Flight Log: Hanover EDDV -- Split LDSP 01.11.2010

Distance: 723 NM
scheduled Flying time: 6h 32min
Filed Route: POVEL GALMA SONDU OMELO ELPON VOZ GRZ DOL GISER OKLAX
ATIS Hanover: 0820 rwy 09R wind 040/4 kts vis 1700 m clds br 002 temp 06/05 QNH 1009
Clearance:POVEL 1H than as filed
Take Off Time: 09:00 (UTC)
ATIS Split: 1420 rwy 05 wind 100/16 G26kts vis 10km clds. Few 035 br 050 temp. 19/12 : QNH 1014
Landing Time: 15:00 (UTC)
01.11.2010 Hanover/Split: After a wonderful farewell in the GAT at Hanover Airport, it was time to concentrate on the flight and our Cessna 206. From the air traffic control tower in Hanover, we were given authorisation for runway 09 on the right. At 600 feet, right after taking off, we left the banks of fog and visibility got better and better. We started off in wonderful weather. After ten minutes we could even see the Brocken peak in the Harz mountains in front of us and the further we flew south, the more the cloud dissipated. We could see parts of the Czech Republic. Eventually we had a fantastic view of the Danube and flew low over the Alps.

During this flight we also saw a whole host of wind turbines turning at enormous heights. The mountains do of course cause significant turbulence and make the plane fly pretty bumpily. It repeatedly went up and down slightly and it was hard to maintain altitude. At a much higher altitude above us over the Alps, fantastic lenticular or lens-shaped clouds formed. These clouds are created when upwinds on one side of a mountain range force the air masses upwards and these air masses descend on the other side of the mountain. Very strong wind does of course prevail in these clouds. At the height we flew Marie, in other words 9,000 feet or 3,000 metres, the wind was easy to cope with. We had about 20 knots headwind so that we progressed slightly slower than scheduled.

Eventually we spotted the Alps behind Adria, but thick cloud due to an area of low pressure over Genoa was visible and the headwind didn't abate either. About 100 km north of Split, the cloud was a lot less and we were able to see the Mediterranean very clearly. Shortly before landing in Split, we suddenly met headwind of over 40 knots and had to land in Split accompanied by more than 25 knots of crosswind. That shook the plane up somewhat - which disgruntled the photographer who had to take blurred pictures. We landed and were welcomed by handling agents who immediately filled up the plane with gasoline and took our luggage away. It was all very straightforward. Before we knew it, we were in our hotel and able to drink our first landing beer.