AVGAS...for how long ?

I have several opportunities to discuss about aviation with my customers involved in oil business.

One of my favorite subjects is the future of AVGAS regarding both availability and environmental issues linked to the use of tetra ethyl lead (TEL) as an additive.

The major thought is that oil companies would probably still deliverer it as long as it is allowed by the European Commission and other environment regulations. Even if its distillation process is complex (double vacuum distillation) and costly, it is still an asset to be able to offer the whole range of petroleum by-products dedicated to aviation.

But let’s face it, sooner or later; the 100LL is going to disappear from aviation fields forever under environmental pressure and/or scarce availability.

Ask those who once flew in Africa about how convenient it is to have to plan 100LL drums deliveries on airfield…a real headache not to mention losing it through theft or official requisition (true !).

On the business side of this subject, did you know that TEL is manufactured by only one company in the world; the British based Innospec (click to learn more about their TEL policy)?

I don’t want to start the debate about diesel powered aviation engines here but I am seriously considering diesel powered homebuilt as a real option against rising costs and dark future of leaded aviation gasoline.

My dearest first officer

Linda is my most enthusiast passenger and quite often my devoted first officer as well.

What a relief for me that she liked our first flight in the evergreen F-GYKB DR400 so much !

Aviation addiction...

I think that I’m getting slowly addicted to aviation. Here are the few signs I noticed and that should warn you too :

- You are checking METAR & TAF (aviation weather observationand forecast message) rather than the « commercial » weather forecast.

- You cross the Vernaison bridge on the A7 motorway and think « Bron tower, Kilo Bravo passing by Sierra Alpha » without your wife/girlfriend noticing anything.

- You can’t start your car without thinking « checklist ! » (and sometime you set the Business FM frequency as an ATIS message before driving !).

- While sleeping in a 4 star hotel in Canary Wharf, London, you enjoyed it even more after noticing you’re right in the long final for runway 10 (and thus best to spot incoming aircrafts !).

Le lâcher / First solo flight

First solo today with Bernard Brisolary after 12 hours and 21 minutes of double command flight. Four takeoff and three touch & go then a complete landing. Bernard jumped off the airplane on the taxiway :

"Here you go, good luck and see you on the apron". Heart rate is increasing as my plane is going to the ALPHA 4 reporting point, right before the 34 runway.

"Fox Victor Fox, cleared for takeoff runway 34, wind calm, report downwind"

One last engine check : oil pressure, engine T°, fuel pump on, flaps extended...then full power up to 2500 RPM.

The old DR400 is now moving on, quite faster than with my flight instructor on board I should say. 110 km/h, rotation time...Upwind and crosswind a little bit too fast but I soon join the downwind...to hear that an IFR airplane is making a direct approach to the 34 runway.

"Bron Tower, this is Fox Victor Fox reporting downwind"

"Fox Victor Fox, number one to land, report final"

The Shell petrol station is on sight, time to turn right, preparing the descent to 1100 ft over the motorway, full flaps, last call :

"Bron Tower, this is Fox Victor Fox reporting on final for a complete landing"


"Fox Victor Fox,you are cleared to land, wind 010° 3kt , report runway cleared".

Some shaking prior the runway and then, complete calm for my first solo landing, almost a kiss. Hard braking and then, taxiway to the apron.

« Fox Victor Fox, taxi to parking 7 and…congratulations ».

A dream has become true today.

Baby Dry your Eye

One of the Swedish artists that I have discovered recently (thanks to Linda’s careful teaching) is Marit Bergman.

Her 2004 album, Baby Dry Your Eye is truly a masterpiece although I admit being quite sceptical from the cover picture which does not give justice to the jewel inside.

My prefered tracks are "Can I keep Him and "I Miss You" , the latest reminds me of the year we spended 2500 km away from each other…

...And so it's all the same,

goodbye ,with a flicker i'm off again

a kiss that doesnt want to end

oh it's all, all the same

I saying my I love you's

and the saidest voice

Saying my I love you's

I don't wanna go...

Waste, Water & Whisky

Lyon hosts every 2 years POLLUTEC, an international trade fair dealing with environnement , water and waste management (sounds sexy, isn’t?).

As ever, a small but well crowded Swedish corner could be found amongst the different exhibitors. It is my very own personal pleasure to add, then asking if the discussion would be held in French or English “vi kan också Svenska prata”.

Many visitors are strolling there only to take a look on the world-ever-famous blonde Swedish girls. Anyway most of then run away quite fast, probably because they would only be offered Swedish mineral water instead of the V&S products they were expecting…

Yet alcohol could be found on almost one out of two exhibition desks. Champagne is quite common and offered in generous amounts as well as whisky-coke or wine. Not surprisingly is the “cleaning trucks section” much more generous toward booze than the “institutional exhibitors”. Regardless of its Scandinavian origins, SCANIA seems to be quite close to MAN when it comes to hot and smiling young ladies and complimentary drinks.

Linda told me that such a thing would be of utmost unprofessionalism at Stockholmsmässan. Maybe...but one could only be struck by the Swedish pragmatism toward business competition in France.

Vive le vélo !!!

Allez, pour une fois, on va faire baver d’envie les exilés du Grand Nord. La société JC Decaux, bien connue pour ses sanisettes et autres mobiliers urbains a frappé un grand coup à Lyon avec ses VELO’V (à prononcer "V LOVE" et non pas "VELO V "comme moi la première fois – la honte).

Les VELO’V, kesako ?

Vélo'v est un service proposé par le Grand Lyon et géré par JCDecaux, propriétaire des vélos, dans le cadre du marché d'exploitation et de renouvellement du mobilier urbain que lui a confié le Grand Lyon en 2004. Il est entièrement financé par les recettes publicitaires.

En clair, c’est un système génial où vous prenez un velo à une station pour le rendre à une autre une fois votre déplacement terminé. Et c’est – presque – gratuit !

Linda et moi sommes fans, ça doit être la touche un peu bobo. Du coup, on est devenu de vrais experts (vérifier les pneus, les poignées et la selle d'un coup d'oeuil avant de choisir son vélo est désormais un jeu d'enfant pour nous !).

Le système est victime de son succès, le samedi à 15h, il est difficile de trouver une place pour rendre son vélo en centre-ville. Après minuit, quand le métro ferme, c'est l'inverse, les VELO'V, chevauchés par des cyclistes plus ou moins sobres, sont introuvables dans le centre. Ce phénomène s'observe aussi en ce qui concerne les zones de bureaux.

Evidemment l'hiver est moins propice aux balades mais la chaleur de l'été dissuade aussi plus d'un candidat...

Enfin, qui voudrait remonter en vélo les pentes de la Croix-Rousse ? Ben...personne ! C'est ce qui avait fait stagner le projet à Stockholm de mettre des vélos en libre-service. Eh bien à Lyon, JCDecaux utilise des anciens bus pour déplacer les vélos par dizaines, si si !!!

Fourvière

Rue de la Bombarde, Lyon, 28 juillet 2005