12.11.2019: No SportCruiser flying so far this month, but at least I flew to Amsterdam today for a workshop with the European Space Agency ESA.
The flight was essentially over clouds, below an other plane which had passed quite far below us.
On approach to Amsterdam we passed an island in the Markermeer, not idea what it is called. They even seem to have canals on islands, crazy Dutch.
The workshop took place at the European Space Technology and Research Centre ESTEC in Noordwijk, in an auditorium next to one of the labs, where they also have some exhibits. Below the Columbus module of the ISS, which they use for crew training. Maybe a homebuilder module could be attached to the ISS…
16.11.2019: Today the weather looked promising for flying, so I gave it a try. It was one of these days with a low layer of clouds, where one either has to wait until late in the afternoon for it do clear, of find a hole to climb through to fly on top. I chose the latter, as I didn’t want to wait, nor to hang around under the cloud cover.
Once you get to the top of the clouds, respectively the haze, you suddenly have unlimited visibility, always a great “wow” experience.
I did the usual “high altitude” tour over the alps, cruising at around 12’000 ft in a sky which only belonged to myself. I usually tune in on Zurich Information at 124.7 MHz, just to listen in without actually contacting them and the radio was just silent. Nobody in the air on such a day.
On the way back I passed the Säntis, where you had the impression that the entire plains are under clouds.
This was however not the case, there were ample holes in the cloud layer large enough to descend below, maintaining minimum distances to the clouds.
Below two impressions what it looked like below the cloud layer, clearly no problem for VFR flying.
I have the slight feeling that this was the last flight of the year, as I might have to go again on business to Australia at the end of the month.
