Aerial Views – Achtung, Skyhawk!

Photo File – Looking Out Of 2018

March 7, 2019April 5, 2021Posted in Aerial ViewsTagged Aerial views, cockpit view, in-flight photoLeave a comment

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Once again, regular as clockwork, the winter calm has come down on the Croatian GA scene. Even though the weather has been eerily cooperative of late – hardly any snow even – light aircraft ops have been few and far in between, most machines either having their long sleep in the hangar or flying up and down to the coast for the season. So, while I wait for things to start up again, here are a couple of highlights from my autumn/winter/pre-spring “getting paid to stare out the window” collection 🙂 .

*A bit of anticyclonic weather here, some freezing temperatures there, mix it all in with a dawn arrival and voilà – one very happy first officer!*

Getting up at 4 AM to go to work: not really a fan. Greeting the dawn like this as a consequence: like it very much! Layer cloud, rain, icing, fog and clear skies – and all of them happening at the same time. Damn I love this job!

*For some reason, getting stuck in a dawn holding pattern went down pretty well with me this morning…*

Bursting out of a deep cloud bank into a windy and turbulent seaside morning. With surface winds hovering around the 30 knot mark – and winds aloft in treble figures even at turboprop altitudes – the views were guaranteed to be impressive…

*Enjoying a spot of late afternoon cloudsurfing near the Eternal City as a wall of nasty thunderstorms starts to build over Naples out in the distance…*

Soaking up the majesty of Italy’s Gran Sasso mountain range as we zip past on our way west. Dominated by the Corno Grande – the country’s highest non-Alpine peak – Gran Sasso is perhaps most famous as the setting of Operation Eiche, an audacious 1943 airborne assault by German special forces to rescue Benito Mussolini, then being held under arrest in a hotel on the Campo Imperatore highlands (the depression in the center). Having reached the site in assault gliders, the attacking troops had quickly overwhelmed the defenders and shuffled Mussolini to a waiting Fieseler Storch, which – though dangerously overloaded – managed to eventually lift off and head for the Pratica di Mare airbase, located very near Rome’s present Fiumicino Airport. In a particular twist, our flight path that day had taken us along almost exactly the same route, a trip that took us 15 minutes in a warm cockpit with tea in hand – as opposed to the harrowing hour it took the Storch barely clinging to the air in bitterly cold winter (not to mention having Mussolini as a passenger and Hitler waiting anxiously in Berlin for news)… nowadays the entire range is a designated national park, known for its pristine nature and ski slopes – as well as the world’s largest underground particle research laboratory (the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso), and an out-station of the Rome Observatory tracking and cataloging orbital bodies passing near the Earth (Near Earth Objects, NEOs)

They say “Blue Monday” is the most depressing day of the year… “Blue Tuesday” however seems to be a far better deal! No room for gloom when you get to greet the dawn above the sleepy, anticyclonic Alps…

*There are fine views of the Alps at sundown… and then there’s this one. Zipping past the several Tauern subranges as we sneak under a nasty jetstream blanketing most of Austria…*

Bonus content: while all of these airliner views are fine and dandy, I could not in good conscience post them without shoehorning a bit of GA in 😀 . So, to balance things out, here’s one shot (+ video) from the good old C172 and the paying to stare out the window collection!

A piston single, a backwoods grass runway, a deep anticyclone and all the time in the world – feels good to be back in the old saddle! One of the first private airstrips in Croatia, Zvekovac (LDZE) has always been a GA favorite; located just 20 minutes away from Lučko (LDZL), it’s a perfect place for a short afternoon getaway (especially when there’s a barbecue in the mix somewhere)

Photo File – The View From Up Here + Rare Aircraft Intermezzo

February 16, 2018April 5, 2021Posted in Aerial Views, Rare AircraftTagged Aerial views, EW-450TR, Il-62, Il-62MGr, Ilyushin, Mad Dog, MD-80, MD-87, Mi-8, Mi-8T, Mil, RDPL-34245, TT-ABC, window view1 Comment

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Having noticed recently that my last post here was dated August 2017 (!) – and that my backlog of topics stalled for lack of information has been growing steadily larger – I decided it would be high time for me to dig through my collection of fresh photos and finally get a move on with my posting. Unfortunately though, not much had actually happened since August 2017, meaning that my GA inbox was pretty much empty. However, having spent quite a bit of time in the air lately, I did realize that I have a bunch of interesting aerial shots available – which could be turned into a perfect (and visually pleasant) distraction until something in my post queue actually started moving forward… 🙂

Those wonderful autumnal pleasures: a light aircraft, a deep anticyclone, an open window – and a full spectrum of colors outside. Enjoying the calming and serene view as we hop between the peaks of southern Slovenia’s Kočevje Hills – in years past, interestingly, a strongly-enforced no-fly zone due to the proximity of a major Yugoslav People’s Army military installation.

Yet more aerial splendor as we follow the western face of the Kočevska Mala Gora hill line. What better way to relax after a busy working week than hop into the skies in a light aircraft with the sole purpose of enjoying the low & slow view…

Winter is definitely not coming (despite it being December) as our little red Citabria zips past two of Pula, Croatia’s most notable landmarks: the Kaštel medieval Venetian fortress – and the Arena, one of the best-preserved amphitheaters in this part of Europe (even today the country’s most popular concert venue).

The moment you realize that no, you cannot keep up with the sun in a turboprop, and that it’d be best to just return back to course. Another deep anticyclone, a quick vector by ATC to clear us of traffic nearby – and just a tiny bit of luck and timing is all you need to make a sunset aloft all the better!

