Team Melrose and the Spirit of Adventure

[Milton Shupe]

Hmmmm ... weather setting in, and right after this shot ... soupy fog ... and mountains ahead ...

[Milton Shupe]

Yes, fog and rain ... and ... oh well, needed a wash job ... just hope I don;t get waxed by granite.

EDIT: hehe that was interesting ... cleared up 6 miles just before Athens.

[jkcook28]

You flew back into the wx system that cleared out for me on the coast Milton. Can't beat mother nature! Watch those granite clouds.

[Milton Shupe]

Down and Safe in Athens LGAT

[Milton Shupe]

Beautiful Saturday Morning here in Athens LGAT ... heading to Bodrum LTFE ... with baton. :mixedsmi:

[Milton Shupe]

Down and safe at LTFE. Beautiful scenery all the way hidden by water and fog except for 20 minutes in the last half. Foggy but relatively still at Bodrum.

EDIT: I landed just ahead of this Boeing on my tail.

[MM]

Will take the baton for a short flight to set up the next. (Starting a new day at dawn.)

[MM]

A quick 100nm run to Kastelorizo (LGKJ). This small Greek island is just a couple of miles off the Turkish coast. Historically, it has been ruled by many different countries. The Crusaders established a castle-prison here for disobedient knights. It was recaptured by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I. Thereafter, Naples, Venice, the Ottoman Empire, France, and Italy (again) ruled the island.

During the 1930s it served as a seaplane base for French and British airmen. And it was held by the Italians for most of World War II. (In 1944 a fuel dump caught fire and the ammunition dump exploded--destroying half the homes on the island.)

It is now an increasingly popular "out of the way" tourist destination. A rather rocky and hilly terrain gives it splendid views...

[MM]

Some Kodaks:

• Pre-Dawn checklist with plenty of coffee.
• Sunrise over the Turkish hills.
• Heading east into the sun.
• The rugged Turkish coastline.
• Interesting finals into Kastelorizo.

[Milton Shupe]

Good morning ... continuing on from LGKJ to OSLK. The Shupe has the baton.

[Milton Shupe]

Admiring the coaster waters before heading out to sea.

[Milton Shupe]

Down and clear at OSLK

[MM]

Let's move the baton to the middle of the Syrian desert to set up a trip down the Euphrates to the compulsory Baghdad checkpoint. OSLK-OSDZ.

[MM]

Down at OSDZ. Deir ez-Zor, a city of 230,000, is the center of the Syrian oil industry. Its primary landmark is a French-built 1930 suspension bridge over the Euphrates.

Next pilot, enjoy the stark colors of the desert along the Euphrates. (Don't forget the mandatory checkpoint at Baghdad.)

[Great Ozzie]

Just doing a little in anticipation of a:
will Take the Baton from OSDZ to ORBI

[Bry Rosier]

Flying Wing to Baghdad for Photographic purposes

[Great Ozzie]

Its primary landmark is a French-built 1930 suspension bridge over the Euphrates.

Time to find out where Mike gets his scenery

[Great Ozzie]

Safely released the Baton at Baghdad (ORBS/ORBI)

Thanks to Bry (who apparently, during my descent, could hear my prop singing "Nearer My God to Thee") and reminded me of Vne in this delightful craft. :ernae:

[Bry Rosier]

Was a nice little Jaunt down to Baghdad , Had four Moth`s in convey at one point

[Moses03]

Moving Jimmy along towards the Gulf. Departing for Basrah (ORMM).

[Moses03]

Booted off the server twice now and unable to reconnect. Will finish offline.

[Moses03]

Action photo of the current progress. :mixedsmi:

ETE roughly :45min

[Moses03]

Jimmy is free. Down safe at ORMM.

Nice diversion from the high-maintenance L14.

[Great Ozzie]

Flying the Melrose Baton from Basrah Intl Airport across the Persian Gulf to Bushehr, Persia (ORMM-OIBB)


Trying to decide whether to land on 13R, which is 14.676', or play it safe and land on the longer 13L with its 14.678'


Was concerned about being intercepted by a bonka boat carrying those Chinese rockets, but all is quiet and the Khark (too much like "shark") NDB just came alive.


Playing around with the 2nd ADF Radio and the needle unsteadily swings over my left shoulder and I hear Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground by Blind Willie Johnson. Strangely comforted by it but now have lost the signal... only the unwavering sound of the faithful Gipsy Major and the wind to keep me company.


Land Ho! Khark Airport insight! Bushehr just the proverbial hop, skip and a jump now. And with an NDB located on the field named "BUZ" how can one go wrong?

[Great Ozzie]

Safe & Sound and the Baton released at Bushehr (OIBB)

So it's just 0730 (local time). Time for some Breakfast!