I was really glad to stop my engine there, at Wurzburg.

I promised loooong time ago that I would return my friend´s Peter´s visit and finally I was able to comply.

But I knew that it was not going to be easy: I needed rest and it is difficult to rest when someone meets a friend !!!!

It took some time before we left the airfield. Of course, everything was prepared to have my dear RV sheltered. Both of us needed that feeling. Myself, and the airplane, who was able to have long talks with her new friends, something similar to Disney Planes movie.

Later I knew that the talking was not easy: the german accent is sometimes difficult to understand !!!

Peter is very found of aviation. He has built a Kitfox Vixen aircraft, with a high qualilty workmanship, that deserved a price at the FAI Air World Games held at 2009 Torino (Italy). At was time I was Judge at the event and glad to see that my Judge mates agreed with me.

Not only he is a builder, but he is a flyer. He never stops moving around.

Wurzburg is a very nice city. I enjoyed visiting it and knowing about Peter´s young times.

His son was with us most of the time: he has also inherited the same flight passion. Good news is that he has been selected to become german Air Force pilot !!!

We visited also his friend Alexander Zarikov, a very interesting man, engineer, the kind of engineer that do engineering. As Wikipedia states : Engineering is derived from the Latin ingenium, meaning “cleverness” and ingeniare, meaning “to contrive, devise”.

Many nice ideas, and an interesting aircraft design that I hope, he will continue to devellop.

Alexander designs all around

Of course, what else could we do????

Fly !

So we took his airplane from his garage and trailed it into the airfield. There, he unfolded the wings and have it ready to fly. Meanwhile, I knew about a complain of the other aircrafts that share the hangar with my dear RV. Flying across so many places, dirt runways, snow, salt spray, volcano smoke, and all kind of splashed bugs, had my RV not looking nice.

Feeling the adventure was not enough, the other airplanes wanted mine to shave herself, have a bath, and smell good.

SO I decided to clean her, and remove the stains, bugs, hang gliders, and everything that crossed our path and ended all around the aircraft.

The flight was very nice.

Do you want to pilot her?

Noooo, Peter, I just want to enjoy. Enough piloting so far!

I was in contact with Friedrichshafen Staff. They were waiting for me.

But everybody has to follow some procedures and there, it was necessary to have a slot time assigned. The flight was to be short, just one hour. Slot was for just 10 minutes ( 12:20 -12:40 Z) so we arrived soon to the airport and had the RV prepared. Then, we had some spare time to have a kind of breakfast before my departure.

Take off was right on time !

Peter provided me the fuel needed to fly even into Madrid, so what can I say Peter?

Biiiiiig Thannnnnks !!!!

Weather was good enough, but was to be becoming bad later. I couldn´t stay as much as I wanted at Friedrichshafen !

Cities shapes change south !

Flight was uneventful until I had to talk with Langen control. I was not able to transmit.

Something was going on with the microphone lead from the helmet into the mike. The wire was broken inside and twisting it I was able sometimes to find a position that would allow me to speak.

Soon I was told that I could not fly into Fiedrichshafen if my radio was failing.

Ooooops, what do I have to do?

Surrender?

Sun & Fun was enough, I couldn´t fail at Friedrichshafen !

So I manage to say that the problem was fixed and avoided unnecessary calls.

Some 10 minutes before landing, communications would be a must and I wanted to comply with.

Then I used my right hand to have the lead working properly and glued it in that position. I flew the airplane with my left hand until clear to land. I knew where I had to exit and how to proceed. As stated by the organization, the pilot communication was to be held at a minimum, so that wa good news.

Everything worked fine and finally I was able to shut my engine down.

It was my first time ever there and I was happy to have been able to get there.

My RV was happy also. So many planes around, she was not shy, but proud to show herself clean and healthy.

Freidrichshafen…..THERE WE ARE !!!