Leg 69 - Bretigny-sur-Orge (LFPY ) - Calias-Dunkerque (LFAC)

[mutley 4,498]

It’s dark, I’m cold, Matt left in a hurry before I could thank him. I made my way to the fuel pump and sure enough, the baton was there in amongst the grime. I make sure the now badly repaired baton was safely stored in my rucksack. I’ll be travelling light for the first part of my trip as my aircraft had been impounded at Le Bourget yesterday, for non-payment of landing fees and fuel as our credit card company had stopped the card again (can’t think why!). I'll have to pitch up with the Euros to settle the bill before I can reclaim the aircraft.
 
Le Bourget is over on the north side of Paris, and Bretigny-sur-Orge on the south. I had arranged to meet up with our new benefactor, a Mr Marty Putinfeldman, at the Musee du Louvre to pick up a cash donation, без всяких условий he said (lied).  He also mentioned Putinfeldman would be in disguise but I would know him when I see him.
 
So I was off to the (infamous) Bretigny-sur-Orge train station, the location of a rail disaster back in 2013, to buy a billet de train. It turned out the SNCF had called a strike demanding more garlic in their staff restaurants and 52 weeks paid holidays a year, so rail travel was out of the question. Apparently Mr Putinfeldman was a man with many contacts in the military and had managed to lay on air some transport to get me into the city, so we leave at dawn!
 
So this is to be my aircraft. I get a briefing on the apron above noise of the idling engine on the paramotor:
 

 
I took off from the apron into the wind, the runways are non-active anyway so that saved me a considerable time taxiing:
 

 
As soon as I had risen above the height of the hangars I could see the romantic lights of Paris on the horizon and it was easy to pick out the river course too. My next waypoint would be Orly Airport:
 

 
It wasn't difficult to find:
 

 
.. I had permission to fly not below 2000ft:
 

 
Now I’m tracking the river Seine, looking back, Orly is just now a distant memory:
 

 
With the power station ahead, I climb again to clear the high tension wires:
 

 
We turn left where the Marne meets the Seine:
 

 
Many bridges cross the river, we are approaching the distinctive sports arena on the right:
 

 
The bells.. the bells.. Notre Dame with its Gothic arches:
 

 
And the stunning Louvre Museum, my palms start to sweat with the thought of the meeting soon to take place:
 

 
Turning into the beautiful courtyard area:
 

 
And a slightly pissed landing, the sudden weight of the motor makes me stumble:
 

 
Out of nowhere, one of Putinfeldman's goons appear:
 

 
Follow me he growls, I take the motor off and run after him:
 

 
We walk down long corridors showing fine art, we pass a sign “La Gioconda” this way".  
 
The goon grunts something and points me to the famous picture:
 

 
Strangely, the eyes in the picture follow me around the room, and then Marty Putinfeldman appears out of the painting:
 

 
“We’ve been expecting you, miester Mutley” he says in an appalling attempt to sound villainous. Not one for small talk he gets down to business straight away. "Here is the money", he offers it then snaps the cash away, "on one condition, I want to inspect the baton". We exchange goods and baton simultaneously. With that he levers the end off and looks angry that nothing fell out. "Happy?" I said. “suka, blyat” he replied and threw the baton to the floor before storming off.
 
Picking up the two pieces I hastily make my way back to the courtyard, don the motor and take off.

 

Relieved and happy, I make my way up the Champs Elysees:

 

 
There’s no way I can’t take the Arc de Triomphe challenge!:

 

 
Safely through, celebrations start at the Eiffel Tower:

 

 

And up we go again:

 

 
Now I head off to another must see attraction, the Sacre Coeur:

 

 
I look down on the Place du Tertre where tourists having their portrait painted:

 

 
And then on to the Stade de France, scene of England’s latest victory over France in the RBS 6 Nations cup:

 

 
My mind is now back on the task in hand and Le Bourget beckons:

 

 
I need to report to the tower:

 

 
My unconventional approach didn't really please them much:

 

 
Back on terra firma:

 

 
Engine off and unloading the paramotor an official ushers me to the tower:

 

 
We negotiated the release of the aircraft. Later that day. The bad weather over England had moved south. We get our clearance to Calais:

 

 
This shouldn't take too long:

 

 
We turn toward the NDB at Amiens:

 

 
It was nice to get above the clouds for a while:

 

 
Cloud and mist is a bit hit and miss, I decide I need to drop down below the murk:

 

 
Our waypoint of Amiens airfield approaches:

 

 
I now head out to Le Touquet and track the LT NDB:

 

 
LFAT in the distance:

 

 
We’ll turn right up the coast:

 

 
On a very distant base leg:

 

 
Over Coquelles and the marshalling yards near the entrance to the Channel Tunnel:

 

 
On final approach, #1 to land:

 

 
Bump! We land quite tidily (for a change):

 

 
Everyone is watching my roll out:

 

 
And with no further ado, I tape the baton back up and write my PIREP:

 

 

Looking around I can make out a bunch of familiar looking people and a cool dude making for the bar.. wait for me!

 

Sim and addons used: 

• P3Dv3
• Franz Luftfahrt Paramotor
• Albabeo Aztec
• Orbx Global Base, Vectors, OpenLC Europe
• France VFR - Paris - Ile de France
• REX 4
• Active Sky Next
   

[needles 1,013]

Superb PIREP Joe.

what a way to go, my lad would have been jealous if he had seen you with the paraglider.

I particularly liked the photo of you in your younger days. Good job you went to specsavers.

i really enjoyed this, cheers.

 

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

Marty Lisa...5 stars just for that image Joe. Awesome Sauce.

Add another 5 for the rest of the trip itself and this one merits a Gold Medal for sure.

 

 

...down Mutley down boy down DOWN.

 

Loved the para-motor, what a terrific city tour platform. Best Visibility ever.

Good work not doing an Arc de Failure...that could have hung the ATWC up a bit...

 

Great PIREP

 

Alright...settle down now. You got more work to do.

 

 

[J G 927]

What a PIREP Boss! I couldn't have done better myself!

 

For a moment I thought you had gone over to the dark side!  You were lucky to come away unscathed from your encounter with my arch enemy!

 

I think he will be hopping mad at finding the Baton empty. Fortunately he knows not where I live.

[brett 2,315]

A pleasing read and great tour of France Joe, you make it look so easy.

 

It was scary seeing that guy up close shiver and you were so brave. A big thanks to our fearless leader.

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

" I took off from the apron into the wind, the runways are non-active anyway so that saved me a considerable time taxiing: "

 

I imagine taxiing a paramotor must be a considerable drag...

[hurricanemk1c 195]

Highly interesting time there Joe! Must have been a bit cold in that paraglider!

[mutley 4,498]

Thanks for your comments guys, it was great fun flying over Paris in the paramotor, the scenery is a sim-killer though and I had to run it at normal density to avoid a slide show, but it was worth it.

Cheers.

Joe

[stu7708 244]

Wow.. that were some stunning shots of Paris, and I'm duly impressed that you didn't snag one of the lines when passing through the Arc de Triomphe

 

Now I'm off to get that final PIREP video finished.. still have some polishing to do on it!!

[hlminx 301]

Totally brilliant PIREP Joe! Sounds like a very tense moment with Marty Putinfeldman but expertly handled 

Love the Paris scenery too; very realistic.. 

Sounds like the baton is going to need some TLC before the next series!