FROM STUTTGART TO BAMBERG – IN FL155! :-)
Seven cylinders of propane, four VA70 and three VA50 with 344 liters altogether, served us as our fuel supply for our high altitude flight from Stuttgart to Bamberg last Saturday.
We took off in the afternoon from the Cannstatter Wasen at 14:55 local as the visitors of the football match VfB Stuttgart vs. Hannover 96 were just queuing in front of the Mercedes-Benz Arena. Then we flew low towards the city center of Stuttgart in order to avoid the glider aircraft sector north of us (which we were not allowed to enter). When we had finally brought some distance between us and the sector, the ATC allowed us to climb to our desired cruising altitude at FL155 (approx. 4900m).
It was a most magnificent view over Stuttgart and its surroundings when we arrived at the level block between FL150 and FL160 that the ATC had given us clearance for. With 55 km/h, we flew past the town of Schwäbisch Hall, had some “lekkere hapjes” ;-) with salmon and finally reached Rothenburg ob der Tauber, another nice town with a beautiful medieval center.
As the afternoon passed, the cities of Nuremberg, Forchheim and Bamberg appeared in the distance. Once we had crossed the airspace of Nuremberg, we descended towards Wernsdorf east of Bamberg, where we landed shortly after sunset. From up above already, we had spotted a nice restaurant, where the innkeeper warmly welcomed us with traditional Franconian food. A delicious ending of a wonderful day! =)
A big THANK YOU goes to all our comrades at the Ballonsportgruppe Stuttgart e.V. and especially to Peter and Florian, who followed us with car and trailer all the afternoon! ;-)
