Journey Impressions: Hanover

Hanover: Population approx. 0.52 million (2011)
Germany: Population approx. 80.90 million
Population growth (2010-2015): 0.1%
People per km²: 226
Gross national income per person in 2014: 47,640 USD


04.12.2015 Hanover:
A small problem with a big impact.
Why did Martin and I set off for Brazil a day later and never arrive at our destination? Nobody really knows the exact reason. But there are two theories:

A: We simply made mistakes or
B: dark forces were conspiring against us.

Regarding A: We simply made mistakes

A definite mistake is as follows:
If a Cessna has been in a workshop (as was the case with our plane) and you don’t carry out a test flight beforehand, it’s no surprise if the turbo charger or autopilot don’t work when you take off. We could have found that out a week beforehand.

The second mistake is as follows:
Anyone who simply believes the flight-service provider who says that no high-frequency device is required for the flight from Dakar to Brazil runs the risk of paying for their naivety later on.

The third mistake is as follows:
Anyone without papers or any verification that a high-frequency device isn’t necessary must tolerate rejection by the tower in Dakar.

The fourth mistake is as follows:
Atlantic-Control could be accused of insisting on sticking to the rules, but it would have been more useful to know the rules in the first place and act accordingly.

What's not a mistake:
To know when you’re defeated and instead of flying illegally to Brazil, to fly home legally and not end up in a Brazilian jail.


 Regarding B: Dark forces (with female and male chromosomes) have conspired against us.

Comment:
The sex of mammals is determined by chromosomes:

XX chromosome (female)
XY chromosome (male)

And some of these XX and YY chromosomes have plotted against us. This is what could have happened:
XX (MC) doesn’t really want XY (UTC) to fly to Brazil. And XY (E) has had a row with XY (M) and wants to have his revenge.
XX (MC) and XY (E) cook up a scheme.
XY (E) persuades XY (B), to fiddle with the turbocharger in the DEMCA so that XY (M) and XY (UTC) can’t fly any further. When taking off, XY (UTC) and XY (M) realise that the turbocharger is faulty and return. XY (E) and XX (MC) take a mischievous pleasure in the outcome. But XY (UTC) and XY (M) talk to XY (B) who repairs the turbocharger. XY (UTC) and XY (M) fly a day later after all. In the meantime, XX (MC) calls XY (filling station attendants) in Biarritz, Cascais and Gran Canaria and asks them to manipulate the software so that XY (UTC) and XY (M) can’t fill up the plane. Initially this works, but XX (MC) didn’t expect XY (UTC) and XY (M) to contact the XY (line manager) at the filling station and have things put right.
XX (MC) also talked to XY (flight service) who assures XY (UTC) that no high-frequency device is required to cross the Atlantic and so they don't take one with them. As a result, XY’s (UTC) and XY’s (M) flight to Brazil and the Samba dancers is halted in Dakar. XY (flight service) maintains that no high-frequency device is required. XY (UTC) and XY (M) believe that too, particularly since XY (UTC) has already flown round the world without one.
XX (MC) also called the tower in Dakar and asked XY (the air-traffic controller) not to give the DEMCA any permission for take-off without a high-frequency device. When the DEMCA team calls the tower, the first question is “Do you have HF?” knowing full well that we don’t. The XY’s (controller’s) XY (supervisor) didn’t know that either. But we were still given a green light. XX (MC) hadn’t expected this and had therefore already rung the XX (controller) at ATC Atlantic and asked that the regulations be complied with which stipulate that a high-frequency device is obligatory. To be on the safe side, XX (MC) had even told XX’s (the controller’s) supervisor to insist on compliance with the regulations for 100 dollars. Despite all the phone calls, XY (UTC) and XY (M) were grounded that day.
Then XX (MC) called XY (the handling agent) and said that he should not purchase a high-frequency device, but a useless VHF one. XY (the handling agent) then did so. XY (UTC) and XY (M) were so aggravated that they decided to fly the next day whatever happened, either to Natal or Gran Canaria. The next morning, the XY (controller) asked XY (M) at 6:00 a.m. the same annoying question. “Do you have HF?” Without doubt, XX (MC) had requested the controller to do so. XY (M) then asked the tower for permission to depart for Gran Canaria. But beforehand, XX (MC) had asked XY (the controller) to give XY (UTC) and XY (M) a proper fright by saying that something wasn’t in order with the payments. XY (UTC) and XY (M) were pretty shocked because this was a lie. Some ten minutes later, XY (the handling agent) had put them out of their misery and confirmed that everything had been paid up.
At the end of their tether, XY (UTC) and XY (M) flew back to Gran Canaria and on the satellite phone XX (MC) had trouble concealing his joy about the successful act of sabotage.

You can’t always win, above all when all-powerful XX and XY chromosomes are up against you. The next time we’ll be a lot more thorough and fly with a high-frequency device.
And this is why Thomas is not in such a good mood at the moment!