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The Grumpy Gang

The Grumman Aircraft Pilots Association European Branch

After an overnight stay in a reassuringly expensive hotel in Jerez, the weather for the next leg was not promising. The area of low pressure was still close by and Cbs were forecast. I would have cheerfully stayed in bed, but Jörg had no truck with such faint heartedness. We took off, with him leading us, using his storm scope to pick a way through any storms we might encounter. The plan was to go south initially to renew our acquaintance with Gibraltar, then around the coast to Almeria, giving a nominal distance of around 200 NM. thus avoiding the mountainous direct over land route.

By the time we reached the coast, the Cbs were already becoming established. Jörg led us in loose formation, weaving a route between storm cells that took us low through the Straits of Gibraltar down to about 600 ft over the sea. Never will I forget the sight of the great cloud shrouded rock off my left wing tip with Jörg reminding us not to hit it! An RAF aircraft was holding off landing at Gibraltar because of the storms and I don't know whether the pilot laughed or cried to be informed by the controller that five light aircraft had just flown past the airfield. All in all this was a bracing experience for any old age pensioner, but nobody was sorry when Jörg led us to better conditions, flying close to the Mediterranean coast line of North Africa initially, before swinging north again towards Spain.

A long over sea leg then followed, flown with a very poor horizon, at around 1000 ft, until we coasted in and gratefully touched down at Almeria, after an exhausting 2 hours 35 minutes flying. I confess that I kissed the ground in a moment of weakness after landing!

However, the day was not finished, and after refuelling Jörg hurried away to file our flight plan to Majorca. All too soon we were airborne again, for the 300 NM haul to San Bonet airfield. Shortly after take-off our leader had a senior moment and got confused between local time and GMT, with the result that initially he thought that we would run out of daylight and therefore would have to stop at Ibiza. It was only when a thoughtful Californian voice on our chat frequency suggested that he had misinterpreted the situation that the penny dropped and flight plans were duly re-amended with Mercia control so that we could proceed to Majorca as originally intended.

It was a relief to complete the first over sea leg and fly low along the north coast of Ibiza remaining clear of commercial traffic. At the northern tip of the island we joined up for the final 60 NM leg over water to the Andraitx NDB on Majorca, and thence to Son Bonnet airfield. As we skimmed the hills to the west of Son Bonet to avoid the low cloud, we finally saw the airfield. It was a huge relief to land uneventfully after such a stressful day. We were met by Martina Trauboth who had organised a hired MPV for the group and as the tension drained with a couple of beers at the local taverna, it was possible to relax and savour the end of GUMAT 2 before driving the sixty kilometres to our hotel at the eastern end of the island.