ATWC 047 - Pine Cay (MBPI) to the Bahamas (MYSM)

[hurricanemk1c 195]

Welcome again to this, my last (boo hoo!) ATWC III Leg. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed flying it!

Well, I was going to fly Leg 50 (shall post in the screenshots part after Andrew has posted), but also got Leg 47. Some creative thinking was needed..........

**BRING BRING****BRING BRING*****

'Hello?'

'Hi, I'm Captain Eric O'Toole from the Irish Air Corps and we were wondering, erm, whether you wanted a trip with us?'

'Erm OK - where are you?'

'Baldonnel'

'WHAT! The leg is from Pine Cay in the South Pacific!'

'We'll send a Riems 172 straight to you. Slán go fóil'

'Slán!'

I put the phone down. So, the Irish Air Corps are sending a Riems/Cessna 172 to here, from Baldonnel, 5890NM away. How are they going to do it?

A couple of days later, I found out :

**BRING BRING****BRING BRING**

Hello, Captain Kieran Marshall here'

'Can you come down to the airport? There's something that needs to be signed'

'What king of 'thing'?'

'A Cessna-sized thing'

'I'll be right down'

The phone slammed down, and by the time the ringing stopped, I was away........

Meeting me at the airport was Eric. He welcomed me and showed me to the aircraft

'Here she is'

'OK - lets get the engine started..CLEAR PROP'

'Contact!'

'Tower, this is Irish 47, requesting permission to taxi out'

'Irish 47, you are clear to taxi for immediate take-off from runway 11, winds are calm'

'Thank you Tower, am taxing now'

'Right, GO!'

'Let's turn to course'

'Airfield in sight'

'Landing'

'Thanks again Eric'

Stopped

'Slán támaill Eric!'

'Slán abhaile!'

So, I've still go a few hundred miles to go. Luckly, at this deserted place, I bumped into two crewmembers from Germany

'So sorry!'

'Don't vorry. Ve take things very lightly. Vat is that thing?' Pointing at the baton

'Oh, it's only the ATWC baton'

They bow obeidently. 'All hail ze Baton!'

Standing up, they asked me one simple thing - to transport the baton.

'Well, OK - but I must fly the aircraft. What is the aircraft?'

'Oh - it is ze TSR-2!'

Nerves tangled down me like hail on a tin roof. A TSR-2! What a beautiful aircraft, and in service! Someone must have restarted production....

We talked, getting to know each other well. Captain Ottomar Kruse, Otto for short, and Navigation Officer Heinz Rocker. They both came from Hamburg, the city that Bomber Command ruined in 1943. But I musn't metion the war...........

We arranged to fly tomorrow morning, not matter what weather. We all went into the same hotel. I ordered a bacon, sausage and cheese baguette for both dinner and breakfast the next morning. I think you can tell I like meat.....

Walking to the airport, the ceiling was about 1000ft. Heinz was to fly with me in the back, while Otto followed in a Tyhoon loaned from the RAF.

We climbed in, and as I was sorting stuff out in the cockpit, Heinz was loading the nav and attack computer, minus attack

'Baron 47, you are cleared for a push and start, followed by immediate taxi'

'Ignition!'

Turning onto the runway, we pushed down the runway to 28. We were cleared to take-off as soon as we entered the runway

Turning around

'Eins, Zwei, Drei, go!'

Powering up 'Gear up!'

The airport dissapearing into the mist, with Otto taking off about now

Leaving our mark on the enviroment

Otto took the following photos, saying 'Cheese!'

'Going downnnnnnnn!!!!!'

'Gear is locked, airbrakes out!'

'Chute deployed!

And stopped

'Thanks once again Otto, Heinz. I'll have to come visit you both in Germany now!'

'Fair enough. Now, ve must get back home. Our airbase is (CLASSIFIED). See you their someday!'

'OK - cool! Bye!'

And that concludes my contribution to the ATWC III. See me in the bar Richard - what do you want to eat?!

[CSoul 182]

TSR2! You don't see that everyday. Great flight. :001_th_smiles89:

[rob16584 42]

Well done Kieran. I liked your approach angle!

[ddavid 149]

Ah, Kieran, you certainly have the gift! Most entertaining - loved the dialogue - your best yet!

And what a set of aircraft - the biggest to the smallest (almost) to the fastest (possibly!) - excellent. Like Rob, I found your approach - well - unusual...

Anyways, thanks for sharing and brightening up a cold and misty day!

Cheers - Dai.

[Aidan 1]

Great LEg, see you in AWTC IV

[hurricanemk1c 195]

Thanks for all the comments!

Dai - those afterburners would warm (and brighten!) up your day!

[SEATAC 400]

Kieran, I'm on my way. Order me a Coca Cola please. Oh, and a burger and fries too. I'm flying soon so I'll save the beer for later.

Nice plane that TSR-2. You must have the only flying one in the world. I googled it and only 10 were built, not all completed and only 1 ever flew. Hang on to that one.

[hurricanemk1c 195]

Well Richard, in my world, TSR-2 was never cancelled.

Barman, burger, fries and a coke for my friend. And a sausage, bacon and cheese baguette for me please. Put it on the card...

[stu7708 244]

Great stuff Kieran..

And to top of the great shots you also managed to work a bit of Fawlty Towers in to it :icon_thumbup:

[mutley 4,495]

Great post Kieran, your best yet!

With 3 aircraft I am dreading the fuel bill coming in!

So, stuck in the Bahamas, nice work if you can get it.

Keep the baton safe we don't want any mishaps!

Cheers,

Joe

[hurricanemk1c 195]

Well Joe, I haven't got an exact fuel bill yet, but the Luftwaffe are paying for the TSR-2 (it was on deployment thus needed to do that flight). Eric and myself (using your card) have agreed to split the fuel for the Cessna in half, and as for the -225, well, I'll get back to you.....