TMA crossing at FL60 from Spa (EBSP) to Ursel (EBUL) in the DA40 - with ATC radio communications

Описание: See description below (with timestamps at the bottom).

Weather:

EBLG 251120Z 20007KT 070V240 CAVOK 29/12 Q1018 NOSIG
EBLG 251150Z 23007KT 180V270 CAVOK 29/13 Q1017 NOSIG
EBBR 251150Z 16006KT 130V190 CAVOK 29/13 Q1017 NOSIG
EBBR 251220Z 20003KT 130V260 CAVOK 30/15 Q1016 NOSIG
EBOS 251220Z 18008KT 130V220 CAVOK 29/12 Q1016 NOSIG
EBOS 251250Z 19010KT 150V220 CAVOK 30/13 Q1015 NOSIG

After my first solo navigation in the DA40, I wanted to do something more extensive, and booked the plane for almost a full day. I started by flying to Spa. I have never landed here before myself (but I made two touch and goes during my PPL training, and I was a passenger here last summer while waiting for my licence to arrive), so I was happy to finally put it in my logbook, even if the landing was "not the best"... Lunch in the local restaurant was so-so.

The second leg of the day was the most interesting one - and this is the one covered in the video: I planned a route to Ursel across the TMAs and CTAs of Liège and Brussels, aiming to climb to a flight level for the first time in my general aviation career. Not only the route was new, but since I have never been to Ursel before, the approach too. The flight went pretty well, I got to climb to Flight Level 60, I got vectored in the TMA of Brussels, I had a close encounter with a rogue weather balloon, and I actually managed a quite good landing in Ursel (in not too strong but gusty crosswind).

After a Cola and an ice-cream, I got back into the very hot plane (OAT above 30 degrees Celsius), and flew back to Charleroi. My GoPro cameras have all overheated after take off, but since I already got the material for this video, I could not care less, and I was happy to fly without any more pressure.

I did a lot of new things this day, flew to two new airports, flew solo across a TMA for the first time, and flew on a flight level for a first time, so I was pretty much dead tired - but fully satisfied - afterwards.

This triangle of EBCI-EBSP-EBUL-EBCI could be a perfect long solo navigation for PPL students, and while both airports are prone to turbulent crosswinds due to the proximity of tall trees along the runway, it could be a nice choice.

00:00 Requesting start-up on Spa Radio
00:35 Route and navigation setup
01:00 Line up and departure from EBSP RWY 05
02:10 Contacting Liège Approach inbound LNO
02:45 Cleared to climb to FL60
02:59 Passing the Transition Altitude
03:15 VOR use inbound FLO
03:46 Abeam EBLG (aircraft on final below)
04:26 Briefing of the flight
05:05 Abeam EBST, handed over to Brussels Arrivals
05:21 Contacting Brussels Arrivals
05:40 Being vectored (followed by some Garmin G5 and DG use)
06:29 Abeam Leuven
06:52 Weather balloon close-call, and direct to NIK
07:16 Reporting the weather balloon (including slow-motion replay)
07:31 Abeam EBBR (aircraft on final below) - handover to Brussels Departure
07:52 Contacting Brussels Departure
08:05 Requesting descent overhead NIK
09:03 Leaving controlled airspace
09:28 Short arrival briefing
09:42 Abeam the Port of Ghent
09:51 Contacting Ursel Info for airfield information for landing
10:42 Arrival to the Ursel ATZ
11:15 Overhead the field at 1700'
11:50 Left hand downwind at 1200'
12:26 Turning final
12:58 Short final and landing EBUL RWY 25
13:33 Replays of the landing (wing- and inside-view)
14:14 Runway vacated and taxi
14:35 Vliegclub Ursel area and parking
15:11 After landing check-list and shut-down
16:09 Final words