PIREP Leg 60 Khartoum to Sharm El Sheikh International

[J G 927]

Kieran not coming.  Apparently a sudden attack of “going on holiday” has prevented her from coming to Khartoum. I don’t blame you Kieran, I wouldn’t choose to holiday in here.  Have a great time wherever you are going! 

I had the fitters at Khartoum look at the Dragon in view of the ack-ack incident getting here ,Hopping to get on my way as soon as possible.

 

If every cloud has a silver lining, it also has the ability to p**s on you. The fitters told me that the right wing damage was worse that I had thought and the aircraft wouldn’t be going anywhere for a while. When I asked how long to fix it I was greeted with a great sucking of teeth and shaking of heads, the Khartoum equivalent of “Werl mate, I dun-know – abart a couple of  munfs and it ain’t gonna be cheap”. 

 

Drat and double drat!

 

If only Clive was here I am sure he would get it fixed in a trice and I could be on my way. Decision time on the Dragon, what to do with it.  No contest really, I had her crated up as she was and shipped back to Blighty, (as sponsored by Mutley’s credit card.)  I was building quite a collection now – Thanks Joe!

 

I found myself a hotel, the Acropole Hotel, in Zibeir Pascha Street. It was nice and very comfortable, and as Khartoum is well away from the unrest, I should have felt safe at last.  

But I didn’t.  I had that feeling again. Unnerving as it was, it just wouldn’t leave me. That feeling of being watched was eating away at me.

 

My lovely hotel.

 

 As you can see from the photo, the area in which the hotel was, there was nobody much around. How could someone be watching me? 

 

Khartoum Centre

 

The streets in down town Khartoum were a different ball game, plenty of scope for shadowing me there, although I saw nobody suspicious the whole time I was there

.

I had to fly to Sharm El Sheikh for the next leg, over 750 miles away, and I needed a suitable aircraft to do it in.  I headed to the airport to see what I could find.

 

What I found suited me nicely.  In the ‘60s Hunting sold several Jet Provosts to Sudan. These were eventually replaced by Hongdu K-8 trainers and retired. I was given the opportunity to purchase one of these retired aircraft in top condition, payment to be made to a very senior officer in the Sudanese Air Force’s Swiss bank account. So about as Kosher as a bacon sandwich then. Payment made (thanks again Mutley), the aircraft was mine.  “Oh just one thing”, the sellers agent said after the transaction was complete.  “You will have to have the aircraft repainted before you fly her, She cannot be seen in the air in her Sudanese Air force colours.”

 

My jet Provost in Sudanese colours.

 

“Why ever not?” I said.

 

“Because, officially the Sudanese air force has destroyed her.” Was the reply as the man left.  So, as kosher as Christmas then.

 

This was another delay that I didn't want. Fortunately the Sudanese colours were very similar to the RAF colours and not many layers were required. So I had the repaint done in as an RAF T5, and only had to wait a week.

 

I had now been in Khartoum for ten days and felt sure that the red haired man would have caught me up by now.  So I made sure that the Provost was kept out of sight all the time, and made it my business to bribe its existence into secrecy with anyone who came into contact with it. This wasn’t as hard as you might think, as the vendor was very keen to make sure no one knew of the deal. I was sure that this is the main reason why the re-painters etc kept silent of everything concerning the aircraft, I would fly away, but the vendor would always be there.

 

A couple of days later I was at the airport sorting out documentation for my departure to Sharm El Sheikh when I saw a Pucara land. It was plane grey with no identification marks on it. Interesting I thought, perhaps a retired Sri Lanka aircraft, I was sure they had retired at least one. If that wasn't unusual enough I had to quickly duck out of sight as I saw the Red headed man approach the parked aircraft. He greeted the pilot and walked into the airport buildings with him.

 

On my way to the hotel I pondered on what the red headed man wanted with a ground attack aircraft.  For the life of me I couldn’t think of one.

 

At twenty to four the morning I awoke with a start. I knew what he was up to! The Pucara was a ground attack aircraft, but it had a very slow stall speed, about 85 mph if I remembered correctly. Fast enough to catch, and slow enough to sit behind a cruising Dragon Dominie.  It would be able to out manoeuvrethe Dragon, and more importantly, blow it out of the air with its two 20 mm canons and 4 machine guns. He thought I was going to continue on my way in the Dragon!

 

I went to the airport to see if I could verify my theory, and this is what I found:

 

 

The Red Headed man on instant readiness.

 

He was waiting for me to go and then he was planning to take off after me, catch me and shoot me down.

 

The Jet Provost was unarmed, but it could out climb, had a higher ceiling, and was faster than the newer Pucara.  It would be dicey when I took off and potentially during my climb, but once over 32,000 feet I should be home and dry. 

The element of surprise was important when I left, I wanted to get into the air before him and then I was confidant I could better him and reach safety through altitude. I submitted the flight plan to Lagos for the Dragon Dominie. Low and slow and a long way to go. That should put him off the scent.

