Lunch by plane: Flying from Hilversum to Texel in a Tecnam P2002JF

May 9, 2018

This week I was invited to fly along over the Netherlands in a small aircraft, from Hilversum to Texel. A good buddy of mine is a pilot and planned to fly to the Texel island for lunch (and good fun!). The weather was excellent, so packed with my photo camera, I didn't hesitate for a moment to join him for lunch!

Private Pilot and Vliegschool Hilversum

My buddy Tim learned to fly and is the holder of a private pilot license (PPL). He is allowed to fly aeroplanes and knows his way around radio communication, navigation and landing and takeoff procedures.

Willem and Tim

He joined private pilot school "Vliegschool Hilversum" to maintain his pilot skills and to share his passion for flying with like minded people. These men and women are genuinely very friendly (and funny) while also being very serious about safety, conditions, procedures and aircraft maintenance. Through them we where able to get a plane for our lunch trip over Holland.

Vliegschool Hilversum

Tecnam P2002JF

It's a small plane with two seats, one for the pilot and one for a passenger. It's build from aluminium and it's powered by a single engine that's directly connected to a propellor.

Tecnam P2002JF - PH-TCM

Tecnam P2002JF Specifications

length 6,6 meters (21 feet)

wingspan 9 meters (29 feet)

height 2,3 meters (7 feet, 6 inch)

wing area 11,5 m² (124 feet ²)

empty weight 331KG

maximum takeoff weight 600KG

engine 1x Rotax 912 S2 engine with 100 HP (75KW) at 5800RPM

propellor diameter 1,6 meters (5 feet, 3 inch)

costs ± € 150K

made in Italy

max cruise speed (KTAS) 225KM/H (122kts, 180mph)

fuel consumption about 18,5l per hour

range 1050KM (±560 nautical miles)

practical ceiling 14.000 feet (altitude of 4,2KM)

Tecnam P2002JF dimensions (source: Tecnam)

Rotax 912S2 engine with 100HP

The plane is powered by a Rotax 912S2 engine with 100HP. It's a four-cylinder, four-stroke liquid / air-cooled engine that weighs about 60KG. It's fueled with normal car fuel, quite practical.

The flight

Using an iPad the flight plan was plotted from Hilversum (EHHV) to Texel (EHTX) over Noord-Holland and back to Hilversum over the Afsluitdijk, Friesland, Flevoland and Gelderland.

Flight route indicated in purple

During the flight I used my camera to shoot some photos out of the canopy of the plane.

Loosdrechtse Plassen

The Hollandse Brug (A6 near Almere)

Marken, former Island in the Zuiderzee

Marken from the west

Middelie, with some colourful flower fields

Fields with flowers can easily be seen from above!

From above you can clearly spot buildings with solar panels, Smak Tulips near the N240, south of Medemblik

De Vlietlanden near Medemblik

Medemblik (with the regattacenter in the top left)

Flying to Texel (the Medemblik Kaapstander towers clearly in sight)

Once landed at Texel (EHTX) we borrowed a Renault Twizzy to get our lunch. Its a weird sensation being on Texel - which is a relaxed island in the Waddenzee - after leaving Hilversum, seemingly just minutes ago.

Renault Twizzy from Texel Airport

It's really weird to be able to travel so quickly by plane, no customs, no security check, no waiting lines. It's really unlike commercial flights. It's really feels like hopping in, taking off. After lunch we took off again for our return flight.

Texel from above, near Plassendaal / Westerkolk

Chalets seen from above at Jachtlust Recreatie, Slufterweg 380, Texel

Westerkolk reflecting the sun light at Texel

Passengership in de Waddenzee (near Texel)

Stevinssluizen near Den Oever, part of de Afsluitdijk

Den Oever

Den Oever with the soccer field from VV Wiron

Flying over De Afsluitdijk from Den Oever to Friesland

Lorentzsluizen at Kornwernderzand, Friesland

Makkumerdiep and Makkum beach, you can clearly see the differences in water depth from the sky

Beach Resort Makkum

Windpark Noordoostpolder, near Lemmer

Urk, the former Island in de Zuiderzee

Industrieterrein Elburg, with the Flevomeer (top left) and Drontermeer (bottom right)

Dolfinarium Hardewijk (the blue dome in the center)

Zeewolde Strand

Bonshaven Zeewolde

Bridge over Valleikanaal, near junction Holkerweg / Ringweg Koppel in Amertsfoort

Stichting Dierenzorg Eemland doing major ground works near Soest

De Korte Duinen, Soest, seen from above

Egelshoek, near Hilversum

House seen from above near Hollandse Rading

Ecoduct "Natuurbrug Zwaluwenberg" over the A27 near Hilversum

A27 construction works near Hilversum where the unused connection to the never finished A80 is removed

Hilversum - with the radio/TV tower clearly visible

Conclusion

We landed safely at Hilversum Airport and parked the plane near its hanger. In a way this is pretty much like parking your car.

Inside the Hiversum Airport control tower.

Going out for lunch like this is awesome. My flight over The Netherlands also reminded me on how diverse this country is. It's connected and embedded in water like no other country is. It's beautiful and I feel privileged to have seen it from above.

The freedom of flying a plane where you define your own course is fantastic. I am already wondering what the next destination will be!

The sky is limit - or is it?