As I pulled the idle cut out for the last time on our return from the AYA Moroccan trip, and the faithful Lycoming fell silent, my co-pilot and long standing friend John Collins shook hands with me. After 33 eventful flying hours it was good to get home, but the memories and emotions of the previous 2 weeks will remain with us for ever.

It had started back in March this year, when the European Regional Director, Jörg Trauboth proposed that we should have an expedition to Morocco in September. My wife politely declined the offer, pleading a headache. I have known John since we flew together as 16 year old Air Training Corps cadets in 1953; we still share the use of a sailplane and he was the ideal companion for the trip and, what is more, he leapt at the opportunity.

“If we don’t do it while we are young” he said, “we never will”

So the die was cast, and we signed up for the great adventure.

As the year progressed we became aware of the efforts that Jörg was making to ensure the success of the trip. Details of maps and airspace for VFR flight were difficult to come by, but eventually we had assembled enough information and documentation aided by Henri Faivre who now lives in Morocco and by Sahib Bleher who also operates his business from there. However, it must be said that the cost of the documentation alone would have bought a couple of budget airline tickets to Casablanca! But, as we all know when we eat our 100$ hamburgers, that’s not the point, is it?

The number of potential participants fluctuated, but on the 5th September, five aircraft came together in glorious weather at Biarritz in the south west of France on the Spanish border, our jumping off point into Spain and beyond for the Great Unplanned Moroccan Air Tour, or GUMAT 2.

The UK contingent, all in their seventies consisted of Brian Hogan and John Jeffries in their Traveller G-MALC, and John Collins and me in the AA5A G-JAJB.

We left Biarritz on the morning of September 6th, in glorious sunshine, being rewarded with some spectacular views as we flew across the Pyrenees into Spain. While Jörg and Peter flew the 400 odd nautical miles direct to Cordoba, the other crews elected for a refuelling stop at Valladolid.

However we all arrived at Cordoba in good order only to find that, contrary to expectations, it was not a recognised point of exit for Morocco and that the Flight Plan, which needed to be filed 24 hours in advance, required Jerez to be nominated as our departure airport.

Consequently, the next morning we made an early departure to fly the 150 miles to Jerez. This is a busy international airport, but thanks to Jörg’s successful re-organisation of the flight plan the previous day, and to his powers of persuasion when dealing with the police and airport authorities, we quickly negotiated the security arrangements and were airborne again after an hour and a half and on our way for the short 60 mile leg to Tangier.

From Fez (Morocco) to Jerez (Spain)

That evening, with Ramadan approaching, our work was cut out to find a restaurant selling alcohol, but thanks to some good reconnaissance by Peter Romeikat such an establishment was located and we enjoyed an excellent meal and wine to round off a memorable if non flying day. With our planned programme now thoroughly disrupted by the weather and other events outside of our control, thoughts turned to how we were going to get to Majorca in time to meet our other European colleagues flying to the island for the coming week end.

As we assembled at Fez airfield on the morning of Wednesday the 12th September, our options looked distinctly limited. The intended route, north east to Melilla and thence straight across the Mediterranean to the Spanish airfield of Almeria was now blocked by low cloud, with no improvement forecast. Eventually it was decided that we would fly to Tangier and on to Jerez again, to try and get around the area of poor weather.

The plan worked, and we enjoyed a flight in steadily improving conditions as we flew west and then north. As we approached Tangier, the leader had a great idea.

“Let’s get clearance to fly up the runway at Gibralter” he announced on our common chat frequency.

You have to hand it to Jörg, after some exchanges with the Tangier controller who said that the route was not authorised and that we would have to await permission, Jörg said that yes he would wait! When after a 30 minute hold, permission was finally granted four of the squadron had the exhilarating experience of flying low over the runway at Gibraltar, while an urbane RAF controller took the whole thing in his stride.

There was a certain swagger apparent when the crews disembarked at Jerez airfield 40 minutes later.

From Jerez (Spain) to Majorca (Spain)

After an overnight stay in a reassuringly expensive hotel in Jerez, the weather for the next leg was not promising. The area of low pressure was still close by and Cbs were forecast. I would have cheerfully stayed in bed, but Jörg had no truck with such faint heartedness. We took off, with him leading us, using his storm scope to pick a way through any storms we might encounter.

The plan was to go south initially to renew our acquaintance with Gibraltar, then around the coast to Almeria, giving a nominal distance of around 200 NM. thus avoiding the mountainous direct over land route.

By the time we reached the coast, the Cbs were already becoming established. Jörg led us in loose formation, weaving a route between storm cells that took us low through the Straits of Gibraltar down to about 600 ft over the sea. Never will I forget the sight of the great cloud shrouded rock off my left wing tip with Jörg reminding us not to hit it!

An RAF aircraft was holding off landing at Gibraltar because of the storms and I don’t know whether the pilot laughed or cried to be informed by the controller that five light aircraft had just flown past the airfield. All in all this was a bracing experience for any old age pensioner, but nobody was sorry when Jörg led us to better conditions, flying close to the Mediterranean coast line of North Africa initially, before swinging north again towards Spain.

A long over sea leg then followed, flown with a very poor horizon, at around 1000 ft, until we coasted in and gratefully touched down at Almeria, after an exhausting 2 hours 35 minutes flying. I confess that I kissed the ground in a moment of weakness after landing!

However, the day was not finished, and after refuelling Jörg hurried away to file our flight plan to Majorca. All too soon we were airborne again, for the 300 NM haul to San Bonet airfield. Shortly after take-off our leader had a senior moment and got confused between local time and GMT, with the result that initially he thought that we would run out of daylight and therefore would have to stop at Ibiza. It was only when a thoughtful Californian voice on our chat frequency suggested that he had misinterpreted the situation that the penny dropped and flight plans were duly re-amended with Mercia control so that we could proceed to Majorca as originally intended.

It was a relief to complete the first over sea leg and fly low along the north coast of Ibiza remaining clear of commercial traffic. At the northern tip of the island we joined up for the final 60 NM leg over water to the Andraitx NDB on Majorca, and thence to Son Bonnet airfield. As we skimmed the hills to the west of Son Bonet to avoid the low cloud, we finally saw the airfield. It was a huge relief to land uneventfully after such a stressful day. We were met by Martina Trauboth who had organised a hired MPV for the group and as the tension drained with a couple of beers at the local taverna, it was possible to relax and savour the end of GUMAT 2 before driving the sixty kilometres to our hotel at the eastern end of the island.

We had 2 enjoyable days on Majorca, meeting up with the group that had flown directly from the UK and being entertained handsomely at Jörg and Martina’s beautiful villa one evening. Edouard gave us yet another spirited rendering, this time of a song he had composed specifically in honour of GUMAT 2, truly a man of many talents.

Can´t wait for the next tour !

 

We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways on Sunday. John Collins and I returned to the UK on Tuesday having spent one day on the ground at Poitiers because of bad weather. I am sure that Jörg would have found a way around the bad weather that sat over northern France that day, but then he was not there to inspire us and we were back to our old cowardly habits! We were rewarded by flying direct to our home base at Thruxton in the south of England the next day, enjoying the most perfect weather a pilot can hope for.

So, we are now left to savour the many memories of the most exciting flying that many of us have ever undertaken. I am sure that all of us will wish to thank Jörg Trauboth for the hard work that he put into planning the tour and for the sense of purpose and leadership that he displayed in overcoming the challenges we faced. Without his drive and determination the tour might not have materialised.

To our other flying companions I would say “thank you” for the great company and sense of comradeship that we shared for those 10 exciting days. May we meet again.