May 2006: Travelogue Venice

From the Oder to the Adriatic Sea

There we had just done something. Somewhat skeptical, I look at the little freshly spruced aircraft whose wings glistened in the morning sun. Do the two Cessnas make the jump over the mighty Alps? There was no time for rumination: The weather was good, the machines refueled and ready for takeoff.
And off we went. We went up into southerly direction. Below us the flat countryside of Brandenburg passed by with its many lakes, forested hills and the small towns that stood out as a colorful splash of color from the green of the woods and fields.

And already we were over the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains), the hills became mountains, on the right side the tip of Fichtelberghouse appeared.
We flew over Czech territory and ended after about three hours of flight time in the Bavarian Eggenfelden. Refueling, do paperwork, something to eat and then we went towards the Alps. The two aircrafts rose into the sky towards the sun, the optimum altitude reached by 9000 feet, just in time, as in front of us the massive rock features of the Alps appeared.

What a sight! Snow-capped peaks, deep gorges, narrow incised valleys with tiny streets and even smaller houses! An indescribable, wonderful experience! All too soon, reality caught up with us again and we ended up after two hours in Portoroz, Slovenia.

We received touching hospitality, we felt immediately at home and secure. After parking the aircraft, the airport staff took us straight to our cozy hotel by the sea. After a short refreshment we explored the small town, which has been well set for the coming tourism. A sumptuous dinner in a cozy tavern rounded off the busy day.

Rested and in good spirits, we started the next day to Venice. The grass field where we landed was very short. Our two pilots demonstrated their skills and experience and brought us safely to the ground.

Venice! There she lay in front of us, this unique and much-described town where the boats and steamers go, like the cars at home. Even traffic lights are not missing! A stroll through the streets took us past many historic buildings up to the Bridge of Sighs. And St. Mark’s Square!

The impressive facades, balconies and windows that still looked just as many hundreds of years ago. Many people and even more pigeons gathered on the historic square. All too soon, the time passed, and urged us to return to Portoroz.

The next morning, let us look anxiously at the sky. Gray clouds and rain promised nothing good. Winfried and Frank, both of our instructors brought the weather report and checked situation. We took off, rose to 6,000 immediately, then to 8,000 and 10,000 feet. At this altitude, we overcame the Alps and ended up with some better weather in Straubing after two hours. After refueling the aircraft and a hearty meal at the Bavarian restaurant at the airport we continued towards home. In the afternoon Mrs Gebhardt welcomed us lovingly with hot coffee and fresh pastries in Strausberg. With plenty of film and visual material in the cameras and many lasting impressions we had arrived safely back at home.

An exciting weekend with many highlights for pilots and aviation enthusiasts. Recommended to follow suit!