Leg 3: Clermont-Ferrand/Auvergne to Toulouse-Blagnac

(Originally posted 11/25/13)

Leg 3

Depart: Clermont-Ferrand/Auvergne (LFLC)

Arrive: Toulouse-Blagnac (LFBO)

Aircraft: Beechcraft Baron B58 (Carenado) *

Flight Plan: LFLC MEN GAI LFBO

Distance: 168 nm

Scenery: Toulouse Overlay 2.1

One final leg for tonight, and the last one for now with the good ol' Baron. This particular flight caused me some trouble not because of the actual flying, but some hiccups with a couple of add-ons. Nevertheless, we made it down without a scratch.

After departing Clermont-Ferrand, I thought it would be a good idea to head due south to see if we could get a scenic view of the Chaîne des Puys by flying down their length. From Mende we'd turn south-west for Gaillac before landing in Toulouse.

It's still very cloudy over Clermont-Ferrand, but we take-off without a hitch. I'm certainly going to miss the Baron's climb rate when I fly in less powerful aircraft.

Once I had finished leaning and configuring the aircraft for cruise, I looked out the window to find that the clouds had thinned as we flew south.

As we pressed on toward Mende, the landscape became steadily more rugged and dramatic.

Just taking a load off in the back seat. Don't worry: the co-pilot can handle things up front for now. (I should really come up with a name for that guy.)

Things are pretty uneventful between Mende and Gaillac and it's not long before we descend into Toulouse. The clouds are back and there's a pretty big system blowing in; still, we're able to catch a glimpse of the city's historic center.

The landing is a bit bumpy, but no major problems and we've beaten the rain. Since Toulouse-Blagnac is home to Airbus' assembly plant, it's only fitting that we get a good look at the ungainly Beluga.

Next leg: Toulouse-Blagnac (LFBO) to Pamplona (LEPP)