to the top of the cabin as it is clear Perspex. I also wrote to the Spanish and French aviation authorities to request permission to fly in Spanish and French airspace, imperative as neither recognised the British Permit to Fly. Thankfully permission was granted.

Finally, Saturday 17 September dawned… cloudy and rainy, but by midday the weather improved so Marnie and I headed down to Crowland Airfield, pulled the Jodel out and loaded our luggage. We took off at 1245 with a 1,500ft cloud base, on our way at last to join our friends in Menorca. Routing Brookman’s Park and Lambourn VORs we landed at Lydd at 1405, Brian Lecomber having just landed after an impromptu aerobatic display. Unfortunately, there was another delay for the weather to clear at Le Touquet, and by the time we landed there at 1545, the weather was too poor and it was too late to continue to Troyes, so we spent a pleasant evening in town. Sunday morning after breakfast, we walked back to the airfield, and again had a late start due to poor visibility. After replacing a missing bolt from a spat and chatting with a couple on their way to Cannes, the weather at Troyes had improved. Taking off at 1225 we routed via ABB, CTL and TRO VOR’s, the weather improving on the way. After refuelling and a coffee, the weather at our proposed night stop of Saint-Rambert was showing the Mistral was gusting 30kt, but at Lyon Bron it was only 12. Airborne at 1530 and routing via Dijon, the Rhone Valley visibility getting clearer all the way, we called Lyon Bron and were asked to use the transponder for the first time on the trip. Landing at 1715 the wind was 16/20kt, fortunately straight down the runway. Saint-Rambert wind was now 20kt, gusting 40kt, but expected to improve tomorrow, so we stayed at a nice hotel just outside the airport. Monday morning had low cloud yet again, a stop at the Met office confirming we would not be flying before midday, although further south it was CAVOK. To fill in time I asked the girl in the departure lounge if I could have a bucket of water to wash the aircraft, much to her amusement and Marnie’s embarrassment. A bucket of water was supplied, and the aeroplane was washed.

Above Derek with the Jodel D120 at Perpignan, where the weather finally warmed up.

Departing midday for Perpignan and continuing down the Rhone Valley, the weather was improving all the way, although it was still hazy. Orange gave us clearance through restricted area 55 so we could route direct to Montpellier, and then transferred us to Nimes Approach. They were very quiet and transferred us to Montpellier who cleared us overhead and en route. By now the sky was clear so I climbed to 3,000ft, took a few photos and followed the coast to Perpignan, who cleared me to join base leg and we landed at 1430. The sun was shining, and it was warm… at last. Below Over the Med and rounding the end of the Pyrenees, en route to Girona in Spain.

Middle Marnie and the Jodel on the Apron at Girona We made our usual visit to the met office, which we found in France to be very well equipped and helpful, with televised satellite pictures. Gerona was CAVOK so, flight plan filed, customs cleared and briefed on our route to Gerona, we took off at 1535, flew down the coast and around the seaward end of the Pyrenees to the French / Spanish border. The scenery was by now spectacular, with snowcapped mountains in the distance.

Above Running down the coast to Castellon – not a great place for a forced landing! I called Gerona, who advised me of activity at Empuriabrava and instructed me to report when east of their airfield, from where I was then cleared inbound and landed at Gerona at 1625 in what was now, thankfully, typical Spanish weather. We cleared customs, had coffee and a sandwich then decided maybe there wouldn’t be enough time to continue to

