Saturday 23rd June 2001 I couldn't find the ignition key for the plane - it turned up at 5.00pm after 5 miserable hours looking for it! I decided another night in Dundee was required as it seemed to me I wasn't meant to be in the sky today.

Sunday 24th June 2001 Left Dundee and on the way down to the south coast I had a very bad landing in East Fortune (my fault completely!) which shook me up a bit but I continued on and flew down the east coast to just past Hartlepool - a stunning coast line, and to see Newcastle from the sky was a nice change on a sunny day! I then went inland to York and stayed in my tent overnight on the airfield.

Monday 25th June 2001 Back to Manchester to get the bracket replaced that holds the wing on (known as the Jesus bolt), as I thought it didn't look at its best!

Tuesday 26th June 2001 I left Manchester for Headcorn in Kent which should have taken me no longer than 4 hours. Unfortunately there was a strong head wind and it took me 3 hours 40 minutes to get to Sywell in Northampton (fuel stop) and then another 3 hours 10 minutes to Headcorn. I had to negotiate my way through Luton and Stansted airspace with Jumbo jets passing only 1,000 feet above me. My first view of London was of the smog above it! I passed across the Thames at Gravesend just before sunset and I must say that the river did look attractive... I arrived in Headcorn and went to stay with a friend after flying for 6 hours 40 minutes.

Wednesday 27th & Thursday 28th June 2001 The weather across the Channel wasn't great and pilots would arrive on and off throughout the day with horror stories of being down to 400 feet above the water, no one able to hear them on the radio and not being able to get past the white cliffs of Dover. I was beginning to think I shouldn't go any further and that someone was trying to tell me something.

Friday 29th June 2001 Again the weather wasn't great and 3 microlighters returned from France with stories of cloud at 800 feet in the middle of the Channel. At 3.00pm a local pilot (who also runs the Tiger Moth Club) suggested I submit my flight plan, fly down to the coast, see how I felt and if I was happy with the cloud, continue to France. I made many friends in Headcorn and I think they were pleased to see me finally pluck up the courage to head down to the coast. I set off and was pleased to see France from the coast of England - I climbed to 6,000 feet and spoke on the radio to England all the way to the French coast and then I moved over to Calais. I landed on French soil at 5.30pm, put some more fuel in the plane and carried on to Soissons which was about 2.5 hours flight. I found a little hotel after landing at a deserted airfield.

Saturday 30th June & Sunday 1st July 2001 Flew from Soissons to Auxerre, another 2 hour flight. On approach to Auxerre everyone was talking in French (the language of air traffic throughout the world is English!). Nobody spoke to me so I decided to just go ahead and land on the 1650m runway... Just as I was about to turn on to my final approach a Learjet shot in front of me which gave me a bit of a fright! I landed safely and was followed in by another 2 Learjets with a football team on board. After waiting for 2.5 hours due to the fuel man having his typical French lunch (three) hour, two hours later I arrived at Moncieu-les-mines airport and was met by David Pountney who had just driven from Zurich to come and meet me. I was made very welcome by David and enjoyed his excellent cooking on Saturday and Sunday. We attended two concerts on Sunday and a party at one of David's friends' houses at which I was presented with a cake to celebrate Psappha's 10th Anniversary.

Monday 2nd July 2001 Up very early as I had word that the weather was turning so I needed to get back to the UK as quickly as possible. I left Burgundy at 9.30am and flew through France with little help from air traffic on the state of the military zones I was about to fly through - luckily I had no encounters with any fast jets. After 2 stops and 7 hours flying I was back in Calais. I filed my flight plan, spoke to Headcorn to check the weather and set off. French air traffic again said they couldn't hear me and were relaying messages via other planes... I left the French coast at Cap Griz Nez and headed across a very hazy Channel. I got to the middle and couldn't see England or France and I was only at 3,000 feet!! I transferred to English air traffic and they heard me loud and clear (a relief). I landed back in Headcorn after nearly 8 hours in the air to discover that French air traffic had thought I had gone into the Channel and had the St. Malo rescue services ready to come and find me... they knew full well I was ok.

Tuesday 3rd July 2001 Left early and had a fantastic tail wind which meant I arrived in Manchester after only 3hrs 15 minutes flying (6 hours 40 mins on the way down).