*A transit of southern Germany under unbelievably clear skies – or a cheap knock-off of the Universal Pictures opening animation? You decide!*

Real planets have curves – which are obvious even at turboprop altitudes. A soothing and humbling view of the Tyrrhenian Sea, with the distant horizon broken only by the sharp mountains of southern Corsica…

Bonus content: even though the GA season has (so far) been a complete and total bust – not an interesting lighty to be seen in six months – there nevertheless still are a few silver linings to this dark cloud. Having been all over the place during the winter, I had found myself with plenty of opportunity to snap some large turbine machinery, among which were several fine examples for my “boy did you take a wrong turn somewhere” file… 😀

Despite having given us such classics as regulation governing the size and shape of cabbage heads, the spiritual capital of the EU – Brussels (BRU/EBBR) – still does have some good use… for where in Europe could one so easily stumble upon a VIP Mad Dog from – of all places – Chad? At one time operated by Austrian Airlines as OE-LMO, TT-ABC is one of several jet aircraft owned by the Chad Gov’t, and is – sadly – rarely to be seen outside the Francophone world.

It’s not often that the same Il-62 appears twice in front of your camera at the same airport – especially if it is one of only two airworthy freighter conversions in existence. Parked at Zagreb (ZAG/LDZA) for three days now, EW-450TR of Belarus had naturally been an instant hit with the locals – so much so that we could reconstruct it from photos alone! Interestingly, it’s fast becoming a common sight in Europe, despite being as clean as a Victorian coal mine and as quiet as an 80s The Who concert…

And talking about taking wrong turns: an Mi-8 from Southeast Asia on the Adriatic Coast. Flying from Laos to Croatia – 8,500 km as the crow flies – in a 20+ year old Mi-8 at speeds barely above 100 knots, the crew surely must have some fascinating stories to tell! Interestingly, 34245 had flown into Zadar (ZAD/LDZD) direct from Brest in Belarus (BQT/UMBB), some 1,100 km away – a hop made possible thanks to long-range tanks mounted on top of the fuselage. Indeed, Zadar would turn out to be just a technical stop to top up with fuel and get some shuteye; 34245 would be seen departing for Palermo (PMO/LIPJ) already by noon the same day. Note also the absence of the Mi-8’s characteristic dust filters on the engine intakes, usually characteristic of early civilian members of the Hip family.

Photo File – The Right View

June 23, 2016April 8, 2021Posted in Aerial Views, Commercial AircraftTagged Aerial views, Bombardier, Dash 8, Dash 8 Q400, DHC-8, DHC-8-402, Q400, window viewLeave a comment

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Back during Achtung, Skyhawk!‘s early days in the years around 2010, I had every once in awhile tried to liven things up by posting short collections of in-flight photos taken from a variety of light aircraft above northern Croatia (and occasionally beyond). Dubbed, somewhat unimaginatively, “The View From Up Here”, the three-strong set (Parts 1, 2 & 3) had been quite well received by readers, prompting me to – belatedly – put together a new & improved batch to keeps things rolling 🙂 .

However, since the time of 1, 2 & 3, most of my flying had taken me onto bigger machinery, having landed a job in the right seat of the Dash 8 Q400 a little over a year ago. While the “straight & level” nature of airline operations might suggest that interesting, unusual and attractive shots – as possible in GA – would be few and far in between, the realities of life aboard a turboprop – operating at lower levels, day & night and often in the weather – had meant that I had pretty quickly managed to amass quite a nice heap of interesting material.

Sprinkled additionally with a handful of ground shots that had taken my fancy, I am thus glad to be able to present – for more-or-less the first time – “the view from the right”… 🙂

An unusual perspective of QC as it soaks up the last sunlight of this beautiful summer day at Munich Airport (MUC/EDDM). The day must had also been interesting for the four handlers sitting in a pushback truck behind me, wondering why was this guy with a big camera clambering all over a baggage trolley…

*An old aviation book I have – printed back in the late 70s – states that “a fascinating range of vehicles can be seen at any airport”… somehow I doubt they had had this in mind!*

You know you’re at Zagreb (ZAG/LDZA) in the winter when the tail of a 30 meter long aircraft starts disappearing into the fog… the bane of the Balkans, the winter fog is often more than a passing nuisance, and can persist – with little variation – for days on end.

When you don’t have a tripod on you, you have to use whatever you have at hand – even a main gear tire! CQA is seen waiting about for one of its last flights of the day as company traffic further out prepares to taxi out for a short hop north.

*The colorful cockpit of the Q400. The yellow panel floods, white switch backlighting and green sidewall map lights really give a lot to play with when you have a camera on you!*

A snap I’d borrowed from a previous post – but one I just couldn’t leave out. Saluting the setting sun on another beautiful, calm and crisp summer evening. Traversing southbound above the Northern Adriatic Sea – just off Pula Airport (PUY/LDPL) – we were treated to this fantastic view by a large high pressure area that had been parked over the region for several days…

Waking up at the crack of dawn does have its advantages! A telltale sign of the approach of winter on the Balkans, thick morning fog and layer upon layer of stratus cloud often conspire to make aeronautical operations rather… interesting. At least while we’re up here – in this instance just above northeastern Albania – we do get a nice consolation prize!