Castellon, so we got a taxi to take us to a hotel in Gerona. Tuesday morning dawned warm and hazy, so we made our way back to the airfield and checked with the met office; Barcelona and Valencia were 5km in mist with an improving forecast. I refuelled and leathered down the Jodel as it was covered in dew. DI done and the flight plan filed, the weather had improved enough to go so we took off for Castellon at 11.35. Gerona cleared us from their frequency 12 miles from the airfield, and I called Barcelona to inform them I was routing north west of their zone and they passed me straight to Sabadell (these days a perfect stop for Barcelona. Ed). They cleared us over their airfield and advised me to call Reus. Visibility was pretty good now, and Reus directed me to route down the coast to clear them by 10 miles. When clear of their zone we continued down the coast between 1,000 and 1,500 ft and I took some photos of Salou, where we had enjoyed a holiday a few years previously. On approaching Castellon, I gave them a call but it took a long time for them to answer – maybe they were looking for someone who could speak English… Eventually I was asked to call airfield in sight and then base leg. We walked to the Hotel Golf close by, it was rather posh and the most expensive yet, and Marnie wished she had brought some nicer clothes with her! After booking in, we went straight down to the beach and had a swim. Below Tied down at the pleasant little airfield of Castellon. We found Castellon to be the ideal airfield, right next to the beach, surrounded by mountains on the other three sides, and very friendly, with a good hotel close by… what more can you ask? Wednesday morning we woke to the sound of a Pawnee taking off, and it continued to be busy with two Pawnees crop spraying from the field, a Cessna doing circuits and several other aircraft arriving and departing. We had planned to stay a couple of nights in Castellon, so after breakfast we went to the beach for a swim and relaxed in the sunshine, but after a couple of hours gazing out to sea in the direction we would be heading, we both decided we couldn’t really relax, so would continue on our way. Back at the airfield, while doing our flight planning, we met Vincent Nebot, an ex-military pilot who had 1,000 hours on Jodels, and he gave us useful advice on our crossing to Ibiza and Menorca. All packed and flight plan filed for the 85nm flight over the Mediterranean, we took off from Castellon at 1130 and climbed straight out over the sea, setting course for Ibiza and calling Valencia just down the coast. I had planned to fly at 2,500ft, but the horizon was disappearing in the haze so elected to stay at 2000ft. Ibiza didn’t have a VOR, so it was a case of relying on dead reckoning. About 30 miles from the island I tried to contact Ibiza Approach several times, without success but Ibiza began to appear out of the haze, and as we got nearer I could see the reporting point of San Antonia Bay straight ahead, so we were spot on track.

On reaching the bay, I tried to call Ibiza on their tower frequency, but still received no reply and after circling for 10 minutes (it seemed much longer) and making several more calls, I began to wonder what to do next, as there were no other airfields on the island. My flight planned alternative airfields were Valencia back on the mainland, and Palma on Majorca. There was no point in going back to Valencia, so I decided I would fly to Palma, keeping clear of the Ibiza control zone, and if it was a radio problem, I could land without radio at Son Bonet Airfield on Majorca. I gave Ibiza one more try on their approach frequency before diverting when they finally answered, much to my relief. I was cleared to route around the coast at 1,000ft to land on 07. It was quite impressive to fly round the high ground at 1,000ft and suddenly have the huge airfield right there ahead of us. After landing we refuelled, checked the weather and filed a flight plan, which took a long time as I had difficulty finding the met and planning office, which was in an odd building well away from the main airport building. We eventually took off on Runway 25 at 1540, and five miles south of Ibiza I cleared their frequency and set course for the south coast of Majorca and called up Palma. Maximum height permitted was 1,000ft to keep below the Palma TMA, but visibility was good at that height and Majorca soon came into view. After an hour’s flying, we reached Majorca (slightly off track to the south) and flew along the beautiful sandy bays of the south coast, the sun shining on the turquoise sea. Leaving the island we set track for Menorca’s reporting point Alfa, which is four miles out from Santo Tomas. I called Menorca who answered straight away and, on arriving at Alfa, I was asked to hold as they had other traffic, but we were soon cleared to final. This track took us over the villa we would be staying in with our friends Pat and Brian. They had spotted the Jodel and were standing on the

roof waving frantically. I hadn’t time to orbit because as we left the reporting point a Boeing 737 had requested taxi clearance for take-off, and was cleared to taxi and hold because he had other traffic (us). He was now holding ready for departure, and we were going as fast as the Jodel would go. I think the 737 pilot was getting impatient because as we turned final, he called again to say he was ready for departure and requesting to alter his reporting point time because of the delay. I did wonder what the captain thought when he saw what had been holding him up! After landing at 1730 the Jodel was unloaded, secured, and tied down – it looked very small in the huge parking area. When leaving I tried to find somewhere to report and to advise I would be parking

Above left St Antonia Bay, reporting point for Ibiza International, the sea crossing is 85 miles.

