Amman city looks to be very interesting. It is a pity not having time to visit and meet people around this flight. I never imagined I was going to have a real close look to the city.

Early get up after a 4 hour night. The estimated flight time is 10 hours, so the aircraft will be again fully loaded (but the 22 liters floor tank). I have to take off as early I can to have a thicker air, even if OJAM is 500 ft elevation.

I got into the airport at 0530 and was conducted to the Administrative Office to pay (cash) the landing taxes. Price…$114 (including $ 15 for mooring the aircraft). Mooring was nonexistent, and got from the kind and local glider-flying club (free).

Anyway, once money items were fixed, I got to the OPS office. The man there, in sleeping clothes. Didn't understand very well my flight plan.

"What does ZZZZ means at aircraft type?"

"It means that when an aircraft is not listed and codified, ZZZZ goes in that case, and later , in the item 18, specified as TYP/ KF4….."

:Nonsense!, just take away ZZZ and put KF4!"

The same with VFR and level. When flying VFR, it is mandatory to fly even or odd levels plus 500ft, no to state the level in the flight plan.

So, finally, after one hour, the flight plan was IFR for FL130. When ready, I was clear to taxi and take off.

Full power applied and a typical overweight slow acceleration. Marka International airport runway 24 makes the runway heading to cross the city center. Just after the 06 threshold, the terrain descends just a little bit (50 or 60 ft), to climb again to airport elevation. City starts at the airport.

Rotation, rotation…. Aircraft goes into ground effect and stays there, no more acceleration, and after a long take off run, a landing at the runway was not secure. Aircraft flying and climbing poorly to 60 or 70 ft. Downdraft, and impossible to climb… I was going to visit somebody’s home!

No altitude to use the aircraft parachute system and I was already over the city. Right turn, full concentration to fly the best way the aircraft.

"YOY, what are you doing ?"

"Tower, I have a propeller problem, unable to climb and returning to land."

"OK, clear to land 24".

The city sight was beautiful, but it wasn’t the moment for that…. I got back safely!

Prop setting was inadequate, even though I reduced the pitch the day before. So I got the permission to delay the flight plan 1 hour and went into reducing the prop pitch. The guys at the maintenance hangar were helpful and helped me to speed the process up. Pitch reduced and engine test…. 5600 rpm…. Too much for static. Again a pitch reduction, and static went to 5400. Not good for cruise, and then I just had the time to arrive at destination at sunset.

Again cleared for take off. This time, it was a little bit better, but just a little bit. Temperature was around 26 Celsius, so still not very hot. Again I had to fly performing the best I was able. Downdraft again, but this time, I was able to overcome it, and after 2 miles, I was climbing steadily ( but poorly).

No transponder altitude reporting …. I don’t know why, but it never works at those important times..

Being radar vectored, I was given welcome shortcut, and flying to Reema intersection. Later came GRY, and entering the Arabian airspace. I was flying at 5500 ft, unable to climb higher. Now, the prop pitch was also not convenient. Max indicated speed was 70 mph, running at 5400 rpm. I wasn’t able to get destination before sunset. Fortunately, winds were nice, and was having 95 knots ground speed. I thought that the desert is what I saw upon entering Syria…. What a mistake.

Desert is a full world. Only common part is that no water is present. Huge rivers, lakes were there…without water. Just a highway going to Riyadh was visible (from times to times) and I tried to have in mind where to find it , should a problem arise.

Desert is like a tiger, beautiful. You can stare at it, feel it, enjoy the sighting, but it is better not to play with.

Soon I realized that "nothing" is dangerous. No weapons, no aggression, just this lack of everything, quiet, silent, wonderful, can convert somebody into…. Let say, an angel.

Desert has a lot of colors, forms, feelings. I wanted to fly over unpopulated areas, and was doing that: hundreds of miles with just myself and my own world. Only contact was radio, and not always as I was too low. Jeddah controllers are kind, and the feeling is that they are proficient. Good English. Only drawback were the Saudi Airliners pilots. They must feel like Master of Universe. The way they radio talk is not kind. Air communications are strict, but always, it is easy to make the difference between kindness and " Masters of Universe". What a pity for them.

I think those pilots are not Arabians, may be they are people that weren’t able to enter their original country airlines and had to come here were they feel like gods. The reason I am explaining this is the fact that close to some airports, we had to contact each other to coordinate our own separation. They speak fluent English but some words like please or thank you do not exist in their vocabulary. Best thing of this story is: "type of aircraft?" " KF4!"

I feel their lack of preparation. Everybody knows what a KF4 is!

