Local flight from Paderborn-Lippstadt

In early April of the year, there was a fire in a hangar at Hilversum airfield. A number of aircraft were able to be taken-out from the hangar by the fire department, but had fire damage. The Cessna 172 that we regularly fly in Hilversum also had to be repaired. In addition, the plane's papers were lost in the fire. We received word that the Cessna might be available again in August.

The board of the small flying club with one airplane at Hilversum requires to have flown the specific aircraft type within the previous three months to rent. Since we were already at Paderborn, we decided to fly a similar Cessna 172 from there. Then at least we would have room until the end of October to also occasionally fly the Cessna 172 from Hilversum, if the aircraft were to become airworthy again. The flying club at Paderborn allows to fly the simpler aircraft when we are current on the more complex airplanes.

We took a short flight north of Paderborn-Lippstadt, past Oerlinghausen and Bielefeld, and then around the former Gütersloh airbase. After the short flight with the Cessna Skyhawk, we washed the plane and then returned home by car.

Laurence in the Cessna Skyhawk

Cessna Skyhawk D-EKRM

Taxi-out to holding point runway 06

Departure

Oerlinghausen airfield is one of the world's biggest gliding centres and is also home to motor planes, microlights and hot air balloons. Oerlinghausen sometimes calls itself Stadt der Segelflieger which means city of glider pilots. On 17 May 1931 the Oerlinghausen glider airfield was officially inaugurated. In early 1932, the first tow launch took place. Numerous competitions have been held in Oerlinghausen, including German championships.

Laurence at the controls

Oerlinghausen airfield

Gütersloh was a military airfield. The airfield was built in the mid-1930s for the German Luftwaffe. In early April 1945, the airfield was captured by the U.S. Army and designated as Advanced Landing Ground Y-99. The Americans laid down a 4,000-foot hardened runway and operated P-38 Lightnings and P-51 Mustangs from Gütersloh until the end of the war. After the war it was used by the British Air Force until 1993, and then by the British Army until 2016.

Bielefeld

Former airbase Gütersloh

Approaching Paderborn-Lippstadt airport

Left base runway 06 Paderborn-Lippstadt