56 Natal - Cap Verde

17. May 2007

Thursday I returned to the airport about 2 in the afternoon for a planned 4 o’clock departure – timed so that it would be daylight by the time I arrived in Cap Verde, as the information I have, says that the airport is only open between sunrise and sunset.

It took 3 and half hour before I was ready to depart. Fist stop on my way through the airport was the operation office where a person who did not speak one word other than Portuguese, took his time calculating the fees to be paid and scrutinizing the plight plan I gave him. Did a lot of typing on a computer, so when he was through I pointed to the flight plan with an asking gesture I gave him a thumbs up?

He returned the gesture with thumbs up. I then assumed that the flightplan was accepted. Not so!

Clearing emigration the customs suddenly turned up and asked for a “permission”. I had no idea what they were talking about. Again they only spoke Portuguese.  So it was back to their office – after some time they filled out a form them for me to sign. I did, but it was in Portuguese, so I have no idea what it was about.

But now I was ready to depart. I had already taken fuel, 329 liters in the wings, 397 liters  in the ferry tank, and 91 liters in 4 Jerry cans. The cost was 1.35 dollars if I paid in dollars – almost double that if I paid in local money?

Calling ground I was told they had no flight plan! By now a local pilot came and said hello – and he assisted me to the correct office for filing a flight plan.

So it was dark by the time I took off. It’s very tricky to do that with a plane overloaded and a lot of the weight aft. You got to be very, very careful not to stall.

I usually turn the auto pilot on as soon as the plane is in a stable climb. Passing Natal and coming out over the Atlantic in about 4000 feet I had the plane on auto pilot, and experienced a stall, because the autopilot does not sense, if the engine cannot perform the climb the auto pilot is set to! In no time I was descending with some 1200 feet per minute – so it was time to disengage he auto pilot and get the nose down, regain speed and then slowly lift the nose again. To add to the challenge I was in clouds, and without visual reference, you also have to concentrate keeping the wings level.

But back on track, the rest of the almost 13 hour long trip went smooth, only a little turbulence some 400 NM out, when I passed through some clouds.

I landed in Cap Verde at 9.30 the next morning.