By Gergely Kosa / EHM0001

 
It's a sunny Saturday afternoon and I'm at East Midlands airport in my Beech B60 Duke, waiting for the IVAO-GB Treasure Hunt to begin. It's an event unlike any other; participants depart from East Midlands and the destinations are given in form of clues that need to be solved. After guessing the correct airport and landing there, the next clue will be given, until all eight airports are visited.
 
The event runs from 1500Z until late night and pilots may start their flight at any time. The winner will be determined by adding the times from receiving each clue to parking up at the correct airport. Some kind of handicap system will be used to level out the performances of the aircraft involved, so a Citation jet won't have advantage over a Cessna Cub.
 
There will be a center controller with the clues, and a number of spare controllers which will move between airports as traffic dictates. Obviously, not just the correct airports will be manned.
 
An English dictionary, some history books and maps are near me to help me in the quest. I hope the clues will be enough easy to be solved by a non-English guy.
 


The Beech B60 Duke at East Midlands, before departing
 
At 1600Z, I contact the approach controller at East Midlands (my callsign is YR-KGA) and report being ready to begin, and I receive the first clue that I have to solve. It's about an airport with name beginning with H, and related with some guardians. After a quick look at the map, I realize it's the city of Hawarden (Ha - warden) so I report having a destination and file a generic VFR flight plan (of course I don't enter the destination in the flightplan, and don't say on the frequency, that would be giving it away for other pilots. Also I don't report positions or request vectors while I'm flying, pilots will always use own navigation).
 
The event started an hour ago so there were a number of planes departing before me, and other ones who will start after I departed. There's a Cessna 182 and a Beech 350 KingAir GB-TC which departed only a couple of minutes ago, so I might be able to catch up with them.
 
After receiving departure clearance, I take off and resume own navigation. Turning West, I fly VFR direct to EGNR and contact Hawarden Approach when it's within range.
  


Turning to final at Hawarden
 
I'm cleared for ILS approach runway 23. Nigel GB-TC in the KingAir has already departed, and the Cessna is at the apron. There are no other participants in the vicinity of the airport; either they've already left for the next destination, or didn't arrive yet from East Midlands.
 
After touchdown and taxiing to the apron, I receive the next clue which sounds like:
'The flagging male with three legs. But this is how McDonalds' Clown would do it.'
 
I don't understand much of the second part of the clue, but after taking a look at some flags of nearby locations, I'm sure that the next destination is Isle of Man (as it has three legs in its coat of arms). So I report having the next airport, and I'm cleared to taxi to runway 23 and to depart. Meanwhile the Cessna has already departed and the KingAir is about halfway between Hawarden and Isle of Man. After turning northwest, I contact Center.
 


On final at Isle of Man, VH-MDF departing
 
Weather became quite cloudy so I fly IFR at flight level 120. When I'm close to the destination, I request descent and make a straight in to runway 26. There's a TCAS alert as I fly too close to the departing VH-MDF, but in the end I touch down safely. This is when I understand the second part of the last clue - the airport's name is Ronaldsway.
 
The next clue comes over:
'From an isle surrounded by water to one surrounded by land. Does Carl actually live here?'
 
It was not hard to guess that the next destination is Carlisle (EGNC). I taxi to runway 26 and after takeoff, I turn east. It's a short flight so I fly VFR at 5500 ft, under own navigation.
 
The KingAir has already arrived and is now waiting at the apron for the others to arrive. I'm number one to land before VH-MDF, and maintain 180 kts on final to make room for him. After landing, I quickly vacate the runway to allow the other aircraft to land.
 


Taxiing at Carlisle


Picture taken by Nigel GB-TC, with Gergely YR-KGA departing
 
The clue for the next destination is:
'To the land of the Scot - sounds like someone extinguished a candle with their fingers.'
 
Well I check every town in the vicinity, but none has a name related with candles or fire. So I request the second clue for the same location:
'Which part of the candle burns, and if you apply pressure to it it would have been...'
 
After a brief search in a Hungarian-English dictionary, I knew that it's a name containing 'wick'. The solution is now simple; it's the town of Prestwick ('pressed wick'). So I receive taxi instruction to runway 7.
 
VH-MDF was the first to take off, I was second to depart and Nigel was number 3. However, he was the first to arrive to Prestwick - of course, a turboprop aircraft is faster than my piston-engine B60.
 


Right downwind at Prestwick, with another traffic on final
 
At Prestwick, winds were from 150 so we are instructed to make left hand traffic and land on runway 13. I made a right-hand one by mistake, but no problem.
 
I land after the KingAir and receive the next clue:
'A capital visit to the Duke's place. The Princess has a street here too.'
 
Duke, capital, and Princess Street. I didn't need any reference, I know that it must be Edinburgh. I taxi to runway 13 and I'm number 2 to depart. After takeoff, I turn east and climb to my cruise altitude.
 


Flying to Edinburgh, head to head with Nigel
 
I fly at 5500 feet, head to head with the KingAir, with 200-230 KIAS. I reduce speed only when we're very close to Edinburgh, for separation. It's early evening and light begins to fade. I'm number 2 and runway 6 is in use.
 


Landing at Edinburgh
 
Two legs to go. The next clue is coming over from Center:
'An English city, but still in Scotland FIR, the fog on the Tyne will be lifted if you find this misnamed old fort.'
 
A fort and Tyne... of course it has to be Newcastle upon Tyne! So my next destination is EGNT. I follow the KingAir on the taxiway, and depart shortly after him. Then I climb to FL90 and proceed directly to Newcastle.
 


The sun is setting as I approach Newcastle
 
Traffic is heavy in the UK airspace. Many aircraft coming or departing from London and Manchester; and of course the planes participating in the event. Aircraft are still departing from East Midlands to take part in the treasure hunt; a Piper Malibu is now taking off there to fly to Hawarden.
 
My main concern is that I have only about 10 gallons of fuel left; I hope I can get to Newcastle without having to land at the alternate for refueling.
 
Finally I reach Newcastle, descend to 2000 and intercept the ILS for runway 07. I'm number 2 to land. After that, I taxi to the terminal and wait for the last clue.
 


Taxiing at Newcastle
 
And the phrase for the last location is:
'North of the city of steel for sounds of restraint when taking dogs for a walk - coupled with film star Pitt's old Model T.'
 
So the last airport is Leeds Bradford, which is just north of Sheffield. After refueling the plane, I depart from runway 7 and continue with own navigation. It's already dark and clouds cover the sky, so I fly IFR at FL90.
 


Approaching Leeds on the final flight
 
On this last leg I tried to maintain 250 KIAS all the way (a very high speed for this aircraft); and it turned out to be a wise decision as I gained a couple of minutes that helped me finally to be the first in the category, together with Nigel GB-TC.
 
Descent, ILS intercepting for runway 14 and landing a minute after Nigel. Then I taxi to the general aviation parking an report ready for shutdown. Shutdown and flight plan is closed.
 


Parked at Leeds
 
About the final result: Nigel and me had the best total time and there was only a couple of seconds difference, so in the end the organizers decided to give the prize to each of us - a solid gold, fully flyable Citation with the tail code G-IVAO.
 
Congratulations to Ken GB-EC for organizing this great event; I hope there will be other similar events in the future (and with more EHM pilots participating)!
 

 

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