It would seem that Graf Helmuth von Moltke was correct … “No plan of operations reaches with any certainty beyond the first encounter with the enemy’s main force.“ In this case, our main enemy is of course … COVID. Our flight to Germany was uneventful in the main, with Victor Pody capturing some magnificent images of our […]
Ferry
The Ferry Part 3 – Test Flight Tomorrow
Depending on your version of the plan, we are now anywhere from 2 to 5 days late. But hey – that’s what plans are for – to let you know what you’ve deviated from when things actually happen. Otherwise we’re in a world without reference and that’s just insanity. Rumour has it the last crew […]
The Ferry Part 4 – The Test Flight
After a week of our small but dedicated group working towards the common goal – yesterday we flew our BAe146 for the first time in approximately 3 years. This is the last BAe146 to be delivered by WDL Cologne having operated a fleet of them over years. This was a flight of firsts (my first […]
The Ferry Part 5 – Finally on our way to Belgrade
So after two+ weeks in Cologne, we finally set off today to our first overnight, which ended up being Belgrade, Serbia. The choice of our first stop came down to stopping somewhere just outside Europe (rather than pushing all the way to the Middle East on our first day) and avoiding the Earthquake region in […]
The Ferry Part 6 – Egypt, Saudi and Oman
Another long day. Three sectors, 8+ hours flight time, 12 hours duty – or so. While the days are long with moment of frustration and stress – in the back of my mind I know this is (yet another) once in a lifetime experience. Hence … these posts. We now need a moment of Ronnie […]
The Ferry Part 7 – Mumbai …. and Dhaka
Once again we foray forth into the wild blue yonder on our sojourn to place our beast of burden in it’s new home in Australia. Yes, I’ve been reading Fate is the Hunter again. I can’t imagine a time where I won’t return to that book and enjoy re-re-reading it. Our departure from Muscat, delayed […]
The Ferry Part 9 – Darwin. Well … The Mecure.
So finally at 17:37 Local, we touched down in Darwin on the latest, and hopefully second last day of our journey. Still to achieve is the last segment down through Alice (for fuel) and onto Bankstown, where the aircraft will enter the Hanger for some radio upgrades as well as to address the snags we’ve […]
The Ferry Part 10 – Alice Springs and Bankstown.
Tonight brings about a parting of the ways and the conclusion of our little Ferry Adventure. VH-SQR is safely in Bankstown even as Jacques, Ronnie and I check into our hotel near Sydney’s Kingsford Smith. The aircraft which has carried us (mostly) uncomplainingly and safely across half the world will now go into the Hanger […]