Above right On Final for Ibiza.

Below right Menorca’s Mahon Airport, a week’s parking and two landings was the equivalent of about £6.

Below Running along the beautiful southern coast of Majorca en route for Menorca.

for the week, but security just directed us to the exit. I found it much harder to get back to the aeroplane later! When we were out of the airport we sat and had a drink, and felt rather deflated now the journey was over. We got a taxi to the villa in Calen Porter, where our friends were waiting with a bottle of Champagne to celebrate our arrival. The rest of the time in Menorca was spent relaxing, swimming and travelling around the island on hired scooters. Brian and I paid a visit to Mahon’s old airport, which is now used by San Luis Aero Club. I had a notion to fly the Jodel over there as it would be easier to operate from, and indeed we were made very welcome and were told we could park without charge. Unfortunately, the tarmac runway was covered in loose stones, which seemed to have taken its toll on the Jungmeister which they operated from there, so I decided it would be wiser to leave it parked at Mahon. A couple of days later Brian (who is also a Jodel pilot) and I went to the airport to take a flight around the island. We found it quite difficult to get through airport security and to the aeroplane, as we were both in T-shirts and shorts. Trying to explain that I had an aeroplane parked on the apron and wanted to fly it around the island wasn’t helped by our very limited Spanish and their non-existent English. We eventually managed to get through and, flight plan filed, we were able to take-off and once cleared of Mahon CTR, which is only five miles from the airport, we were free to fly around as we wished below 1,000ft and request entry to the zone on return.

Below Held up for two days on the way home, Perpignan is fortunately a beautiful city. The return journey…

Thursday morning, 29 September, it was time to start our return journey, and the night before I had planned two routes. One to fly across Majorca and Ibiza to Castellon the way we had come, and the other to fly direct to GABUR VOR on the Spanish coast south of the French border, and then along the coast to Perpignan. My decision would depend on the weather. Ray took us to the airport at about 0915 and the visibility was the best it had been all week. It took a long time to get things done at Mahon Airport, first we had to get through police to Traffic Control, who gave us a ticket to clear us to Met and Flight Planning. On checking the weather, Barcelona and Gerona were