*The importance of being at the right place and right time… soaking up the stunning view outside as we enter a high-level cloud bank somewhere over eastern Belgium.*

*Blue skies, dark clouds, a fiery sunset above the silhouettes of the Alps – and Innsbruck, Austria in the distance… not a band end to another anti-cyclonic day above Europe!*

*When one little cloud is all that stands between calm heaven above and fiery hell below. Enjoying a smooth ride (for now) above southern Germany as far above an A380 races past to points west…*

Having covered everything from the Baltic to the Adriatic in one day – flying across eight countries in two legs – we prepare to bid the final day of 2015 goodbye as we race the sun on our way back to base… of interest, many will note that in most shots taken from the cockpit the wipers will be parked in the upright position. While their normal “resting stance” is horizontal and outside the field of view of the crew, in that position they cause quite a bit of wind noise – up to 5 dB according to unofficial measurements – leading most crews to park them vertically during cruise.

Breaking through the cloud deck at speed as we cross Croatia’s Velebit mountains on another early morning run. Even though summer may be far more enjoyable down on the ground, the odd winter weather patterns of the Western Balkans sure make for better views aloft!

*A momentary escape from the rain and grayness below as we speed homewards at 25,000 ft above the eastern edges of the Alps.*

*Yet more cloud hopping above the Alps as we skip along this pristine altostratus in the company of our shadow and the resident halo effect…*

Photo File – Traveler’s Tales

September 8, 2015April 8, 2021Posted in Aerial Views, General Aviation, Military / PoliceTagged 5705, 737 bizjet, 737 business jet, 737-200, 99-0004, Boeing C-32, C-32, DBV, Dornier Do-228, LDDU, LDZD, LOWW, RUAG 228NG, RUAG Do-228NG, VIE, VP-CAQ, window view, ZADLeave a comment

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Having recently gotten into a position where I do a fair bit of air travel (to put it mildly!), I had suddenly (and somewhat unexpectedly) found myself being served with ever-increasing opportunities to snap – up close – various flying machinery operating out of Europe’s major airports. While these naturally tend to be of the airliner variety (and therefore not the default topic here), every once in awhile I do come across a true gem, something so fascinating, rare and unusual that it immediately warrants a feature at Achtung, Skyhawk! 🙂 .

Even though snaps of these machines are still few in number – with my definition of “fascinating” mostly to blame 😀 – I feel they are nevertheless numerous enough for me to cobble together a short, but hopefully interesting, post for my viewers’ pleasure. For a bit of added “weight”, I have also decided to add a couple of shots taken “en route”, showing that the journey to the destination airport can indeed be half the (photographic) fun!

As a tool for doing business, a 737-200 bizjet may not really be the best of choices; but as a statement of style, very, very few machines come close! An absolutely stunning 1981 classic, VP-CAQ had – interestingly – never seen a day of passenger operations, having been delivered with an executive interior straight from the factory. Often seen flying all over Europe (despite the EU’s stringent noise regulations), at the time this photo was taken CAQ had already been parked at Dubrovnik Airport (LDDU) for several days, likely waiting on a client…

A photo that perfectly encapsulates a popular Croatian saying: “to have more luck than brains”! It’s not often one gets a spontaneous chance to photograph a VIP military transport on the apron of a major European aerodrome – without someone trying to chase you away! Enjoying the early morning sun on one of Vienna Airport’s (LOWW) remote aprons while waiting for Mr. John Kerry (who was in town to attend some nuclear talks).

An interesting visitor from the north easily standing out among the Citation and Falcon crowd at Zadar’s Zemunik Airport (LDZD). Operated by Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies, 57+05 is normally based by the North Sea and is used (as can be inferred from the titles on the fuselage) for detection and monitoring of sea pollution. Interestingly, this machine is not a classic Dornier-built example, but the NG model, produced in India by Hindustan Aeronautics and assembled in Germany by RUAG (the owner of the Do-228 type certificate).

Nature showing off what it can do as we maneuver around a growing towering cumulus near Zurich (LSZH), Switzerland. Easily visible are little pouch formations hanging beneath the cloud called “mammatus clouds”, which are an early indication that this cloud could eventually produce a heavy storm.

*Enjoying the charming (and unbeatable) atmosphere of the cockpit at night as we cruise southwards across the Alps, roughly halfway between Munich (EDDM) in Germany and Klagenfurt (LOWK) in Austria…*

Saluting the setting sun on another beautiful, calm and crisp summer evening. Traversing southbound above the Northern Adriatic Sea – just off the Istrian Peninsula and Pula Airport (LDPL) – we were treated to this fantastic view by a large high pressure area that had been parked over the region for several days…

Photo Report – The View From Up Here #3

February 11, 2014February 11, 2014Posted in Aerial ViewsTagged Aerial views, in-flight photo, scenery1 Comment

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Given that the local aviation scene is still throttled back pending stabilization of the weather (which is currently trying to make up its mind between winter snows and spring thaw), I though this would be the ideal time to revisit my old The View From Up Here photo series from 2011 🙂 . Having spend quite a bit of time aloft back then (ah, the joys of cheaper fuel!), I’d naturally accumulated a fair collection of photos along the way – photos that I had eventually cobbled together into a fairly popular two-part post (#1 & #2).

And while rising fuel prices in the intervening three years had taken their toll on my logbook, my camera and I have nevertheless still managed to catch some air with a semblance of regularity – this time substituting quantity with quality and doing away with the usual day VFR routine in favor of more exciting night and instrument practice. So, for the third installment of the series, here’s what my plane and I have been up to in the mean time… 🙂

The joys of night flying: the cockpit all lit up, quiet on the frequency, the reassuringly monotonous drone of the O-320 up front - and utter blackness outside. About to join our intended route after flying a (lengthy) instrument departure from Zagreb Intl (LDZA). — Ah, the joys of night flying: the cockpit all lit up, quiet on the frequency, the reassuringly monotonous drone of the O-320 up front – and utter blackness outside. About to finally join our intended route after flying a (lengthy) instrument departure procedure from Zagreb Intl (LDZA).

