I'm a little nervous, I don't mind telling you. Today should be a day full of history and adventure, but it's just a little too adventurous for my liking. I'm heading to the Middle East. Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv are on the list, and I can't pass up these two historical cities. But to get there, I'll have to travel through some pretty unsettled spots. My plan is to land, drop off my passengers and pick up my next ones, and high-tail it out of there.
I'm starting this morning with 3 Ave del Parasio passengers bound for Latakia, Syria. No problem; IFR plan filed, just fly it by the books....
Well, that just goes to show you. While my passengers weren't exactly chatty Cathys, they were pleasant and polite. Approach and landing in Syria was smooth and easy.
End: OSLK, 1003; $9145.29 and 45gal
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Feeling hopeful (but still, I must confess, a bit tense), I'm now headed to Beirut with 3 different Ave del Parasio passengers. I've gassed up to meet the rest of the day's needs. I figure what better place to get fuel than the Middle East!
After a very smooth flight, there's dense fog rollling off the sea as I approach Beirut. But ATC vectors me in with no problems. I just didn't get to actually see Beirut!
End: OLBA, 1117; $11131.59 and 37gal
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So far, so good. Rather unexpectedly, from Beirut International Airport, I now have 3 Ave del Parasio passengers going to the unusual sounding Jurish Highway Strip. Sounds more like a shopping mall than an airport, but it's in Israel, just 20 miles or so from Jerusalem, so I'm game! It is, however, in the West Bank, so I won't tarry too long.
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| Snow in Israel? No, just the fog rolling back in. |
End: Z14Z, 1236; $13139.49 and 29gal
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Nobody here wants to go to Jerusalem but me, so I'm off empty on this leg. I'll fly VFR so I can meander around and get some good shots of the city.
Jerusalem was not what I was expecting. As I approached, I was disappointed to see how modern it looked, and rather generic. I mean, I know people live there, and this city (like any other) will continue to develop and evolve. But I thought I'd see more signs of "Antiquity". And then, all of the sudden, there it was: The Temple on the Mount, with the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque. I just wish I could have gotten a good photo of Warren's Gate!
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| This could be almost anywhere, but... |
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| This is Jerusalem! |
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One last short leg today. From Jerusalem, I'm taking 3 Rastamans to Tel-Aviv (20 miles away; seems like they could have just taken a bus!). I'm getting pretty hungry for some lunch, but this is such a short hop, I think I'll just finish my flying, and then settle down for food and touring in Tel-Aviv. To my aerial eye, Tel-Aviv is a thoroughly modern, perfectly respectable but ultimately uninteresting city. Gorgeous ocean views, though.
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| Tel-Aviv |
Total Distance Flown: 11,536 nautical miles
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