reporting mist and low cloud, but Perpignan was giving 6km vis and forecasting 8km vis and 2,000ft cloud base. So I decided to route direct to Gabur VOR and on to Perpignan, 122 nautical miles and an estimated 1 hour 22 minutes over the sea. I filed the flight plan and returned to traffic control where I was presented with my bill – an ‘unbelievable’, 1,265psts – about £6 for two landing fees and one week’s parking; you can’t complain at that! We were then escorted to customs and through the departure lounge and out onto the apron. Refuelled and DI done, we were ready to depart at 1120, just before a Dan-Air 737 was due to depart. Air traffic requested I report at Alfa reporting point, and I then flew across the island to the north coast at Cabo de Cavalleria, where I picked up Mahon VOR radial. Keeping below Palma TMA at 1,000ft for 35 miles, visibility was good. I called Palma ATC on both frequencies but received no reply. When we were 35 miles out from Menorca, I climbed to 1,500ft, but visibility was deteriorating so we went no higher. Palma still didn’t reply and we ended up with no radio contact over the entire crossing. Forty miles out from Menorca the VOR began to fade, so I switched to BGR VOR, which we picked up immediately. I was slightly to the right of track so adjusted my heading accordingly. One hour 10 minutes after leaving the coast of Menorca we reached the coast of Spain, sooner than expected, but it was a very welcome sight. There were layers of low cloud drifting between the mountains and the visibility was deteriorating, so I flew along the coast to the French border, where I then called Perpignan, who gave me clearance to their airfield and to call final for Runway 33. Toulouse St Bernard, our next destination, was expecting rain, so we decided to stay the night in Perpignan. The girl at the information bureau was kind enough to book us into a good but reasonably priced hotel close to the town centre, which is very attractive with a river running round the centre with greenery, flowering trees and fountains. The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent wandering around the picturesque narrow streets with cafés and French boutiques (very chic) and classy perfume shops. While sitting in a café, it started to rain. Thunder, lightning and heavy rain continued throughout the night and it did not cease until mid-morning, with low cloud hanging around all day and the temperature dropping significantly. So, Friday was spent sightseeing on foot, which is how we came across Majorca Castle. Climbing to the top of the tower presented an excellent view of Perpignan and the Pyrenees, although in the direction we wanted to go, the cloud was hanging around the hills and in the valley. We would be held up for a second night, so I planned to get to Le Touquet by nightfall the next day. My route was to be Lézignan-Corbières, along the valley to Castelnaudary, then on to GAI VOR and LMG VOR to Poitiers for lunch and refuel, a total of 273 nautical miles. After lunch routing was Le Mans and Le Touquet, a total of 244 nautical miles. Fortunately, Saturday morning had clear blue sky and CAVOK for the whole of France. Refuelled, fees paid, and DI completed we were airborne by 0935. We made good progress to Castelnaudary but turning to 354° to track the GAI VOR we were into wind, which was stronger than expected, and our ground speed was only 70kt – it was going to take us a long time to reach Poitiers. As we approached the GAI VOR there’s a large forest and the ground was beginning to rise, and although very attractive it didn’t look very inviting for a forced landing. I began to climb to give us reasonable ground clearance and the engine started to run a bit rough. Getting worse, I pulled out the carb heat and switched on the electric fuel pump, it didn’t improve so I turned back to Gaillac-Lisle-Sur-Tarn, a small airfield we had not long passed over. As we approached the overhead, the engine was beginning to run smoothly again, so I returned the carb heat to cold and switched off the electric fuel pump while circling overhead the airfield. I tried full power and I had got maximum rpm so, satisfied it had been carb icing, we continued. I selected carb heat more frequently, even so I encountered icing three more times on the way to Poitiers. It was the first time I had encountered carb icing in 10 years of flying. One thing I learned from this experience was to select carb heat immediately, and keep it selected, although it seems a long time before there is any improvement. And the second was the importance of filing a flight plan when flying in France (although it’s not compulsory). There are vast wooded areas with very little habitation, and on this occasion I hadn’t. Perpignan Control questioned if I had filed a flight plan when we were leaving, and I had wondered why! Eventually we did reach Poitiers and were certainly ready to stretch our legs after 3 hours 40 minutes in the air. We refuelled and had lunch in their very smart restaurant while watching the gliding activity on the grass beside the runway. After checking the weather at Le Mans and Le Touquet and paying our landing fees, we took off at 1520 wondering if we would make it in time. Reaching Le Mans, we were still only averaging 80kt, but I calculated that we would be OK. As we passed Rouen it was beginning to get hazy (fortunately the sun was behind us) but we landed at Le Touquet at 1820. Marnie said she was very cold and shattered after seven hours’ sitting in a Jodel. We spent the night in a nice little hotel where we had a hot bath to warm us up, had a nice meal and were in bed by 2130. Much refreshed, we woke on Sunday morning to sunshine, but it had clouded over by the time we got to the airfield. Lydd had 5,000 metres but was forecasting CAVOK, so we waited an hour, filed a flight plan and departed at 1125. Visibility was not too bad along the coast but very murky across the Channel. As soon as I could see land, I asked Lydd for a QDM, and we landed at 1200. The weather home to Crowland was CAVOK all the way and we landed at 1505 after circling for 10 minutes waiting for the runway to be cleared of gliders. It was nice to be back, and when a club member approached and asked, “Have you had a good trip, where have you been?” as we climbed out of the Jodel, it was nice to be able to reply, “Yes, great thanks, we have been to Menorca…” ■

Journey statistics

Total distance flown: 2,267nm Total hours flying: 24 hours 50 mins + 50 mins local Menorca Fuel: 537 litres, and one litre of oil: £315.45