Ghery
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2005
- Messages
- 10,903
- Location
- Olympia, Washington
- Display Name
Display name:
Ghery Pettit
We have a group in the IEEE EMC Society comprised of pilots, the EMC Aviators group. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, we try to gather and commit an act of aviation. 4 of us where at EMC Europe in Rome this past week and one of our members just happens to be a member of a flying club in the area. So, this past Thursday four of us met at Rome-Urbe, grabbed a C-172N and flew over to L'Aquila where this member had been on the faculty until the earthquake in 2009. We had a great flight over, stopped for coffee or tea, then flew back to Rome.
Flying in Italy is a bit different than flying in the US. First, and foremost, it's a bunch more expensive. I doubt we put 2 hours on that 172, but between the time on the plane (measured by taking the take-off and landing times provided by the tower and adding time for taxi to/from the runway) and landing fees, that little excursion cost over $400. Then there are the restrictions, many of which came after 9/11. No flying over cities, for one. Oh, and if you are crazy enough to buy a plane, even a 150, you are put on the Italian equivalet of the IRS's list of people to really scrutinize at tax time. You must be rich to ow a plane, true? BTW, the lawmakers exempted boats from this scam. Too many of them have large boats.
Anyway, we loaded up with our Italian host in the left front, our members from France and the UK in the back and me in the right front. Shortly after takeoff I was given the controls and flew most of the way to L'Aquila. Flew headings and altitudes. Your scan from the right seat when the instruments are on the left is a pain. I did have a second altimeter in front of me (and it did not agree with other one, about a 40-50 foot difference of opinion). And the best Hobbs meter I've ever seen. It didn't work and never changed. Too bad he wasn't billed by the Hobbs.
I gave the controls back as we started our decent into L'Aquila as I wasn't about to even think about making my first landing from the right seat with a full load. Plus, I needed to take some pictures.
One the return trip the member from France and I swapped places and he flew part of the return trip.
Pictures show a few highlights from the trip. The first airport is L'Aquila. The second is Rome-Urbe. One of the pictures shows St. Peter's in the Vatican. Sorry about the quality of that one, we were a ways out (you most certainly are NOT allowed to overfly the Vatican). Another shows how the Pantheon sticks out from the air. Of course, the obligatory picture of the crew and plane.
Flying in Italy is a bit different than flying in the US. First, and foremost, it's a bunch more expensive. I doubt we put 2 hours on that 172, but between the time on the plane (measured by taking the take-off and landing times provided by the tower and adding time for taxi to/from the runway) and landing fees, that little excursion cost over $400. Then there are the restrictions, many of which came after 9/11. No flying over cities, for one. Oh, and if you are crazy enough to buy a plane, even a 150, you are put on the Italian equivalet of the IRS's list of people to really scrutinize at tax time. You must be rich to ow a plane, true? BTW, the lawmakers exempted boats from this scam. Too many of them have large boats.
Anyway, we loaded up with our Italian host in the left front, our members from France and the UK in the back and me in the right front. Shortly after takeoff I was given the controls and flew most of the way to L'Aquila. Flew headings and altitudes. Your scan from the right seat when the instruments are on the left is a pain. I did have a second altimeter in front of me (and it did not agree with other one, about a 40-50 foot difference of opinion). And the best Hobbs meter I've ever seen. It didn't work and never changed. Too bad he wasn't billed by the Hobbs.
I gave the controls back as we started our decent into L'Aquila as I wasn't about to even think about making my first landing from the right seat with a full load. Plus, I needed to take some pictures.One the return trip the member from France and I swapped places and he flew part of the return trip.
Pictures show a few highlights from the trip. The first airport is L'Aquila. The second is Rome-Urbe. One of the pictures shows St. Peter's in the Vatican. Sorry about the quality of that one, we were a ways out (you most certainly are NOT allowed to overfly the Vatican). Another shows how the Pantheon sticks out from the air. Of course, the obligatory picture of the crew and plane.
