Soon after take-off from Epernay, on the first 120 nautical mile leg, we were passing over the characteristic terrain for which the region is famous; mile after mile of ordered vineyards hugging the slopes .The vines’ position on the slopes provides the best sunlight and the run-off of any e xcess water. Gradually, the landscape changed as we passed into the Ardennes region with its extensive forests and rolling hills. Places to land in an emergency were becoming few and far between but we had been practising landing and stopping in a 100metre deck for the competitions so in reality it would usually have been possible to find somewhere to set down had we needed to.

We were heading for Vesoul airfield which is located on a plateau overlooking the town itself. The airfield is home to a parachute school and a general aviation club, and has steep forested ground on three sides and the town on the fourth. Like many French airfields, the facilities were excellent but as usual, there was hardly anyone about. Because we had left Epernay so early, none of us had breakfasted and it appeared that the Vesoul airfield café was not geared up to cater for fourteen hungry flyers who had appeared, literally, out of the blue. However as so often happens amongst the sport flying community, someone from the local club volunteered to rush off into town for supplies. Within half an hour we were all sitting down to a full continental breakfast and being waited on hand and foot. The Vesoul club members also assisted us in faxing off our flight plan, necessary for the ne xt leg which would take us across the border from France into Germany.

Soon we were airborne again from Vesoul and heading for Bremgarten airfield, a short leg this time of  only 70nm. The hilly terrain of the Ardennes transformed into the more rugged Vosges mountains and then after a few more miles the land flattened out as we reached the Rhine valley and soon after, the river itself came into view. It was easy to see why over the centuries the Rhine has been such a formidable natural obstacle to advancing armies and also why it has been such an important trade route into central Europe. From this point we were in radio range of Bremgarten so announced our approach and requested airfield information. Thankfully the controller replied in clear English; just as well as I hadn’t brushed up on German airfield-speak. Ten minutes later we were lined up on the huge runway at Bremgarten which had been a German Air Force
reconnaissance base flying Phantom RF4Es until the mid 1990's and was now in general aviation use.