To tidy up Russia, Love the people, love the weather or the snowy side of life, but glad to now feel warm air again... Loved the parks and the historic statues, love their use of anything till it really is tired, including their iconic trucks. But I've never seen so many crashes. Everyday I saw three or four around town, every day. I don't know if the Russians change the character if or when they get behind the wheel. But wow!
Sort of walking around on Thursday evening, wondering if this would be my last night in Russia? There was a problem as ever. The Russians had moved mountains to make my flight take place, but the Japanese handling agent "Universal Aviation", who I will be lambasting for being a bunch of xxxxx later, wanted $8,000 to arrange my arrival in Japan. I reworked this so that they would only organise me a slot and contact Customs and Immigration for $800. Their quote was insane and had so many extras. Bunch of thieving.... Anyway, I told them I would use another handling agent. They went on and on demanding to know who this agent was and when I wouldn't tell them, they wrote to me telling me that they had cancelled my slot at Niigata and I would not be allowed to fly to Japan and my clearances were cancelled. They wanted $8,000 to watch me arrive and shake my hand and point me where I needed to go. I'd payed them $800 for a phone call to request the landing slot and make sure parking was available. Parking, as per usual, when I arrived Itzy was the only aircraft there. Such baloney. DO NOT USE UNIVERSAL AVIATION!!! handling,,, Oh they then sent a complaint in about my attitude towards them to the Japanese CAB. Thanks guys, what a team and what dribble from your web site about have a pleasant and trouble free time with your executive jet... The Russians told me that the flight plan had been approved and just to go. The Japanese Niigata airport authority would not have to ability to cancel my flight plan. But would I be turned around at the border? Alexei, the airport manager and Sasha pictured but camera shy, worked wonders with all the airport personal on Friday morning. The biggest heater I've ever seen came and blasted heat at my engine. Alexei was happy that Trump had won, hoping for a change in American Russian relationships with trade in his region for his airport. So he told me, I would pay nothing. Still no word from the Japanese CAA so the flight plan was still good. The weather the next day would leave a foot of snow. Last minute again as ever, but this journey is last minute everything. Stress, I suppose, no proper way to enjoy a flight, expecting to be stopped at the border again... But perfect weather and off we went... Minus 11 C. Cold and freezing foggy cloud near the coast, but the cloud cleared to let me have a last look at Russia as it disappeared under the wing. Wow, just wow Russia... 72 days of wonderment and fun. So many acquaintances. So many people I would now call friends. Even when my flights went wrong, the Russians were wonderful at Zeyr and Shaktorsk. It was those events that made it a real adventure and i Just loved every minute. Could have done without the absurdity of playing games with China for 5 weeks and then having to escape the oncoming of winter. Skin of my teeth again. The last day and it all fell into place... I continued across the sea and at LUMIN, the reporting point at the FIR boundary, Khabarovsk Radar handed me over to Sapporo Control. The Russian ATC guys know me well, gosh I've caused them some grief and dropped off their radar twice, but he wished me a good flight and all the ACT in Khabarovsk were glad to see me on my way to Japan. I take that a kind gesture... But you can never tell with ATC??? So do I get turned around???? Nope... The Japanese ATC guy said to report the VOR at Wakkanai WKE and on we went over Hokkaido. Looked as brutal as Sahkalin Island really, if not more so... But whatever happens, if I land, I've done Russia, apparently the first solo foreign flight in a homebuilt aircraft, or maybe the first solo flight by a foreigner through Siberia? The Russians had allowed me to do this without a navigator on board, which of course I couldn't carry. They did not need to do this, they were bending their rues, I was bending mine, but I can, I can fly around the world. Without flying through Russia it could not be done. Thank you to the FAA and all in Nome America. I was there for 5 weeks to prepare for Russia and to convert my plane into a flying fuel tank. And thanks to the plane and the engine which I basically had to run flat out for hour after hour to lift the quantity of fuel I was carrying... The city of Sapporo came into view, wow, big city from about FL80. But I knew the weather was naff ahead, I knew I would probably have to divert before I took off and wouldn't make Niigata, but just had to escape the foot of snow they now have in Sakhalinsk. The Japanese ATC wanted me to remain at FL70 and then climb to FL90. But if you go above and can't get back down you can get caught on top and with the mountains about, that is not something you would want to do. I could go off shore and there is normally a break to descend through. But I couldn't sit in this cloud, icing up so I requested decent and to go VFR along the coast. This was agreed. Down to 1,000 feet for a bit of low scud and rain for 25 miles and I popped out the other side of the cold front. But now the winds were very different. The problem with running the coast now was that there was an off shore breeze being shown by the multitude of windmills along the coast and an onshore airflow, being shown by the cloud out there and could be seen billowing up above the convergence of the two air masses. But this created a 40 mph head wind and however I tried to shelter from it, I couldn't escapee. 500 foot over the sea the wind was as strong and rougher than at 3,500 feet. So the reserve fuel I didn't think I would need had to go in and again I ran the engine at max RPM as I was running out of day light. I went past two maybe three nuclear power stations, with whatever exclusion zone they must have. But Itzy is small and looks a long way away, even if only a mile or 10 of shore. This low I lost contact with ATC... Trouble might be building, they may think I'm in trouble and set off a search. Transponder was still flickering with VFR set, so surely they knew where I was... I got the ATIS 40 miles north, called Niigata Radar at 30 miles and nothing seemed an issue and I got some traffic and to call 6 miles north of the field. They were surprised I wanted the much shorter 22 Runway, but the other was 28 and the wind was 180 12 gusting 24. Have to say, I had been freezing again at FL80 but now the wind in my face was +12... Landed rolled in. Marshalled by JAL who had heard of the debacle with the thieving Universal Aviation and said they would handle me for free. First thing before getting out was CIQ, Quarantine, a guy stuck a probe on my head to see if I was feverish or running a temperature, not flippin likely, just sat in -20 again earlier for a few hours so... Customs, no issue, loved the plane and immigration was a pleasure with very kind and friendly staff... I'M IN JAPAN... I don't care telling you I walked and ran around town not believing it really. The chances of me being here were at one point next to nothing. I've blagged my way in here again. There are going to be ongoing issues. I know what some of them are already. I will let you know how this all ends up. But at least I can continue, not stuck in the Russian winter till April next year... Long live the adventure, oh and what a plane!!! An awesome strong responsive bit of kit that sat there being thrown around flat out for 3 hours along the coast. I ran that Jabiru max rpm for 6 hours... It might break later, but it as yet, hasn't missed a beat, except for when I filled the distributors up with hot water trying to unfreeze it at Khabarovsk. But at +12, no more heating!!! Colin.
