The thundery weather cleared overnight to leave a fine and sunny day, pleasantly warm but much cooler than yesterday. The first part of the morning was spent catching up on emails and checking with the handler that everything is ready for Phil’s and RGV’s engineer Geoff’s arrival tomorrow. Their arrival time has been put back a while due to unfavourable en route weather over Austria; a tiresome depression has been hanging about there for several days bringing cloud at all levels, and thus the need to use the inertial separator in Phil’s TBM to prevent ice particles entering the engine, which reduces airspeed and unhelpful winds at high altitude. Stuart confirmed arrival at RGV of the replacement magneto; with Romanian time three hours ahead of UTC, it will be touch and go as to whether there will be sufficient time to replace the magneto in the daylight available tomorrow evening or whether this will be done on Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile we have heard that another of the group aircraft has run into engine problems at Schwabisch Hall; Colin Williamson, overall organiser of the trip, flying with group member Joel Tobias, in their SR20 had engine problems on startup there resulting in several new plugs, a further overnight stay and probable further engine work when back home. This group trip has had more aircraft and weather problems than any others that I can remember.
Then off to visit the two main churches in Sibiu; first the catholic cathedral in pleasantly understated baroque style followed by the Lutheran cathedral in quasi perpendicular style with an impressive organ which was being played when we arrived so we enjoyed the Bach piece which was being practised.
Later in the afternoon we moved to our new hotel on the way out to the airport, because our present one is booked up from tomorrow. As anticipated this was “practique” but has little else to commend it. Fortunately taxis are very cheap so it was easy to return to the centre of the city for dinner in the evening and then inspect the completed marquee in the central square for the beer festival later this week.
