Motorbikes and the Dordogne

Another day flying

Saturday was looking good weather wise. The forecast was for little wind, no rain an some sun.
Off we went with the microlight on the trailer to rig at Galinat airfield. We were also going to meet some friends there. After an hour the aircraft was rigged and we were just making a cup of tea on the camp stove, when a couple of French fixed wing microlights appeared overhead. They both landed and four guys exited to come and shake hands with us. The microlights were both the same make - Hurricanes.
Jude was then in a fluster as we only had four cups with us, but not everyone wanted coffee so we managed.
Our other friends then turned up and I took Whim up for a scout around the local area in the Tanarg. The French pilots and passengers went off for lunch. After their return they left and headed north after giving us the directions to their airstrip and an invite to come and visit whenever we wanted.
We waved them off into the distance.
Jude and I then took off and headed for Domme/Sarlat airfield. When we got there, Jean-Michael was just off to an airfield near Cahors to take a chap flying in his Air Creation Buggy with a HKS engine, he invited us to come along, but we had our sandwiches to eat. We enjoyed a cup of coffee with the microlight club owner and sat in the sun watching the aircraft. There was a very nice autogyro there which parked near our aircraft and was fitted with a BMW motorcycle engine.
After an hour we went back to the aircraft to leave. Jude was having problems with her helmet, but she sorted this when it was pointed out that the visor goes to the front - she had it on back to front!
On the way back we took the scenic route and kept the speed down to about 70 mph at 3000 feet. Jude came over the intercom and told me that the cows or sheep below us were scattering. I found this hard to believe because there was no way that they could have heard us at that height. I looked down to see a football match in progress below us. Cows and sheep indeed, I think she needs glasses!
After another 10 minutes flight Jude commented that the swimming pool below had nice blue water in it. I peered down and informed her that it had got a blue cover over it. For the rest of the flight Jude was very quiet.
It looks like we should be in for some more good flying weather this week.
It is so good to be retired and away from the busy life that we had in the UK.
Click on the pictures for a bigger version.

posted by madman @ 7:54 pm 9 comments

Not much happening

Well it has been a long time since my last post and not much has happened recently.
Friday the 14th of March was a day of celebration for some residents of the town. We gathered in the local cafe to share the experience that a British couple had left to return to the UK. They were not nice people at all. They made sure that they had spread lies to other residents about some people around here, but it will have little effect as there were four local ex-pat families who did not want anything to do with them.
The weather has turned cooler after another brief spell of warm, it is now raining lightly here.
We have had a few flying days, but not good enough to try and get into some of the very small airfields that we have been invited to visit. On the last flight in, very windy conditions, we had a warning from the engine monitoring system that the engine oil was at a critical temperature, not surprising considering that we had be flying around at full power for a while.
The motorbikes are tucked up in the garage waiting for nicer weather.
More when the weather improves.

posted by madman @ 11:17 am 1 comments