The final day of this incredible journey begins with breakfast in Wick and weather briefing.  The forecast is calling for poor visibility and rain in Geneva, Switzerland.  How ironic!  We have made it over the Atlantic Ocean all the way from North America to Scotland and the only poor weather forecast is at our final destination!!!  The weather forecast calls for clearing skies in the Lac Leman region by late afternoon which puts our departure time from Wick to early afternoon.  But all I can do is smile….the incredible journey from North America and the previous day’s flight on the coast of Scotland lingers in my heart as we walk along the streets of old Wick. 

Once we arrived at the airport I was surprised by the sad look on N6511Y’s face and began to wonder if she was unhappy with me for leaving her so long in a large old hanger with only a few local residents!  I cautiously approached her and began the pre-flight checklist to ease into the conversation.  I topped off her oil, removed her nose and pitot tube covers, checked the fuel and Oxygen level, and began asking her about her stay in Wick!  Surprisingly she was not at all disappointed about her overnight stay and soon I discovered that she was very worried that today might be our last adventure flight as we will soon be at our final destination!  “Of course not, don’t be silly” - I tried my best to cheer her up!  I reminded her that we will have many beautiful flights in Europe and visit places she has never been before….perhaps Italy, Spain, or Germany, and of course some destinations in Switzerland that we have both been looking forward to fly to!  I also reminded her that we still have to fly back to North America in a couple of weeks, and the return trip promises to be equally fascinating.  A few minutes later the bags were secured in the baggage compartment, our clearance was delivered for our IFR flight plan, and I was delighted to see a big smile on N6511Y as she rolled down the runway on our departure from Wick.

Arrival in Switzerland was magical!  So often I have been to this beautiful country and so often I watched small airplanes in the sky wondering where they were going and what it was like to fly in this beautiful part of the world.  I always wanted to share this beautiful part of the world with N6511Y and she is finally here.  Our first touch down at La Blecherette, Lausanne was a magical experience as we rolled down the runway and we immediately felt at home.  With a big smile on her face she greeted all her new friends at the flight line.  A few minutes later the customs paperwork was filed, bags were removed from the baggage compartment, and N6511Y began to settle in for the night as we said good night and I began to walk back to the terminal.  I couldn’t help but to look back once again to gaze at her beauty!  Good night N6511Y.  Sweet dreams!