Enjoying the fresh breeze at 5,000 ft as we rumble northwards above Slovenia. Pretty soon we'd turn west towards the Julian Alps - visible in the distance - where we'd pop up to 7,000 and switch to IFR for our night-time return home. — Enjoying the fresh breeze at 5,000 ft as we rumble northwards above Slovenia. Pretty soon we’d turn west towards the Julian Alps – visible in the distance – where we’d pop up to 7,000 and switch to IFR for our night-time return home.

The fog I go on about so often seen from a slightly different perspective. Lying in a depression in the surrounding terrain - and built above an extensive underground water system - Zagreb frequently disappears in visibilities as low as 50 meters, while a couple of miles away one can enjoy clear sunshine... — The fog I go on about so often seen from a slightly different perspective during another instrument departure from Zagreb Intl. Lying in a depression in the surrounding terrain – and built above an extensive underground water system – Zagreb can frequently disappear in visibilities as low as 50 meters… while a couple of miles out one can enjoy perfectly clear air and deep blue skies.

Enjoying life, nature and free fuel as we play about in the skies of Varaždin in an Aussie-built GA8 Airvan. Having stopped in town for the weekend on a promo tour of the region, the crew of VH-EZS were delighted to fly a few demo flights for the assorted journalists - with myself naturally usurping the copilot's chair. — Enjoying life, nature and free fuel as we play about in the skies of Varaždin in an Aussie-built GA8 Airvan. Having stopped in town for the weekend on a promo tour of the region, the crew of VH-EZS were delighted to fly a few short demo flights for the assorted journalists – with myself naturally usurping the copilot seat on all of them.

Sharing the fun with DA-20A-1 9A-DAK as we try to formate in some beautiful scenery at 3,000 ft. It's 100 HP Rotax woefully inadequate for the task, DAK was flying pretty much flat out trying to keep up with our 320 turbocharged horses. — Sharing the fun with DA-20A-1 9A-DAK as we try to formate in some beautiful scenery at 3,000 ft. It’s 100 HP Rotax woefully inadequate for the task, DAK was flying pretty much flat out trying to keep up with our 320 turbocharged horses.

Having become bored of the oppressive and never-ending greyness on the ground - Northern Croatia having been blanketed by low cloud for weeks - I'd decided I might as well check on conditions higher up... definitely wasn't disappointed! — Having become bored of the oppressive and never-ending greyness on the ground – Northern Croatia having been blanketed by low cloud for weeks – I’d decided I might as well check on conditions higher up… definitely wasn’t disappointed!

And finally to top it all off, two fresh ones I’ve nicked from a recent post of mine 🙂 …

The joys of sub-Alpine anticyclonic weather... our flight back home had also included a touch-and-go at Slovenj Gradec airfield, located in a valley on the opposite side of Maribor's Pohorje mountain range. You can probably guess how that plan had turned out... (to compound the issue, LJSG has no met station linked into the rest of the system - so when we'd asked the met office at Maribor for a brief, all they could do was slump their shoulders and extrapolate from existing data) — The joys of sub-Alpine anticyclonic weather… our flight back to Zagreb had also included a touch-and-go at Slovenj Gradec airfield, located in a valley on the opposite side of Maribor, Slovenia’s Pohorje mountain range. You can probably guess how that plan had turned out… (to compound the issue, LJSG has no met station linked into the rest of the system – so when we’d asked the met office at Maribor for a brief, all they could do was slump their shoulders and extrapolate from existing data)

A large, unbroken stratus, beautiful sunshine on top, a light aircraft and a camera - what more could one want to be content? (except a pair of gloves) Skirting the edge of an extensive sheet of stratus as the perfect cap to the whole flight. — A large, unbroken stratus, beautiful sunshine on top, a light aircraft and a camera – what more could one want to be content? (except a pair of gloves) Skirting the edge of an extensive sheet of stratus as the perfect cap to the whole flight.

(Aerial) Photo Report – Flight of the Phoenix

August 19, 2013August 19, 2013Posted in Aerial ViewsTagged 9A-BKS, Carryall, Cessna 185, Cessna A185FLeave a comment

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While it is somewhat less exciting than the movie of the same name (even though it involves a similar amount of mechanical ingenuity 😀 ), one event at Lučko back in May certainly gave rise to a bit of optimism, pride – and, not least of all, a fair bit of relief. The occasion in question was the return to flight of our much-loved Cessna A185F 9A-BKS, signalling its eagerly-awaited return to service after five long years on the ground. Covered in part by another post on here, BKS had suffered a prop strike back in 2008 which had seen it confined to the hangar until its prop and engine could be repaired – a process that, through various financial setbacks, took almost four and half years to complete…

Diving for the runway back in happier times — Diving for the runway after a skydive flight back in happier times

However, while the aircraft was airworthy and fully certified as June dawned, one important issue still remained before BKS could be given a clean bill of health and returned to active duty as a skydive platform – the engine break-in period. Like all new and overhauled engines, BKS’ IO-520 needed a 25 hour run-in period during which the piston rings would gradually wear themselves out and begin to lubricate the cylinders properly, boosting the engine’s efficiency and power and generally returning it to “its old self”. This however requires treating the engine with the utmost care, flying it gently and at relatively low power settings, all the while ensuring it is being properly cooled to compensate for the poor oil distribution – not all that easy to do if you’re flogging it at maximum continuous power for half an hour as you haul half a ton’s worth of skydivers to altitude at low speed :).

