- 1969: 12 minutes airborne airport 'Hilversum' (EHHV)
- Flying experiences...
- On this page I keep track of some of my experiences in the air (other than airline travel) and provide information on the planes I've had the pleasure to fly...
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- As long as I can remember I've wanted to fly aeroplanes...
- One of the first opportunities was a 12 minute tour above Loosdrecht around 1969.... After that, apart from being an airline passenger, things got to a standstill, although I was present at a lot of air shows, and visited museums and airports as 'spotter'... Things accelerated in 1997, thanks to a lot of people, but especially Wouter. He enabled me to get a significant amount of 'unregistered' flying time in Cessna 172's, both in the Netherlands, and in the USA. After a lot exams (11 in total, 9 of which theoretical and 2 practice), medical examinations, excursions and training flights, I obtained my (national) flying license June 2003 and my PPL (international) license in August 2004.
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Science, freedom, beauty, adventure,What more can you ask of life.
Aviation combines all these elements we love...- Charles A. Lindbergh
'Aviator' Henk van Hoorn gave me an explanation of this aeroplane and subsequently I was even allowed to start the Lenape Papoose engine and play around with the gas handle.
Henk crossed the Channel in this aeroplane from Bleriot Plage to Dover on 21 May 2010, to commemorate the same journey in this type aeroplane by Jacques de Lesseps in 2010.
Allthough these pictores are taken on the grounds of the Aviodrome (Lelystad, NL) the PH-BLE is maintained in the hangars of the Stichting Vroege Vogels (Early Birds Foundation).
(click on the picture to enlarge)
Another 2 years passed, many DA20 and DA40D hours later... Time again for the bi-annual checkride... Decided on a spin demo with the General Avia F22 B PH-MRB. Big mistake... pilot license renewed, c/o for yet another type of plane (F22, how does that sound!) and a week later I was following a basic aerobatics training by CFI Wesley.
(click on the picture to enlarge)
- Successful 'check - out' by Patrick van 't Foort in the Diamond DA40-TDI
- with a 'glass cockpit' (G1000 in PH-TDG), May 3, 2008 (photo: Diamondair)
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- In the PH-DAI (Diamond Star DA40 D) and the
- PH-TDG below (after the G1000 checkride 3 May 2008).
- Photo: Bert Visser; click on the picture for a full size photograph)
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9
December 2007; unexpected pleasure to join owner and pilot Thies S.
for an hour in his impressive Max Holste 1521 C1 'Broussard' F-BNEX
.
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First solo, July 2, 2001
Successful 'check - out' in the Diamond DA40-TDI (PH-TDI, PH-CAE, OE-KPM etc.), July 30, 2005 (photo's; Marc Boon)
Successful 'check - out' in the Cessna 172, March 9, 2004
On my own, with or without passengers, as from July, 2003 (photo: Yorick)
- The flight-training put me in the 'left seat' in the HOAC/Diamond Katana DV20; PH-USJ , PH-USI and PH-USH
- Owned by Wings over Holland, the company managed by the famous pilot Bert Huizenga. My flight instructor was Ron Handgraaf.
"Los
komen van de grond is los komen van je beslommeringen. Overzien waarvan
je dacht dat het niet te overzien was. Alles in vakjes verdeeld tot een
groot geheel. Alles past precies in elkaar. Wat maak je je druk. Het
komt best voor elkaar. Meegenomen in een vlucht die je open en licht
maakt. Zo vrij, vrij in de licht gedragen worden en gewiegd. Tot in je
binnenste geraakt, dat gevoel als je vliegt. In zo'n superklein
vliegtuig die tot grote hoogte kan stijgen. Ja, als een vogel, een
vogel zo vrij. Niet genoeg van te krijgen!"
Mariette van den Boogaard, december 2004
Another great experience! June 10 2006, together with Marion in the PH-PHY, with 2 splash & go's south of Urk; have a look at the website of a great team that's enabling people to enjoy this great experience and keep history alive and flying!
- Pictures above (click on the top-left or top-right picture for a larger size)
- July 18, 2003: With Ron and Marion to Germany in a C172: PH-LFA, roundtrip: EHLE-EDWR (Borkum) -EDWL (Langeoog)-EHLE
- From left to right: the Rotax engine, the 'office' and the magnificent view from the cockpit...
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- Other experiences...
- October 12 up to and including October 20, 2002: another great week in on the East - Coast of the USA.
- Together with Wouter again, over 20 hours in the excellently equipped Cessna 172SP, N645PD, experiencing VFR, IFR and night VFR...
- And... a first helicopter-ride over Disney from Kissimmee (near Orlando) in the backseat of N206RV, a Bell 206B.
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- October 16, 2001: what to do if all Katana's are grounded? Just enjoy a great lesson in a classic Piper PA18-150 Super Cub.
- This old-timer was build in 1954 but is in great shape and fun to fly!
January 8, 2002: after my regular instruction flight in the Katana, an opportunity to join Ron Handgraaf and Eric Maassen in the brand-new DA-40. With it's impressive state-of-the-art avionics, beautiful and spacious cabin and fantastic view from all positions insight. And it seems to handle fine too, well we'll find out later on...
October 13, 2001, great ride in a DC3 PH-DDZ; EHAM, Alphen a/d Rijn, Renswoude and back..
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On 'Hemelvaartsdag' May 9, 2002 Frank Philips offers me and Marion a ride from the best glider location in the Netherlands; Terlet near Arnhem.We rode the PH-457, a Schleicher ASK-13, build in 1973 owned by the Zuidhollandse Vliegclub.
Another great ride! Thanks to the society 'Onze Luchtmacht', June 26th 2002 I went on a ride with a KLu Fokker F60. Starting from Eindhoven, via Den Bosch, Dordrecht and the Moerdijk back to Eindhoven again.
I've been up and down London with the commercial variant as well, but the seating is not exactly
comparable...
- Scheibe Motorfalke SF-25 C PH- 853 (archive picture)
(archive picture)- Alexander Schleicher Kaiser AS-K21 PH-759
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- On a clear summer evening, May 11, 2001, 55 minutes with Jan Brouwer (PIC) in the PH-853 over the coast in the Scheveningen/Noordwijk area from the Navy airport Valkenburg and after that 20 minutes with Christian van Musscher (PIC) after a 'lierstart' in the PH-759.
- Thanks to Frank Philips and the 'Zuidhollandse Vliegclub'
- Together with Wouter and his guests, many hours cross country flying through the Netherlands in the Cessna 172 (PH-JBB).
Thanks to Wouter & 'check ride' Frode Havko...-
- October /November 1998 trip to NJ, USA.
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- Many miles and hours in a Cessna 172, the N7020Q,
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- well documented on my webpage...
Thanks to Wouter ter Meulen and Kurt Fanders...- October 28, 1998. In the jump seat of the Cessna 414 N9NM from the private strip of Inductotherm Rancocas to Glenns Falls (NY) and back. Not too far from the Canadian border. A genuine IFR flight...
- In 1995 a ride in the Piper Cadet PA-28 (PH-LED) of 'Vliegclub Flevo' with Frans Breusker in the company of Yorick.
- On April 14, 2001 I had instruction flight with Henk Ceulemans in a sister - plane: the PH-VFA.
- November 1989, a hot air balloon ride with Erik Bosman,
- 1 hour and 24 minutes from Amersfoort to Hilversum.
In the PH-JBB (Cessna 172)