Leg 32: Good Question - Simon Bolivar Intl (SEGU)

[hurricanemk1c 195]

At the end of the last leg, I left you all wondering where I was, following the failure of the canopy on my Lightning. I was wondering that myself, and there appeared to be no-one around to ask. Surprisingly, mobile reception was also poor (considering the vast open space I was standing in), so it's taken me a while to source an alternative form of transportation to get to Simon Bolivar International (somewhere that, at this particular time, sounded like heaven)

 

A few hours later, I managed to venture into the local town. San Juan de Marcona is a town of around 20,000 people with vast reserves of iron ore. The Chinese bought the mining company in 2009 and is the main source of employment in the town. That's the only real reason for the airport and port (and indeed the town being there in the first place). Anyway, through the power of luck (since I don't speak Spanish, Quechua, Aymara or Chinese, I managed to source my next ride

 

 

A nice Olympus 301-powered Vulcan B2. That should do the trick, especially for what I have planned for Putinfeld's cronies

 

Engines started and nice cool air starts to circulate. I hate the heat

 

 

As per normal for a Vulcan, she leaps into the air, even with a full fuel load

 

 

However it is very easy to overspeed.....

 

 

Turning to follow the coast

 

 

Leaving our calling card

 

 

At an appropriate point, I open the bomb doors and drop a 28lb practice bomb, with a note wrapped around it

 

 

Quote

Nice try. So long and thanks for all the fish

 

 

Now, you should all recall that I dropped a "package" at a certain point and requested the location from ATC. This was my lunchbox (that was rapidly emptied before being ejected). Knowing that Putinfeld would think it was the baton, and a chance to ensnare a pilot, I allowed him to go on a nice pointless journey. I do hope he's a Douglas Adams fan though......

 

Little job done, we carry on northwards

 

 

 

Cruising along at 45,000ft - not much to see really!

 

 

Especially out of a Vulcan

 

 

Just as we finish cruise-climbing to 50,000ft, it's time to descend

 

 

I hatch another plan, looking roughly at the map. If we fly up that estuary, we arrive at the airport. Nice and low

 

 

Going down!

 

 

Having been sat at high altitude for most of the flight, it was good to get down in the dirt for the last section

 

 

Giving the fish a wash

 

 

What my navigator forgot to tell me was the city of Guayaquil was in between us and the airport. Ah well, the locals got a nice surprise

 

 

 

My entrance was, shall we say, unorthodox. And loud

 

 

 

Top of the climb, having climbed the 10,000ft in less than a minute

 

 

With a touch more fuel to burn, I went in for another low pass

 

 

And a loop, just to finish things off

 

 

Being sensible for a change, a decent landing

 

 

Hmm, don't like the look of that King Air that started to taxi as soon as we landed

 

 

Luckily he carried on past and soon took flight. Plan B would have been a blast of the throttles

 

 

And all shut down in Simon Bolivar's Airport, although now it's José Joaquín de Olmedo's.

 

 

I hope Steph is here soon. I hate hot weather

 

IRIS Vulcan used

Note: No fish were harmed in the course of the flight!

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

Transformed into a Vulcan Decepticon! Hope your Con keeps Put busy for a while...Loved it! I also liked the way you checked the FOD on the ramp very closely before risking aircraft engines. 

[brett 2,283]

Watched Guy Martin's Last Flight of the Vulcan a week ago, I can just imagine what the town and airport thought about that sound assault. 

 

Outstanding PIREP Chuck, nice work giving Putinfield the run around too.

[mutley 4,487]

How low can you go! Thanks Chuck, ATWC central has been inundated with complaints of noise and sheep prematurely going into labour, obviously I denied all knowledge and blamed the Ruskies!

Great PIREP Chuck