To avoid making a hash of it, AK Zagreb – the owners of the aircraft – had decided to send it out on a number of extended cross-country flights, which would also have the added benefit of providing long periods of steady cruising and allow the crew to check fuel flows, oil pressures and various temperatures against the operating manual :). Naturally enough, I’d quickly found my way onto several of these flights – and while I was relegated to being the ballast in the tail, I did at least have the time (and cabin space!) to enjoy the scenery outside…

A scene as if it came from the flight levels as we maneuver around some potentially hazardous weather on our way to the Adriatic coast. Moving slowly inland from Kvarner Bay, this storm front was making itself felt even at our 7,000 ft cruise altitude, with the air becoming ever rougher as we closed in

Eventually though, the front had forced us to descent to 3,000 ft and skim around its edge, swapping the soothing cloudscape with some fantastic mountains and shadows

With 300-ish horsepower up front, we managed to outrun the worst of the weather, skimming the edge of the system low among the peaks of the Velebit mountain range. Our 140 knots indicated – the end of the green arc despite flying on only 65% power – meant were were through in mere minutes

Enjoying the crisp and calm weather above Lošinj Island while looking back on the front that had caused us trouble . A beautiful study of convective clouds, the centerpiece of the scene is the impressive altocumulus castellanus, nicknamed the "turret cloud" due to its pronounced vertical development. Alongside another stunning altocumulus type - the altocumulus lenticularis - turret clouds are a sure indication of severe turbulence and icing, making them a handy aid in deciding when to take avoiding action. — Enjoying the crisp and calm weather above Lošinj Island as we look back on the front that had caused us so much trouble. A beautiful study of convective clouds, the centerpiece of the scene is the impressive altocumulus castellanus, nicknamed the “turret cloud” due to its pronounced vertical development. Alongside another stunning altocumulus type – the altocumulus lenticularis – turret clouds are a sure indication of severe turbulence and icing, making them a handy aid in deciding when to take avoiding action.

An overflight of what my colleague flying had eloquently termed the "Krbavian Sea" . Neither a man-made nor permanent geographic feature, this temporary lake was created by the abundant rains that had hit the Krbavsko polje area over the past few weeks. — An overflight of what my colleague flying had eloquently termed the “Krbavian Sea”. Neither a man-made nor permanent geographic feature, this temporary lake was created by the abundant rains that had hit the Krbavsko polje (Krbava Field) area over the past few weeks. One of the country’s biggest mountain valleys, Krbavsko polje is also known for its excellent gliding weather, with most Croatian gliding records set not more than five miles to our right

Photo Intermission – Night Flight: Having a Bit of Fun at Sunset

September 1, 2011Posted in Aerial Views, General AviationLeave a comment

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Having become slightly stir crazy with the pedestrian pace of general aviation in Croatia of late, a friend of mine and I decided it might be a good idea to go and unwind a bit in the wild blue above the country’s capital of Zagreb :). Growing bored of constantly overflying the city by day, we decided we might just as well enjoy the view during sunset – so timing it just right on a beautifully calm summer afternoon, we fired up our trusty C172 and headed out of the quiet field…

DMG_001_S — Overflying one of the city's main highway junctions, where two important routes to Middle Europe meet. As you can see, our "sunset" flight turned into a non-event due to increasing haze in the distance, but we decided to make the best of it and enjoy some near-night photography :).

DMG_002_S — A splendid and calming view from the western edges of the city. The waning hours of the day are definitely the best time to be out and about and enjoy the simple beauty of flight - the scenery is even more beautiful than during the "full" dead of night...

DMG_003_S — An, of course, the best view of them all, with all the Christmas lights turned on :). Almost looks like an image from a flight simulator rather than an actual aircraft... either way, pure magic! As you can see from the instruments, we were in a bit of diving turn - and with all our exterior lights blazing, we must have been quite a sight...

Photo Report – The View From Up Here #2

April 11, 2011September 21, 2012Posted in Aerial Views, General Aviation4 Comments

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With fine spring weather finally on the horizon (damn, I can’t complain about anything now! :D), it was high time to get back behind the controls – or the camera, depending on the circumstances – and do some proper cross-country flying/photography :). While we did have a few spells of nice weather during the previous months, they had only really allowed for relatively short hops in directions that avoid the mountains of Central Croatia – which had, for us on the continent, effectively put 50% of the country out of reach :). Apart from locally notorious winter up- and down-draughts, the terrain of central Croatia rules out anything below 5,000 ft – at the lowest – as a reasonable cruise altitude, one that is well within the freezing zone for a good quarter of the year. Throw in thick cloud cover, pretty common during the winter, hanging at just about those altitudes – and aircraft that lack even a rudimentary de-icing system – and flying across this area becomes a pretty unhealthy prospect :D.

Happily though, the arrival of clear skies and warm weather had pushed the 0° isotherm back up into the flight levels, allowing us to once again set our sights on one of the most beautiful parts of the country – the coast… 🙂

SEA_001_S — A view of the city of Zagreb from 7,000 ft, en-route from Varaždin (LDVA) in the north towards the coastal region of Kvarner. The aircraft (partially) in shot is a Socata TB-20, my first ever aircraft from this prolific French manufacturer :). And with that thin wing and panoramic windows, it is by far the best photography platform I’ve flown on 😀

SEA_002_S — Crossing the Velebit mountains at their lowest point, above the region of Gorski Kotar. As in a number of photos previously featured on this blog, you can easily see why this mountain range has a penchant for creating problems during periods of strong wind :). Note also how, in terms of weather, it splits the continent (on the left) from the coast (on the right)

