Visibility: Ok

Temperature: a bit on the cold side

QNH: 1009hPa

Location: EDAY (Strausberg)

Equipment: Piper PA28 (D-EITI)

Coffee for the pilot is almost as important as fuel is for the airplane. And flight schools typically smell of both. When I came to my flight school for the first time, my soon-to-be instructor was out flying with another student. But the secretary (incidentally also being Mrs. Flight Instructor) sat me down and gave me a cup of coffee before I could protest.

Ever since, the cup of coffee has been an important ritual during every visit. First during flight training and later for the biannual check rides or when I went to charter an airplane.

Last week I had my last cup of coffee at that flight school. I popped in on a visit from Schönhagen and learned that my flight instructor was closing down shop. He had been scaling down for a while and told me that it was finally time to retire. I never knew his exact age, but he has needed more candles than are polite to put on a cake for a while.

I have had many coffees at this office over the last 15 years. But today’s cup was a bit on the bitter side.

To be continued…