From Paderborn-Lippstadt to Salzburg

On Wednesday morning 9 April 2014, we (Harald and René) left home to drive to Paderborn-Lippstadt airport to fly to Zadar in Croatia. We were going to sail for a few days from Biograd, a Marina near Zadar.

The weather forecast was fine, except over the Austrian Alps, where a north-föhn was forecasted. We first flew to Salzburg, and there we would decide on the further routing with the latest weather forecast. Our routing was slightly to the east to avoid the Nürnberg and Munich airspaces.

The high pressure area west of us provided a nice tailwind on our way to Salzburg. When we approached Salzburg, we were cleared to enter the CTR via Eügendorf to Glasenbach, where we received instructions to hold over Grödig to wait for some other traffic. After one orbit we were cleared to land on runway 33, and we landed at Salzburg after two hours and twenty minutes flying time. On the apron we requested the fuel truck so we did not have to fuel again before reaching Zadar. After fueling, an airport van brought us to the GA terminal.

From Salzburg to Maribor

In the briefing room of Salzburg airport René checked the latest weather. The Gafor indicated that the intended route from Salzburg via Radstadt and Klagenfurt to Zadar was closed, so we decided to fly clockwise around the Alps to Maribor. René filed the flightplan to Maribor, and then we were taken to the plane. After take-off, we left the CTR via Eügendorf and continued to the east. There were some rain showers on the route to Vienna that we could easily circumnavigate. Near Wiener Neustadt the weather improved rapidly, and the further routing to Maribor was uneventful. We landed on runway 32. It was too late to continue to Zadar that day, and we booked a hotel in Maribor.

From Maribor to Zadar

On Thursday morning, April 10, we took-off from Maribor runway 14 to Zadar. The weather was fine, and the flight unevenful. We crossed the border between Slovenia and Croatia at Alivo, and then further continued via VFR route Adria2 to Zadar. After one hour and thirty minutes we landed on runway 14 of Zadar, and then taxied to the general aviation apron. At the airport we had rented a car, and we drove to the Marina of Biograd.

From Zadar to Graz

After looking to the weather forecast on Saturday for the route back home, we decided to sail back to Biograd on Sunday, and then fly to the north side of the Alps. All along the route from Zadar to Paderborn-Lippstadt we would face a strong headwind for the next days, and a cold front would pass from the north-west to the south-east of Germany on Monday.

We set sail from Primošten to Biograd after 6am on Sunday morning, and arrived at Biograd after 1pm. When we were ready, we left the Marina of Biograd to Zadar airport by car. On the way René filed a flightplan to Graz by phone with Amsterdam AIS. At Graz we would enter the Schengen zone, and decide on the further routing from there. We took off from Zadar airport about 3:15pm local time and landed at Graz after one hour and forty minutes.

From Graz to Wels

After the passport control, René went to the briefing room and called Wels airport to verify their closing time, which was 8pm local time. René filed a flightplan from Graz to Wels by fax from the briefing room to ATC. After paying the landing fee, we walked back to the plane. Upon calling the tower for departure, the flightplan was not in the system. The tower said they had not received it, and therefore we could not depart. René called Amsterdam Schiphol AIS, and filed the flightplan by phone this time. After a minute or so, Graz tower confirmed they had received the flightplan, and we were cleared for departure.

After take-off from runway 35, we headed to Lassnitzhöhe, and from there to the north, north-west. Later the mountains ahead were obscured by clouds, so the back-up plan kicked-in; around the Alps west of Vienna. Also due to the stiff headwind we landed at Wels airport after one hour and forty minutes.

From Wels to Eggenfelden

On Monday morning the weather charts showed that we had to be prepared to improvise the journey back to Paderborn-Lippstadt. The cold front was moving in from the north that would reach the south of Germany early in the afternoon. The METAR's and TAF's showed good visibility with winds from the west 15 knots gusting to 25 knots outside rain showers, with the worst weather in the east of Germany. There was a probability of thunderstorms following the cold front.

René planned to fly to the west of Germany to Mannheim-City before the cold front, and to decide on the further routing from there with the latest weather info. We were delayed because one of the tablet computers was forgotten at the hotel that first had to be picked-up. Then we first flew to Eggenfelden in Germany to fuel before continuing to Mannheim.

From Eggenfelden to Mannheim Aalen-Heidenheim

After fueling at Eggenfelden, we took-off to fly to Mannheim. In the air we listened out the ATIS of especially Nürnberg and Stuttgart to keep track on the approaching cold front.

Near Nordlingen we were getting close to the cold front, and we landed at Aalen-Heidenheim to await the passage of the front. We waited for nearly four hours at Aalen, keeping a close view on the Satellite images and the METAR's.

From Aalen-Heidenheim to Paderborn-Lippstadt Aschaffenburg

After the passage of the front and the worst showers near the front, we returned to the plane at 3pm. After take-off we climbed to FL95, so we had a good view on where to fly to circumnavigate the rain showers. The plan worked fine until Frankfurt.

Restricted area R-135 east of Frankfurt was active and therefore could not be crossed. To the east there was a rain area, and to the west was the Frankfurt airspace. We turned to the north-west while descending to remain below the Frankfurt airspace. North of Frankfurt we climbed again, but unfortunately the plan that had worked fine during the first phase of the flight did not work out for the remainder of the flight. A nearby rain area obscured our view to the north, and it was not clear in what direction we could pass it when we reached FL95.

As we had burned a lot of fuel with the last climb and manoeuvres, and wanted to keep our options open for possible lengthy diversions further along the route, René decided to refuel first. Reichelsheim airport was closest to us, but the runway was perpendicular to the wind that was gusting 30 knots, so we returned to the south to land at Aschaffenburg airport to refuel.

From Aschaffenburg to Paderborn-Lippstadt

After refueling, checking the weather and paying the landing fee at Aschaffenburg, we boarded the plane. The best weather was still to the west. North of Frankfurt we flew to the west, just south of a rain area that was approaching.

After passing the rain area, Langen info informed us about more rain area's visible on the radar screen, and suggested to fly to the north-west first. The route was around the Sauerland, which we could see on our right was mostly obscured by clouds. Ahead and left of us the weather was fine. North of the Sauerland we flew directly to Paderborn, where we landed on runway 24 just after some rain had passed by, just after 8pm; some 10 minutes before sunset.