SEA_003_S — A First Class view as we cruise leisurely above the Northern Adriatic, heading west :). Riddled with more than 1,200 islands along its length, the Croatian side of the Adriatic is at least easy to navigate down. Interestingly though, only four of those islands – Unije, Lošinj, Brač and Hvar – have airfields (two of which are small grass strips)

SEA_004_S — This pretty much sums up why I love flying :). A sunset joyride above the coast, good company and the close and involved atmosphere of a light aircraft flight deck 🙂

SEA_005_S — The evening mist is already beginning to settle as we race the sun back home to Varaždin. And despite it being the end of March when this was taken, you can still see traces of snow on the lee-side slopes below. Another interesting tidbit here is that this is the first time I’d managed to get both the wing and the horizontal stabilizer in a single frame 😀

SEA_006_S — Back on the more… agricultural Skyhawk as we trundle from Zagreb (LDZA) towards Split (LDSP) at FL100. Flying IFR, we had to stick to published instrument airways, one of which had included an 18 NM hop over neighboring Bosnia, seen here to the left. In the center is the mountain of Plješevica at whose eastern base (again to the left) lies the now disused Željava airbase, one of the largest underground airbases in this part of Europe

SEA_007_S — Nothing like a bit of cloudhopping to brighten up a day’s flying :). While it is all very good fun, it also has a few serious advantages: when flying in IFR in clear skies, every now and again when you turn your head you’ll – unintentionally – catch a glimpse of the ground below and gain a visual confirmation of your attitude… which isn’t really what IFR is about. Deep within a cloud though that visual cue is gone, and you’re left to your own instrument flying skills

SEA_008_S — Another fantastic view of the Adriatic coast from 8,000 ft as we cruise back home to Zagreb via Zadar (LDZD) :). The mountains may be a welcome challenge to fly through, and the boring flat plains in the east of the country can do wonders for visual navigation skills… but nothing beats an afternoon flight above the sea :). For that short moment, you haven’t got a worry in the world!

SEA_009_S — Back up at FL100 and finally above the clouds as the sun begins to set :). Flying in an area of increased humidity in sub-zero temperatures, we’d naturally picked up some frost along the way (visible on the lower windshield) – but the humidity content was not high enough for it to progress into “real icing”

SEA_010_S — More cloudhopping as the night draws near. Despite not being a fan of single-engine night flying – especially above the uneven terrain in this part of Croatia – I’d timed the flight so that night would overtake us some 15 minutes out from Zagreb… just to log my first ever night IFR landing 😀

SEA_011_S — I’ve been waiting for a long time to nail this photo :). Night had already arrived down at ground level, but nearly 3 km up, we still had some sunlight left 🙂

Short Photo Report – The View From Up Here #1

January 7, 2011September 21, 2012Posted in Aerial Views, General Aviation3 Comments

By me
All photos me too, copyrighted

While it does little for raw cross-country performance, rumbling along at a 100 or so knots in your stock Skyhawk does have a raft of plus points – especially if you are a photographer :D. Flying mostly in good weather conditions, on an aircraft that is the definition of predictable, and at speeds about the same as those on the highway you are following, the sedate Skyhawk (or the C150) often allows you to wander around a bit, look outside and enjoy the scenery… and, if you already count your photo equipment as part of the plane’s empty weight, snap a few nice shots as well! 🙂

With this in mind – and with nothing new happening on the local aviation scene – I went back to my photo database in search of some interesting airborne shots, shots that show what the view is actually like up here :). And this is what I came up with…

CCH_001_S — Cruising leisurely westwards against a 20 knot headwind 1500 ft above the Slavonian flatlands. Croatia’s most important farmland region, Slavonija is not particularly exciting flying-wise; but it is rife with disused concrete airstrips formerly used by agricultural aircraft. Measuring at 600-660×10 meters, most are now in a poor state and not usable on a day-to-day basis… however, should your engine – your only engine! – decide to quit, they can come in very handy for an emergency landing (so much so that I’ve devoted this – and a few other flights – to scouting them out 🙂 )

DAS_001_S — An interesting view of the Velebit mountain range during a prolonged and laborious climb to 8,000 ft on a very hot May day. One of the southern extensions of the Alps, the range peaks at about 6,000 ft, but rarely goes above 4,000 in most places (like here) – on the face of it, hardly impressive figures. However, running perpendicular to the two strong prevailing winds in this region, it can be very treacherous when the windspeed picks up…

DAS_002_S — Finally at 8,000 ft and preparing for a spot of light turbulence. The slope of the continental side – running northwest to southeast – gives an indication of the strength of the mountain’s infamous updrafts and downdrafts. Most pronounced during the “bora” northeastern wind – whose speeds often go above 50 knots – the very strong mountain waves created have over the years claimed dozens of lives… rising steeply on both sides, the Velebit range also splits this part of Croatia into two distinct weather systems: a mild Mediterranean climate on the coastal side, and a moderate continental on the other. The changes between them can be quite pronounced – you can fly in sub-zero temperatures, fog and low cloud on one end, and end up in +15 Centigrade, unlimited visibility and clear skies on the other – all in the space of about 10 miles…

DMM_001_S — Something less mountainous for a change :D. Flying 1,000 ft above the hilly region of Zagorje, on a beautiful – but very windy – day. One of the northernmost regions of the country – just 10 minutes from Lučko as the Skyhawk flies – Zagorje is the realm of the student pilot :). With its numerous small villages, abundant roads and railways, and mild terrain, it is almost perfect for every student’s first cross-country flight… (including the author’s)

DZD_001_S — Instant instrument conditions – just add water :D. Taking off from Lučko on a cold and very humid morning, it was only a matter of time before the windshield fogged up. The warm air vent on the pilot’s side had immediately cleared the problem up – but in the copilot’s seat, I was left with less than impressive forward visibility 🙂

