Expedition Day 21 After an extremely cold and stressful crossing of the North Atlantic from Nuuk, Greenland to Iceland, I made a beeline to Iceland's famous “Blue Lagoon". I soaked for hours in 102F (39C) mineral rich seawater, which is a byproduct from the nearby geothermal power plant. My original route of flight from Reykjavik, Iceland to Wick, Scotland. The route was modified prior to takeoff to fly at 3000 ft and below freezing levels off the coast of Iceland. I departed Reykjavik in light rain, and flew south-east for 100 miles before clearing the clouds and climbing higher for better winds. A huge storm moving quickly across the North Atlantic towards Iceland potentially would keep me grounded for the next five days. My plan was to leave Reykjavik in the early morning just before the storm hit. A large "High" pressure area parked over the west coast of Ireland provided clockwise wind rotation and 36 knot tail winds towards Scotland. 173 knots ground speed at 6.2 gph. I was thrilled with the 36 knot tail wind. Passing the rugged Faroe Islands enroute to Scotland. EGPC - ATC reported winds at 29 knots gusting to 38 knots right down the runway. Wick is located at the northern tip of Scotland and gets blasted by unrelenting arctic winds. The landing at Wick, Scotland was like riding a bucking bronco down to the ground. After touch down and half stick back to protect the nose wheel, the plane started to climb again. I hope Wick ATC would not charge me for multiple landings! The taxi to the “Far North Aviation” hanger was practically uncontrollable in the high surface winds. To escape the blustery winds outside, I taxied my plane in to one of the WWII-era hangers at Wick airport. The floor of the hanger was coated in a slippery layer of grease, from hundreds of oil changes done on WWII bomber and fighter aircraft.
For many ferry pilots, Wick is the last stop in Europe before heading to Iceland and onward to North America. The entire airport is a time capsule from the 1940's and has a wonderful vibe. Historical note from WWII: On 21 May 1941, a photographic reconnaissance Supermarine Spitfire piloted by Flying Officer Michael F. Suckling took off from Wick, and flew to Norway, in search of the German battleship Bismarck. If Bismarck was to break out into the North Atlantic, she would present a significant risk to the ships supplying Britain. 320 miles to the east of Wick, F/O Suckling found and photographed her, hiding in Grimstadfjord.[3] This information enabled the Royal Navy to order HMS Hood and other ships, as well as aircraft, to take positions intended to track Bismarck, and prevent her from entering the North Atlantic. In ensuing battles, Hood was sunk, and, later, Bismarck. German battleships and battle cruisers never again entered the North Atlantic. Credit: Wikipedia, Wick Airport.
Brian Eisner
7/2/2018 01:44:48 am
You're alot braver than I am for landing in Wick with those winds. Couldn't imagine landing the 4 in that.
John Koehler
7/2/2018 10:31:35 am
Brian,
BRIAN EISNER
7/2/2018 06:57:00 pm
Glad everything worked out. Nice to see you had a good visit with my buddy Luca in Trento; great bunch there. Comments are closed.
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