It has been a while... But I decided to carry on the tour, even if I have much less time compared to before. After havinf fixed the problems to the engine.The trusty TwinStar will take off from OY74 early in the morning. Time to start again from this very small airport where I had to land due before.
All set, time to begin the flight. There is only a traffic frequency for OY74 and I announce the take-off from runaway 07:
After a couple of minutes I am in flight, directed toward the first waypoint, KRA, 21 miles away, altitude slowly reaching 5000 feet.
Cruise altitude reached. The traffic control of Aden and has been contacted to go trough the C airspace. Aden grants that after switching from 1200 (VFR) to 7174 as requested by Aden Approach.
over Aden. I can clearly see a Stadium on the left. No ships in view, a pity.
After Aden, the aircraft turns almost straight East where the Sun is rising. The next waypoint is RIN, at 274 miles of distance.
5.21 AM. Nice light- Aden Approach calls to hand-off the flight to Sanaa Center with a new frequency and as time goes by, the weather worsen... I can barely see the coast on my left side: I switch on the strobe as well.
Slightly better now.
and bad again after. Meanwhile I begin to hear some radio chatter, the first airliners begin to take off.
not so much below the aircraft, mostly desert.
the aircraft is approaching some high ground, so I decide to climb to 6000 and when I have a look at the fuel gauge, I find that the adverse weather has drastically worsened the fuel situation. I have only 4 hours of fuel left and I need 5 to reach the destination.
After some thinking, I decide to land at an airport which is right on my flight plan, OYRN and for the time being, to climb further to 8000 to avoid any problem with the mountains ahead.
I can now contact Riyan to request to land: right traffic pattern for RWY24, reducing now speed and altitude to 5000 feet.
A couple of shots of the town of Al Mukalla and the road to Riyan
Downwind leg, right pattern as requested:
And coming down for landing
Parked. Refuel, maybe visit the town and then restart. The final destination is still far away. At least I did not suffer any failure on this flight.
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