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The Grumpy Gang

The Grumman Aircraft Pilots Association European Branch

Day Three dawned brighter and thankfully less windy.The day did, however give illustration to the misinformation supplied by various 'experts' and supposed definitive flight guides. Our so-called plan was to spend a few days at a small coastal airfield called Espinho, some 20nm south of Porto city. We had been informed (read 'instructed'!) that entry into Portugal from any other European country required clearance at an 'Airport of Entry'. Our chosen 'Airport of Entry' was Porto (a place famous for producing the irreplaceable port wines).

All very convenient. Having filed our flight plans as required, we all duly set forth from our scattered locations. We, the La Coruna crowd, routed over the hills via Santiago and Vigo and then down the coastline to Porto. . Porto ATC insisted on flexing their muscles early, and made most of us orbit on a number of occasions to allow larger aircraft freedom of movement to land - Strewth! Although we didn't spot them, those airplanes must have been big with massive wake vortex potential as we were made to orbit some 25nm north of the airfield!!. On landing, we were parked way across the airfield from the terminal necessitating a 'follow-me' van and a minibus pick-up and transfer to the right offices.

All aircraft documentation was required - everything! Vast loads of money had to be handed over for the use of the airport, the use of the minibus and for the pleasure of the use of the man who collected said paperwork and money! All spoken words were in broken English, and voiced through an 8 inch hole in a sheet of protective glass. It all took 2 ½ hrs! Insult came, and patience lost, when the nice man behind the protective glass barrier asked us "Why did you land here? - You could have gone straight to Espinho!". The need for the protective glass was immediately apparent! How Paul V. managed to get both arms and half his shoulder through the little hole in the glass to strangle the nice man will remain a mystery!

Ah Espinho! Yes it needs urgent treatment to its runway, yes it needs to get rid of the wild dog packs; yes it needs to close the unauthorised public road that runs across the middle of it; yes the 'see-how-fast-my-Fiat-can-go-down-the-runway' speed merchants need to be curtailed; and yes when the wind is in the wrong direction the sewage treatment plant can be a trifle wiffy!!