"Over 2 days I was fortunate enough to perform a ferry flight with www.Hour-Building.com - to transport a freshly painted C172 from Grenada, Spain, to Thurrock in the UK.
Wsee Se
The trip started with an early rise, arriving at Juan Espadafor Aerodrome near Grenada in Spain prior to sunrise. We prepared the plane, planned the first leg of the flight, and just after sunrise, we took off heading straight for Valladolid. The weather was perfect in Spain for VFR flying and the first leg took us over the Sierra Nevada and through central Spain. We eventually arrived in Valladolid with a flight time of just over 3 hours which is the longest flight I have ever completed.
After a brief stop in Valladolid to refuel, pay landing fees, and freshen up, we moved swiftly on and departed for Bordeaux in France. Another 3-hour leg took us through the impressive Pyrenees mountains and over the Bay of Biscay. The C172 performed perfectly and was easy to fly even when facing a strong headwind for the duration of this leg.
The final leg of day one was a 2-hour and 20-minute flight from Bordeaux to Tours. We stayed at a low level to both avoid controlled airspace, danger zones, and parachuting areas which also allowed us to view France and its amazing landscape from about 3,000ft. We parked up and refueled ready for the next leg of the trip the following morning.
After a nice evening meal at a local restaurant, we made our way to a local hotel where we stayed the night.