The Flying Monkeys
Serious Flying..............Should be Fun!
To Hungary and beyond!!!
A plan was hatched some months back to attend the Cardinal Owners Club Fly-in in Hungary.
The event was hosted by Paul Tonelli at his home airfield of Jakabszallas, Hungary.
So as good VFR Monkeys, many hours were spent planning the route and preparing routepacks for the trip,
which included maps, routes and airfield plates.....but why just go to Hungary?
Our route below..... an epic journey for the monkeys.
And so with routes and alternates planned, GPS programmed, luggage minimised.....we were ready.....
Friday 4th May 2007
Dee (Flight Ops and Nav) ready to go, complete with route, raft, laptop and printer.
The Cardinal is one of the few 4 seat aircraft where the rear passengers can sit in comfort,
with plenty of legroom. I can't imagine why they stopped producing it.
BN ready to go...and on time too for an 0800Z departure.
CAVOK over Germany.....typical!!
WX in UK was hazy so we didn't take many pictures until we hit Germany
Approach into Egelsbach...our first fuel stop....we were routed via Delta.
....yes we saw the cables Felix 
Refuel, border police, flight plans, lunch and then off again to Linz.
Paul & Rob flying en route to Linz
En route flight planning....I need two 240 sockets next time!..no place to plug in the printer or fax...
and Paul forgot Dee's desk....
BN panel FL045....showing 3 out of the 4 GPS onboard.
Approaching Linz
Short final Linz
Landing fees and overnight parking were cheap, but we had to pay an Austro Control fee of @ 26 Euros.
Our first overnight stop. We stayed at the Hotel Kolping in Linz which was comfortable and clean.
Dinner was at 'Josefs'...a traditional Austrian restaurant with good quantity of beer and food.
Then a walk by the Danube to round the evening off....It really is Blue you know.
Saturday 5th May 2007
Departing Linz 'VFR on top' to avoid the rising ground and weather localised around Vienna.
The clouds broke to reveal some stunning scenery.
After clearing cutsoms at LHFM - Fertosentmiklos...we continued to Jakab.
Finals into Jakabszallas...and our next overnight stay.
Goulash tasting....number 2 won almost unanimously....then we had more Goulash for lunch!
The crowd at Jakab.
Very friendly bunch who insited that Kim darnk copious amounts of the local firewater.
Cardinal line up
Mitch, Kim, Paul Tonelli, Dee & Rob
MK - Partenavia (or 'C177D' according to Dee's presentation) & BN - C177B
Lunch...Goulash...which was the best so far.
Cardinal owners club!
Air display put on by some of the home-based pilots
Mark & Karin at dinner, being serenaded by the Hotel Owner and a member of the Gypsy band.
Dinner.....more great food and booze!
After dinner party in the Sports Bar.
More firewater, beer and shorts....
See also CFO Cardinal Flyers page for Duane's write-up of the event.
Sunday 6th May 2007
Pool at Jakab the next day.
The Hotel at Jakab, the service and friendliness were fantastic. We will definitely return.
Departing Jakabszallas for Sarmallek to clear customs before continuing on to Croatia
Approaching Sarmellek to clear customs - more border police.
Sarmallek had a very 'Cold War' appearance.
Still from December (we are told) we won't have to use entry and exit points in Hungary to clear customs.
Sarmellek apron. MK had landed and sorted the landing fees, so we could get going ASAP.
Short final into Zagreb Pleso
Our personal bus to the terminal in Zagreb!
We paid the landing and handling fees, then departed to Lucko to meet Dragan (Mitch's cousin)
Departing Zagreb
Arriving Lucko
MK in Lucko
Monday 7th May 2007
Departing Lucko, we headed for Zadar, via ADRIA 1.
More beautiful scenery and a great flight down the adraitaic coast.
Approaching Zadar
Finals into Zadar.
Fuel, flight plans and comfort break then on to Dubrovnik.
Short finals into Dubrovnik
MK & BN at Dubrovnik
A narrow side street in Dubrovnik town
Dubrovnik main street
Dinner overlooking the Harbour at Dubrovnik (the first of two dinners that night!)
Hilton at Dubrovnik
On arrival we were acosted by some folk who had 'private apartments for rent..very cheap'.
We opted for the 5* Hilton...a very nice Hotel.
Tuesday 8th May 2007
Paul & Dee going over the route for our next leg at Dubrovnik
..so its Adria 1 to Korcula, then left turn for TUNAL staright over the Adriatic, then over Italy to Elba.
Croatia Islands....FL095
BN FL095
Approaching Elba from the South.
Rob & Dee in Elba....it was nearly 4pm and we hadn't had a beer for 18hrs.
Harbour at Elba.
We relaxed at a bar and then had a great dinner at the Kontiki Restaurant.
Rob had the Swordfish, Dee the specaility steak and Paul...the salad...and a special rice the owner made.
Wednesday 9th May 2007
Hotel pool.....this was bloody cold......but we still went in!
Monkey transport in Elba.
Compulsory and part of the exorbitant fees for landing at Elba.
Elba to Cannes...VFR on top again due to localised cloud around Elba,
Arriving Cannes Mandeleau....we were parked at the bottom of Taxiway Y
After landing we hired a car (X3), found a hotel in St. Raphael and then drove up to St. Tropez
St Tropez, Josephs Bar..champagne of course and some nibbles.
St Tropez - a boat....
On the way back to the Hotel we stopped at a lovely resturant.
Fish soup and some amazing garlic which put Mitch and Kim out of action for the next morning.
Thursday 10th May 2007
After breakfast, Rob, Paul and Dee drove to Monaco for the morning
.....watch out for the Toll roads...loads of 'em, we spent 20 Euros on them!
Monaco Harbour.
Friday 11th May 2007
We departed Cannes and headed home via Troyes
Troyes...for fuel, customs and a sandwich before departing for the UK.
Short final into Troyes
Coasting in UK....welcomed back by UK weather.
Finals 25 into Thurrock....and a little rain.