February 2011 - Hide and Seek in Isreal/Palestine

It was Mid-January before I arrived (via the EXTRA Flight: Tribute to the 727) into Quito. However, I had promised to fly only FS Flight Club International Liveries for the year and I had some additional testing I wanted to do on the more than 40 aircraft I now have in the Flight Club Hangar. With two parallel runways I knew that Bogata would provide a good testing ground for some of these newly downloaded and repainted FSX planes so after just a few days back in Ecuador I loaded up the Flight Club IL-76 Cargo jet and headed to Colombia. (pict1) (pict2) (pict3)
When the details of Peter's 2011 Rogaine arrived I was initially excited to fly in a new area (There is an EXTRA flight called, "Flying Below Sea Level" that takes us through this part of the world). However, I received an additional e-mail from Peter explaining that I had won the last TWO Rogaines and was therefore inelligable to win this one. I rebuttled that both of my previous victories had been with FS2004 and this time I'd be flying FSX so since it was a new catagory I WOULD compete. Peter replied that, like a term-of-service in government, my two terms were up and I could not "win" this event. (Considering that Peter only had four PIREPs the last time I'd think he'd want to encourage everyone to participate but oh well ...)
Since there was no need to hurry off to Isreal, I stayed in Colombia doing some flight testing for another week. Finally I made an afternoon departure in the Flight Club's 787-Stretch and flew all night with an AM arrival into Tel Aviv Isreal. (pict4) (pict5) Once in Tel Aviv I contacted the Collector and ended up with an A-7 Corsair II for this feature which will take me into as many Isreali and Palestinian airports as possible (with a couple Jordanian one's thrown in just for fun). If Peter didn't want me to do the Rogaine, that's fine but I could still challenge myself to see how many airports I could put the wheels on in one BIG DAY of flying.
I left Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport at 06:30 (pict6)with the following plan: 8.0 miles to LLSD (pict7) 4.7 miles to LLHZ (pict8) 17.9 miles to LLES (pict9) (pict10) 15.0 miles to LLMG (pict11) 4.9 miles to LLRD (pict12) (pict13) 12.9 miles to Z15C (pict14) 5.2 miles to LLHA (pict15) (pict16) 37.2 miles to LLKS (hit MACH 0.92!) (pict17) 14.2 miles to LLIB (pict18) (Where I stopped off for a snack and nature break. It was 07:30) (pict19) 13.8 miles to OS73 (pict20) (pict21) (pict22) 45.5 miles to Z14Z (pict23)(Nearly 9,900 feet long!) (pict24) (pict25) 15.3 miles to LLJR (pict26) (pict27) (pict28) 14.0 miles to Z15E 6.9 miles to LLEK 7.5 miles to LL59 8.3 miles to LLHS 42.3 miles to LLMZ 12.3 miles to LL1B 9.2 miles to LLNV 36.5 miles to LLEY 43.5 miles to LL63 14.6 miles to Z17F 25.3 miles to LLET 22.6 miles to LLOV 43.7 miles to LLMR 10.3 miles to LLRM (dislexics be scared, only 10 miles apart) 12.6 miles to LL60 29.5 miles to LLBS 4.5 miles to LL1N 2.0 miles to LL62 20.5 miles to LLAZ 8.6 miles to LVGZ 570 miles total
You noticed that the pictures went away? Well, there is story with that. I said above that I set out with this plan. Sometimes plans change. I had gotten out of the aircraft at LLIB and it was all oddly quiet. Warm breezes ... some light highway traffic ... a couple of birds but there was nothing to be seen. I went to a couple of other airports after that, all but abandoned.
I tried some high-G maneuvering around Z14Z but something was just lacking.
I tried climbing higher to see some scenery (photo 25) but frankly, since Peter had already disqualified my participation in the Rogaine I was a bit bored. I had headed to Jeruselem with every intention of completing the mission but as I turned to finals I saw the buildings ... the sparkling dome of the temple (pict29) ... on short finals I flew over a marketplace and suddenly the bag-lunch in my ruck sack was not appealing. I landed at LLJR, parked, shut down and abandoned the A-7. I headed off into the city and got lost for about four days!
Of course, the Rogaine challenge is to be done in 24 hours and I was now well beyond hope of finishing in Tel Aviv. I made some phone calls and ordered the Flight Club's "Lancer" Exec Jet. While I was awaiting it's arrival I took a round trip in an EMB-190 to Istanbul. (pict30) A week later I eagerly took to the skies, this time with no flight plan! (pict31)
First of all I wanted to fly below sea level - skimming the surface of the Dead Sea! (pict32) Then I just flew for fun. (pict33) I did make a token touch-and-go through LLMZ (well below sea level!) (pict34) and then raced on southward. I was in Isreali, Jordanian and Egyptian airspace but .... I'm really unsure how I ended up at HETB Taba International Airport in Egypt. (pict35) (pict36)
"Taba (Arabic: ØÇÈÇý) is a small Egyptian town near the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba. Taba is the location of Egypt's busiest border crossing with neighboring Israel. Taba is a frequent vacation spot for Egyptians and tourists, especially those from Israel on their way to other destinations in Egypt or as a weekend getaway. It is the northernmost resort of Egypt's Red Sea Riviera."
Taba International has the following flights: EgyptAir Express to Cairo Embraer E-170 Jetairfly to Brussels Boeing 737 Monarch to London-Gatwick Airbus A320 Thomas Cook to Brussels Airbus A320 Thomson to Birmingham Airbus A320 or Boeing 737 Thomson to London-Gatwick Airbus A320 or Boeing 737 Thomson to Manchester Airbus A320 or Boeing 737 Thomas Cook to Amsterdam Boeing 737
I arrived into Taba on Sunday February 27th. On Monday the 28th I flew the Flight Club's Lear 35 down to Sharm el Sheik where I awaited news from Tony ... (pict37)
Peter, sorry that I was unable to complete the challenge but I did make it to the airports across the Northern half! Great idea though, I liked the fact that the objects were all easier to find - I hope others had some good luck. Cheers.