S5DHO_001_S — More dramatic weather photos as I skirt the edge of a stormcloud near Lošinj Island. The first sign of the approach of a huge front moving northwards across the Adriatic Sea, this particular CB is classified as “embedded”, that is hidden in other clouds and therefore virtually impossible to spot from a distance – unless it is pouring rain, like here 🙂

S5DHO_002_S — Sunset over the Bay of Trieste in Italy as I cruise at 5,000 back to base at Portorož in Slovenia :). The previously mentioned weather front can be seen approaching from the south, blending together sky and sea – perfect conditions for one of the biggest killers in aviation: loss of spatial orientation

S5DHO_004_S — Clear skies, clean air and not even a whiff of turbulence – what a wonderful day to go flying! Just trim the plane and let it fly itself… something I was very appreciative of that day while flying from Portorož to Venice :D. The unique airspace layout of northeastern Italy – defined in most part by the requirements of the famous Aviano airbase – means that the communications workload can be considerable: in the 45 minutes it took me to reach Venice, I was in contact with Portorož Tower/Approach, Trieste Radar, Aviano Radar, Treviso Radar, Venice Approach and finally Lido Information :D. Further adding to the workload was the dense traffic flying along the same coastal route as me, necessitating a continual scanning of the airspace around me

Short Photo Report – Multi-Engine Fun

July 16, 2010July 13, 2011Posted in Aerial Views, OperationsTagged HZNS, PA-44, Seminole1 Comment

By me
All photos me too, copyrighted

Having been warming the chair with my ATPL studies for a good part of the month – not the most fulfilling of activities I must say, especially since it’s 35 Centigrade outside… and probably more inside – I was naturally through the roof when my name finally came up on the multi-engine training roster :). Eager to fly (and photograph :D) any day of the week, I was doubly excited this time, since I’d finally get to try my hand at the university’s sole Piper Seminole – in a nutshell my first Piper, first low-wing and first twin 🙂 (greetings from fixed-gear Cessna land!).

The aircraft in question is 9A-DZG, a trusty 1978 normally-aspirated Seminole that has pretty much passed through the hands of almost every multi-engine qualified pilot in Croatia in the last few years. Powered by two 180 HP Lycoming O-360s, it may not be the most exciting or high performing aircraft in the world – but after half a dozen Skyhawks, it is pretty much the top of the line :D.

Training-wise, first up was the Multi Engine Class rating, done under VFR (thankfully we’ve been having some excellent VMC lately). This pretty much revolves around the most important skills multi-engine aircraft require – the ability to fly on only one of those engines. As well as zone work – to familiarize ourselves with the aircraft and its handling characteristics – the course includes a broad range of “one engine inoperative” (OEI) situations, such as in cruise, during landing, during takeoff, after takeoff and on go-around. Lacking any navigation elements (such as IFR flying), we could have done the course at Lučko or Pleso – but given that they do have a lot of traffic nowadays, and OEI ops tending to disrupt the normal traffic flow, we decided to head somewhere else, most often the coast :).

To compensate for the increased transit time, time we could spend on honing our OEI skills, we usually flew in pairs of two students, where one would fly outbound and do his/her training, after which we’d land and swap places. The other student would then do a similar set of exercises and fly the return leg, while the backseater would observe and learn… and in my case, snap a photo or two :D.

Blog_001 — Heading for Rijeka (LDRI) on the coast, climbing to 5500 ft. Given the recent heatwave, forming cumulus clouds were a common occurrence. Many never developed far enough to carry any rain, but the few that did ended up wreaking havoc all round... (at Lučko two Skyhawks - including one I flew on my IFR course - were damaged when the sudden wind tipped them onto their wingtips)

Blog_005 — A busy view up front as we near the first substantial clouds near the Velebit mountain range. Blowing perpendicular to it, the week's north-easterly wind was the perfect trigger for the formation of vertical clouds

Blog_002 — On approach to Rijeka's RWY 32. Situated on Krk, one of the largest islands on the Adriatic Sea, the airport's comparatively low traffic volume, a long runway and an abundance of radionavigation aids (not to mention it being just 30 minutes flight away) makes it a popular training destination 🙂

Blog_003 — On any of the Cessnas I normally fly, this sight would be cause for immediate - and considerable! - alarm :D. However here, with the other engine still pulling, you can breathe a bit easier :). Normally, engine-out training is simulated - with the throttle on one engine retarded - but in some cases the instructor will actually shut the engine down completely. The propeller is then feathered (turned parallel with the airflow) to keep the drag - and all of its unwanted side-effects - down to a minimum. Also, the small mirror on the cowl is provided for the pilot to visually confirm that the nose gear is down (generally, if the nose gear is down, probably the mains are as well).

Blog_004 — Encountering a spot of rain on the way back with me at the controls. Photo courtesy of the aircraft's autopilot :D. While I generally prefer hand-flying - sharpens the skills - a (finally) functioning autopilot was just too good an offer to pass up 😀

Blog_006 — Still more working atmosphere on day 2 :). Flying back home from Zadar along the islands, the long - but far more pleasant - way around. Capitalizing on the fine weather, the military had activated several of its training zones - which basically cover the entire Velebit range - so to avoid close encounters with supersonic MiG-21s, we were routed around them

Blog_007 — Aaah, the sea! Always a beautiful sight for us landlubbers :).