 

Bogus Flight Plan

 

The following day the aircraft was ready. She had been hangered since purchase and I planned to go directly from the hanger to the runway and take off.  All set then, I submitted the real flight plan to Sharm El Sheikh for the Jet Provost.

 

Actual Flight Plan

 

I did the walk around and climbed into the aircraft with the hangar doors still shut. Next I went through the pre-start and I got taxi clearance, then the start checklist and started the engine. Only then were the hanger doors opened. I began the taxi to the runway and was slightly amused to see Red Head run over to our hanger, stop, scratch his head, and then start running round like a headless chicken trying to start up the Pucara. Amazingly He got taxi clearance fast enough, but only such that he was separated from me by a Boeing 757 and an Airbus A300.

 

Take off

 

There was no delay in clearing me for takeoff. Heading west towards Lagos, I started to climb quickly.

 

 

Climb to FL200

 

At 20,000 ft I levelled out and looked for the Pucara. There he was, heading west and about 8,000 ft.  He had realised he couldn’t catch me as was high tailing it to Lagos. I smiled and turned the aircraft around and set a course to Sharm EL Sheikh. It was clear that Redhead realised I had switched aircraft, but hadn’t had time to check the flight plans. Hook line and sinker as they say. I think that will be the last we see of him, by the time he gets to Lagos and realizes that the baton is elsewhere, It will be too late for him to pick up the scent and get to us again before we reach the safety of Europe. He will have failed in his mission and will probably get banned from AVSIM.

 

Dipping in the turn back northwards

 

Time to get back to the job in hand. I turned northward and on to the ASN VOR. As a precaution I gently climbed to 35,000 feet and started my cruise.

 

FL 350 Away and safe

 

 

Having reached 35,000 feet, I knew I was safe. I monitored the radio chatter for signs of a return of the redhead in case he rumbled the false trail, but there were none.

 

The Nile below

 

The flight wore on, desert and more desert below me, only broken by the green snake that is the Nile from above.

 

Late Afternoon over the desert

 

The trip was a long one. The sun started to dip on the horizon visibility dropped as the dust from the desert produced a haze across the world below. Reaching the ASN VOR is switch frequencies and picked up the HDG VOR which would take me to the Red Sea coast. I made the turn and took the aircraft down to FL20.

 

Red Sea in the distance

 

Then at last the Red Sea emerged in the distance from the haze. By now the sun was lower still and the evening’s glow shone out.  On reaching HDG I turned towards the HESH VOR and started my decent

.

 

 

Red Sea evening

 

It was a fine evening, I hadn’t felt so relaxed since leaving Dubai, a couple of weeks ago. A couple of weeks? It felt like a couple of years!

 

On finals at Sharm El Sheikh

 

Sharm was not busy at this time, and ATC had me lined up to land in no time at all. Wind was low and the evening fine, so a straight forward landing was in the offing.

 

Dusky touchdown

 

I made a perfect landing and slowed to a walking pace on the runway; very satisfying. It was almost dark now with only a glow in the west remaining of the day.

 

Taxi to parking

 

I taxied the Provost to the stand and shut down the aircraft. I had enjoyed flying this aircraft, there is something very pleasant in flying this relatively simple jet aircraft

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Leg completed – Parked up at Sharm

 

Another leg completed. Whilst watching the sun go down from the air I had been planning my next few days.  First thing is to hand the baton on to Remmington, then it is some R & R at one of the many diving concerns here. If I am not up in the air, there is nothing better than to be under the water. After that, well home to England in the provost I think, and wait to see what the European section brings. 

 

[hifly 925]

A fine trip John, entertaining as ever, good thinking to throw carrot top off you trail. Enjoy your scuba do.

[stu7708 244]

Great PIREP John, and thanks again for stepping in with short notice.

 

Good job on sending the red head in the wrong direction too, hopefully he's gone for good now!!  He's a cunning little fellow though.. keeps moving his eye-patch from his left to his right eye too keep us from recognizing him 

 

Just in case I've taken some precautions for my flight.. I've got my plane in Valletta getting equipped to cope with the worse  

[brett 2,315]

That's the way to outmaneuver that crazed madman.   I have to tell ya, I think you have driven the poor man to an eating disorder, he is starting to look a bit chubby. I'm surprised he even fit in the plane.

 

Thanks for taking on the leg John, you get a new aircraft and I'm sure Keiran will send you a postcard. Win, win baby.

 

I hope that was the last we have seen of Red, or have we........

[remingtonbox 18]

I don't think I have the chops to continue this story!  Great PIREP...

[mutley 4,498]

Well done John on another courageous flight, I can see a big bonus coming your way 

 

I enjoy reading your PIREPs and it really pees off the PML with my snorting in the middle of her favourite soap! 

[mutley 4,498]

I don't think I have the chops to continue this story!  Great PIREP...

 

You are well up to it Rem.. if I remember your last PIREP correctly 

[hurricanemk1c 195]

Superb shots and story there John - much more interesting that what mine would have been!