From Paderborn-Lippstadt to Bourges

On Monday morning, August 19, 2019, Veleda and René drove to Paderborn-Lippstadt airport for the holiday trip to Portugal. We took the Cessna 182TR, a nice travel plane to fly across Europe. After take-off, we set course to Bourges in France.

We pretty much followed the same route as we had flown in September the year before when we came back from Portugal. After landing at Bourges, we fueled the plane, and then we went to the hotel that Veleda had booked in the meantime. We walked the historic centre of the town, and we visited the Bourges Cethedral.

From Bourges via Salamanca to Ponte de Sor

The next morning after breakfast we went back to the aerodrome. We had filed a flight plan to Salamanca in Spain where we would fuel. The Portugese flight guide for Ponte de Sor said that there would be no fuel at Ponte de Sor, so we would have sufficient fuel to make some trips in Portugal already. Besides, we expected the fuel to be better priced at Salamanca than it would be in Portugal (which was not the case this time).

After take-off we first climbed to FL65. We passed Oradour-sur-Glane near Limoges that we had orbited in September after we visited Limoges (see this picture from that time).

North-east of Bordeaux the cloud tops were at our flight level, and we requested to cross the Bordeaux-, and later the Biarritz-, airspace at FL100. The climb and crossing was approved. South of San Sebastian the Pyrenees mountains were mostly in clouds.

We continued our route, passing Vitoria, Burgos and Valladolid. At Salamanca we landed on runway 03, and taxied to the apron. We requested fueling, and in the meantime René paid the landing fees and filed the flight plan to Ponte de Sor.

At Salamanca we received a clearance to take-off runway 03, a left turn out direct to BARDI (map) and a climb to FL80.

Halfway to Ponte de Sor we crossed the border with Portugal. We passed Castello Branco that we had visited in September, and then touched Spanish airspace again near the Cedillo dam on the border of Spain and Portugal. At Ponte de Sor we landed on runway 03.

On Wednesday we just relaxed in Ponte de Sor, from breakfast to luch to dinner.

Round trip to Portimão

On Thursday we made a trip to Portimão to visit Carla and Michael. They were on holiday in the Algarve. Carla and Michael picked us up at the aerodrome, and then we went to Silves. In Silves we had a nice lunch at the U Monchiqueiro restaurant that we had been before. In the afternoon Carla and Michael took us back to the Portimão aerodrome for the flight back to Ponte de Sor.

Round trip to Santarém and Proença-a-Nova

On Friday we made a little flying trip in the neighborhood of Ponte de Sor. We first flew to Santarém. After a short flight we approached the aerodrome from the west for landing on runway 05. Two people were busy in one of the hangars. When we could not reach a taxi by phone, one of them took us to the town by car, which was nearby.

We walked the town, had a little something to eat and drink, and then we walked back to the aerodrome. Halfway the same person who took us to Santarém from the aerodrome passed by, and he took us further to the aerodrome by car.

We departed Santarém aerodrome from runway 23, and after leaving the traffic pattern we overflew Santaré town before heading to Proença-a-Nova to the north-east.

The name Proença-a-Nova means New Province, but the origin of the name is unclear. After landing at the aerodrome, we parked the plane near the Skydive club, where we had something to drink. Then we flew back to Ponte de Sor.

On Saturday our son went flying for his flight training. Veleda and René stayed in Ponte de Sor town. When he returned, we picked him up at the aerodrome and then went to town for dinner.

From Ponte de Sor to Viseu

On Sunday we left Ponte de Sor for Viseu in the north of Portugal. It was about an half hour flight. After landing we parked the plane, and then we waited for the taxi to take us to the hotel in Viseu.

We went sight-seeing the city, and also the next day we stayed in Viseu. The idea was that we would go to Santiago de Compostela after Viseu, but the weather was somewhat doubtful, and also the handling and airport charges there were rather extreme (for just a regional airport). So we decided to fly to Burgos the next day, and would see where to go next from there.

From Viseu to Burgos

When we opened the curtains of our hotel room in Viseu on Monday morning we saw the fog, but we expected that it would clear-up soon. We did not have to hurry. And indeed, after breakfast the sun was shining, and we left for the aerodrome. At the aerodrome we fueled, paid the charges, and then departed for Burgos.

Upon arrival at Burgos airport we asked for a taxi that brought us to the hotel. Then we had lunch in town, and further walked the town. We had visited Burgos with its Gothic style Cathedral before in 2015 (More about Burgos in this trip report).

In the evening we were considering where to go next. Zaragoza appeared nice to visit, and we had not been there before. We arranged permission and handling at Zaragoza, and set a slot to arrive at Zaragoza at about 12:00.

From Burgos to Zaragoza

On Wednesday morning we took a taxi back to Burgos airport.

After take-off from Burgos we first flew to the mountains south-west of Burgos to have a peek on the restored Sad Hill cemetery. We had overflown the place already before in 2012 (More about that visit in this trip report), but since then the cemetery, and especially the centre ring, has been restored by fans.

After Sad Hill we continued to Zaragoza. We were flying not that high, and the Moncayo Massif at first blocked our radio waves to Zaragoza approach. But after some time we established radio contact, and we were instructed to approach Zaragoza airport from the south. We landed on runway 30R, and then taxied to the GA apron behind the follow-me car.

The handling agent had to go back to the city, and he brought us to our hotel. After checking-in the hotel we started to explore Zaragoza. The next day we also visited the Aljaferia Palace.

From Zaragoza to Rennes

On Friday morning we travelled to Zaragoza airport. We arrived there at about 9:45. Our ETD was 11:15 LT in the flightplan, so there was sufficient time to prepare for departure. We had already notified the handling agent that we would like to take-in fuel, and everything could be arranged well before our time of departure. In the meantime F-18's and C130's were landing.

We contacted ground for start-up, but we were requested to stand-by as there was some emergency situation going on. We saw a fire truck positioning itself along the runway, but we saw no accidents.

We started our taxiing to runway 30R at 10:55, thus still ahead of schedule. After take-off we set course to the north-west. North of Biarritz we followed the coast to La Rochelle, and then over Nantes to Rennes.

After landing we picked-up our rental car, and then drove to the small town of Gaugnen, where we visited an old friend of the family.

From Rennes to Paderborn-Lippstadt

The next morning on Saturday we said good-bye, and drove back to the airport. We returned the rental car and paid the airport charges at the airport information desk. At the aeroclub we prepared for the flight to Paderborn-Lippstadt and filed the flightplan.

We filled-up, and then we departed Rennes. After just over 3 hours flight time we were back at Paderborn-Lippstadt, ending this trip.