Blog_008 — DZG ticking itself cool - as much as it could have, given it was +40 on the apron - at Banja luka airport in neighboring Bosnia :). For our final multi-engine class flight, we'd decided to go international - which, to add to a list of firsts, this was my first ever international flight as pilot :). Succumbing to the traditional culinary delights of Bosnia - "čevapi" for any locals who might read this 😀 - we decided to stay in town for lunch. In the end, this turned out to be by far the tastiest training flight I've ever had!

Blog_009 — Some more dramatic weather at 6,000 ft on our flight back to Zagreb

Photo Report – Some IFR Cloud-Hopping

May 23, 2010July 13, 2011Posted in Aerial ViewsLeave a comment

By me
All photos me too, copyrighted

With my Single Engine Instrument Rating proceeding better than planned – a clear violation of Murphy’s Law and an immediate cause for alarm 😀 – I was growing increasingly excited about my upcoming first ever cross-country IFR flight. Having been confined to Lučko and its surroundings for several months now, I was itching – desperate even – to go somewhere further away, with bonus points if it involved flight to or near the coast :).

Much to my delight, I was scheduled a few days ago for a three-hour training session, for which my instructor decided to head to Pula airport (LDPL) in Istria for some instrument approach practice. The westernmost large airport in Croatia, LDPL is abundant in radionavigation aids (with no less than 5 NDBs, a VOR/DME and ILS) and is relatively traffic-free during the week, despite Pula itself being a popular tourist destination – a perfect setup for my anticipated cha-cha-cha around its airspace :D.

The plan was for me to fly the Lučko-Pula sector, shoot a couple of approaches, land and then plonk myself in the back seat while another student – who’d be tagging along outbound – flew the stretch back to Lučko, leaving me free to relax and enjoy the scenery. By an additional last minute stroke of luck, a schedule change saw us upgraded to the university’s sole Cessna 172R, a Gulfstream V compared to the usual 172Ns I fly :D.

Two and a half hours later, after two ILS, two VOR/DME and an NDB locator approach – not to mention a 140 knot tailwind-assisted dash across half of Croatia – I’d swapped the yoke for the camera, and sat back ready to make up every bit of photography I had missed on the way out :D.

MAP — A rudimentary Google Earth illustration to make the following comments a bit more understandable :). The red line represents my outbound flight, while the orange line is the return stretch flown by my student colleague

IFR_001 — My ride for the day, ticking itself cool at a warm, sunny - and quite windy - Pula. A 2001 (I think) model, DAD is pretty much the top-of-the-line IFR trainer at the university

IFR_002 — Sporting a standard navigation package (the "NAV 2" setup I think), DAD includes everything you really need for basic IFR training. And - for the most part - it all works 😀

IFR_003 — Finally above the sea! After a whole winter of sporadic hops around Lučko, a trip to the coast - even for just an hour - was like a holiday! 🙂

IFR_004 — Diving towards Pula's RWY 27 for a low pass following a high speed ILS approach. The daily Croatia Airlines Dash 8 to Zagreb was holding short for us, so we though it best to - expedite 😀

IFR_005 — Cruising back home at 8000 ft, the skies started becoming progressively darker and cloudier as we neared the Velebit mountain range. A stiff 30-40 knot headwind didn't really help our heavily laden Skyhawk either...

IFR_006 — Back above the mainland, we soon started wrestling with the strong downdraft from the mountains. Though small and apparently insignificant from this perspective, even at its lowest - around 4000 ft AMSL - the Velebit mountain range dominates the weather situation of the region, as the wall cumulus of clouds following the range best illustrates. With a northeastern bora wind blowing perpendicular to the range, even at 8000 ft - the Minimum Enroute Altitude for the airway we were following - we needed full throttle just to maintain altitude

IFR_007 — Pretty much the last we'll see of the ground for the next half hour. Soon the cloudbase would start to descend, the temperature drop and the wind increase as we flew back into our less agreeable inland weather. As well as creating unpleasant inclement weather of its own - which every pilot in Croatia quickly becomes wary of - Velebit also acts as a sharp divide between the mild Mediterranean climate at the coast and more dynamic continental climate in the interior

IFR_008 — Entering "the soup". Deep inside a thick cloud, this was true instrument flight, without even the most minute outside visual reference. IMC down to the letter 🙂

IFR_009 — Lovely weather and good visibility all round :D. A nightmare to photograph - the featureless white tilting out my camera's autofocus system - it was nevertheless a fantastic (and very educative) experience

IFR_010 — Finally breaking out of Velebit's weather system, replaced now by a dull 4000 ft overcast and mist. Still cruising in the cold air at 8000 ft, we'd soon be nearing our Top of Descent after a grueling two and a half hours of crawling at barely 70 knots ground speed...

The View From Above – Zagreb From The Air

May 19, 2009July 13, 2011Posted in Aerial ViewsLeave a comment

By Boran Pivčić
Photos by myself and Šime Lisica (where stated)

After the smogarsbord of aircraft and their various bits I’ve posted here, I thought it’d be a nice change to post some scenery instead, swapping details of 40+ year old aircraft for some soothing airborne shots. For the first subject I’ve decided on the city of Zagreb – not on any sentimental grounds, but because I fly over it often and have the time – or copilots – to snap a few shots here and there :).

Most of the photos shown have been taken from 1,500-2,000 feet AMSL, which is about 1,000-1,500 feet AGL – (usually) the minimum altitude at which we can fly above town – following the standard panorama flight route which takes about 25 minutes from startup to shutdown. Zagreb isn’t all that big a place – 750,000 inhabitants – so everything is over pretty quickly (to the great fortune of some of my passengers 🙂 ). But on a summer’s afternoon, when the air is calm, the traffic light and the sun just dipping below the horizon, it’s majestic…