Destination of the the day: Merowe. Distance: 290 nautical miles in 2 legs.

Our initial clearance was at 3500 feet, but at this altitude the flight is pretty boring over the desert. So thought we would just pretend the performance of the aircraft was not sufficient to climb that high because of the heat, and we levelled off at 2500 feet. Abu Simbel is just a few miles away from the Sudanese border anyway. As seen from the cockpit, other teams had had the same idea.

So we crossed the border in the vicinity of Wadi Halfa.

Once in Sudan, there were no restrictions on altitudes anymore. We finally could fly at more reasonable heights above the ground…

Our route was supposed to be a straight line between Abu Simbel and Dongola for a fuel stop. The Nile was just a few miles on the west, so Frog and Kiwi decided to join the river for a few miles before the destination to enjoy a combination of dry sand and beautiful green shores…

Approach in Dongola

Frog is refueling and adding some oil…

Coffee break while the last ones are refuelling…

Refuelling with a prayer…

Timing is tight, but we have just enough time to depart and reach Merowe before sunset. The second leg is flown between 5 and 500 feet above the ground.

Arrival just after sunset in Merowe, on the sides of the Nile…

Mission completed ✅