Nordkap and back

Late August 2019 – A long dream came true, flying a small airplane from Denmark to Nordkap and back. Last Wednesday of August my Cessna 182 finished an early 100 hour inspection late in the afternoon, and my son and I took off from Kalundborg (EKKL) and headed north. We couldn’t reach Norway before next day because of sunset, so we stayed for the night at a very good friend in Northern Jylland.

Day One

First real day of flying brought us to Namsos. Due to weather we only filed a flight plan to Kristiansand (ENCN), but weather turned out to be much better than forecast, so enroute we first changed to Haukasen (ENSG) and later to Trondheim (ENVA) because we couldn’t clear customs in Haukasen. 15 minutes before arriving at Trondheim the weather at the airport became IMC and tower suggested us to continue to Namsos where we finally landed after some 4 hours of navigating clouds.

A few minutes after landing it started raining a lot. The last controller we talked to gave us a phone number for customs. We called the number and they promised to send the local police within a few minutes. An hour passed before police came, and then customs was cleared within seconds, the two policemen didn’t even look inside the plane.

Day Two

Second day of flying went from Namsos (ENNM) via Rørvik (ENRM) and Bodø (ENBO) to Leknes (ENLK) in Lofoten. In Rørvik we visited a very good friend Rune Balle who had been working at Kystmuseet as General Director for a year. This was his last day in this position before he again returned to Denmark.

On the way from Rørvik to Bodø we flew by Torghatten, a mountain with a whole. An amazing sight! We also flew by Saltstraumen, a small strait with one of the strongest tidal currents in the world.

Bodø was a fuel stop, fuel for the airplane and Fish and Chips for us. The airport is conveniently located in walking distance from the harbor with lots of cafes and restaurants. Landing was as number three after two F16 fighter jets. And just after our landing another three F16’s landed.

After Bodø we flow out to the southernmost tip of Lofoten. There is an airport there (ENRS), but unfortunately it was closed when we were above. From the southernmost tip we flew up along the Lofoten Islands and ended the flying at Leknes where we found a nice hotel within walking distance.

Day Three

Morning weather in Namsos was rainy and cloudy, but around noon it became quite good for flying. So we took off and continued towards Tromsø. We flew up to the northernmost tip of Lofoten, over the water to mainland Norway and finally via the fjords into Tromsø.

Day Four

Around Nordkap and into Kirkenes (ENKR) close to the Russian border. Controller called us and said “OY-EDG, you are now two miles from the Russian border, don’t overfly”. Of course we didn’t do so, and of course at all times we knew exactly where the border ran and where we were flying. But we did see the border station along the highway running into Russia.

After Kirkenes we crossed Finish airspace on the way back two Banak (ENNA) for a fuel stop and then further out to Hasvik (ENHK) just for fun.

Most airports in this part of Norway are only open a few hours a day and they publish their opening hours in different ways (most but not all via notams). Originally we planned to land at Honningsvåg (ENHV) just after flying north of Nordkap, but once airborne the controller at Norway Control informed us that the airport was closed at our expected arrival time. I asked for the opening hours of five different nearby airports and the controller admitted that this was a difficult one! Ten minutes later we got the information and choose to fly to Kirkenes (ENKR) to see the Russian border.

Day Five

On the fifth day my son Søren Jøhnk took an airliner back to Denmark and my dad Erling Andersen came up. My son and I spent the morning climbing a nearby hill.

Day six

My dad and started the return flight from Tromsø (ENTC) to Denmark. Weather forecast for western Norway wasn’t good, so we choose a route via Finland. From Tromsø we first flew to Kiruna (ESNQ) in Sweden and then on to Oulu (EFOU) in Finland.