The early bird gets the worm. And that is good to know !
Near 00h00utc (04:00 local time), it is the hardest moment of the day. While the sun's rays have not caressed the relief of the Island yet. But easy to find comfort when you know that what is coming within the next hours are ... flights !
Tight timing between the departure and the sunrise to arrive approximately 15 minutes before the take-off schedule, I should precise, in theory!
Opening of sheds and quick preflight check just to be sure that no trace of weakness would have appeared at night and especially if the plane has been used by other pilots since my last flight. I check with a little more interest on the cablings of the controls, the running circuit and the horizontal empennage!
Then it's time to meet and to get my first passenger of the day. Some of them are just terrified, in trepidation, ecxited, true VHF or on the contrary ... so, so silent. Working at a tourist company, I am lucky to fly with many foreign passsengers, most of them coming from the French mainland, but also from other horizons as Austria, Germany (many germans actually), Spain, Suizzerland, Belgium, China, Laos, and even more.
Tight timing between the departure and the sunrise to arrive approximately 15 minutes before the take-off schedule, I should precise, in theory!
Opening of sheds and quick preflight check just to be sure that no trace of weakness would have appeared at night and especially if the plane has been used by other pilots since my last flight. I check with a little more interest on the cablings of the controls, the running circuit and the horizontal empennage!
Then it's time to meet and to get my first passenger of the day. Some of them are just terrified, in trepidation, ecxited, true VHF or on the contrary ... so, so silent. Working at a tourist company, I am lucky to fly with many foreign passsengers, most of them coming from the French mainland, but also from other horizons as Austria, Germany (many germans actually), Spain, Suizzerland, Belgium, China, Laos, and even more.
The early takeoff is performed by no wind, or calm wind conditions while the atmosphere is still asleep on the island.
There are days, when everything is quiet. But sometimes, it is definetely necessary to prepare psychologically his passenger, to warn him that he is going to need to be held and to try not to think of the turbulences. Indeed, in flight, by microlight, when pilots report to others that it's shaking somewhere, it means it's strong ! And this, even by clear air. Thank you seatbelts!
The most beautiful landscapes I have known during these last years were during dawn and twilight flights. And I know that many photos I take are clouds, but I like them. And when the oceans of clouds which sometimes recover the East coast of the island are painted with sometimes blazing colors of the rising sun, the sets of shadows are just ... wonderful !
 |
| Lowlands under the cover You can see the Piton de la Fournaise dome farther on the left |
 |
| Mafate's Waves |
The most beautiful landscapes I have known during these last years were during dawn and twilight flights. And I know that many photos I take are clouds, but I like them. And when the oceans of clouds which sometimes recover the East coast of the island are painted with sometimes blazing colors of the rising sun, the sets of shadows are just ... wonderful !
 |
| Scattered clouds day over paradise |
 |
| Top of Piton des Neiges (10 000 ft) |
Safe flights everybody !
Nothing is the same on every flight, this is what is magical :)
RépondreSupprimerAlways a pleasure to read your narratives
Fly safe! ;)
Thanks you very much Yohann,
RépondreSupprimerHow lucky we are to live in this paradise !
Fly safe & see you soon !
Jolies photos ! ;)
RépondreSupprimer