I was soon diverted to Aljouf VOR, as in the G662 airway, some military exercises were on. Day was getting hotter. Strong and high thermals were developing and soon I was thinking in my wife Marie-Laure. She is very susceptible to airsickness. My estimate for her in those conditions is about 5 to 10 seconds.

Updrafts of 1200 fpm, downdrafts about the same. The tail goes up suddenly 45 degrees bank to one side, same to the other. Full attention to avoid everything (engine overspeed, stall, vNE). Just about 4 hours flying in those conditions (sometimes worst, sometimes also worst) Finally, I decided to keep the speed to 70 indicated, engine at 5200 rpm, and let the nature to play with the altitude.

Air was so dry, that in the full 10 hrs flight (800 nm) I had (fortunately) no need to use my " little John" bottle. Imagine doing that in the conditions mentioned.

Approaching Aljouf was interesting. A new desert world was appearing. Sharply eroded hills, much darker than the average, emerged from the flats. Even flying there at 7500 ft, I went down to 5000. A vulture came in sight, but soon realized that it was not his day. He was not going to eat a Spaniard.

A lot of times I felt the temptation of low flying, to salute people at the very sparse locations, but didn’t do it knowing that the poor performances of my aircraft in those conditions were going to make me lose a lot of time.

Approaching the Aljouf ( military) field--a fighter! What is it doing? Just playing around or trying to find that small ECYOY that was getting nuts the Jeddah controllers "Are you sure on those estimates? What is your airspeed?"

My aircraft is the perfect color to avoid being sought in the desert (the worst color in case of emergency), so after a few fighter strange paths, it disappeared. I entered then a light dust cloud and kept in there for around one hour. No reference was possible, no horizon, just my artificial electric one. Hail and Gassim came slowly. Thermals and downdrafts were different: very large. Flying straight, they kept present even during one minute. Riyadh control take me over and I was clear to fly VFR. I was going to land 30 minutes before sunset ! Well done!

Temperature in the cabin was 110F, air was strange. Taking pictures was not easy, as the camera autofocus system didn’t work properly (air was like an invisible hot wall moving fast, though infrared focus is not at easy there). Anyway, pictures are far from illustrating what I was living and feeling. Never I have been there, maybe never will I see it again. I had to breath everything, every second the moments I was living. Again, I wished all of you to be able to share those moments.

"EC YOY, fly to KIA and then to radial 074/ 42 dme."

That means I was going to land at night.

"Riyadh approach, I have been flying almost 10 hours. Flying there will be another hour more."

"YOY, standby, I call you back."

"YOY, radar vector 130 , maintain 6000 ft!"

"Thank you Riyadh!"

Time was passing and in my Jeppesen FliteMap screen, I was going to far south.

"Riyadh approach, YOY, confirm which airport you are directing me?"

"YOY, directing you to OERY."

"Approach, my diplomatic clearance states that I should land at OERK"

After some communications, I was radar vectored 010 to OERK. I have lost a lot of time. Arrival will be at sunset! I did overflew the whole city, and then, an Arabian airline complained against me as he said that he got two TCAS contacts. I was keeping the assigned altitude and being radar vectored…

"YOY confirm your altitude."

"6000 ft on 29.55, and please tell that guy to study better his TCAS manual!"

I imagine the light smile in the airliner copilot face. No more complaints from this captain! Soon , I was cleared for a straight in visual approach to runway 33R. Behind me, a jumbo was landing at the same runway and started complaining about my speed. "What type of aircraft is it?"

"YOY, type of aircraft?"

"Approach, YOY, aircraft type KF4!!" (everything fixed !)

I have to confess that I tried to help. I flew as fast I could and landed close to the taxiway to shorten the runway occupation. I opened the door, and felt the sensation that I had the heating system working properly at full power. I wait for my jumbo friend to cross the taxiway in front of me, and then, was conducted by a follow me car, to the private aircraft ramp, the other side of the airport.

The people there are very nice. Everything went fast, aircraft secured, fresh coke, pilot defueling, customs showing every prohibited item, and finally, I was conducted to a five star hotel at the airport.

What a nice look I have for a place like this where everything is clean and everybody wears white suits like in a TV ad. Some people were close to the reception desk. Some families with two or three wives were looking at me. Man in white, women in black, fully covered, just showing their young eyes. They never could imagine how much I would like to know about them!

Today, July 2^nd, I will be resting. I have to increase the prop pitch to be able to cruise at higher speed, change oil, filter, maybe plugs, may be carb needle setting, and refuel.

I have been told that aircraft charges are around $300, but that Jet Aviation, takes care of everything but $100 they have to pay to the Airport. Some Jet Aviation stickers will be present on my aircraft!