There was mist in the air when Vagn and I went for a flying trip last Friday.
It took me lots of considerations to choose a destination, because the weather forecast was constantly changing, a front was approaching, and there was a mismatch in TAFs and general weather forecasts. It looked like the best weather within one day trip would be in Halmstad, Sweden, so we decided to go there.
However, checking the weather during the flight, I noticed that the conditions deteriorated, there was low IFR in Halmstad airport, and marginal VFR in Ängelholm. Flying through the control zone of Ängelholm, we talked about it with the air traffic controller who advised us about the weather on our way, and we decided to divert.
We landed in Landskrona.
Reidul Nilsen, a pilot from the Landskrona flying club, showed us around in the glider hangar. I previously only saw the GA hangars there, so it was very interesting to see the gliders this time. Reidul in front of the ASK-21 Mi, one of the aircraft he flies, on the photo below. Gorgeous glider, with a price tag of about 1.8 million SEK.
Another pilot who met up in the flying club for “fika”, which is a longer social coffee break and an important part of Swedish culture, kindly offered us a lift to the town of Landskrona. We were more than happy to accept.
It was long time ago, Vagn visited Landskrona, so I did a guided city tour for him. City Hall square:
To my delight, Christmas decorations were everywhere. In Denmark, all decorations (at least in Copenhagen) are removed on the morning of 31st December, probably due to danger of fire of wild fireworks on the streets during the New Year’s Eve.
My favourite sculpture “He & She” by Jan Janczak, a Polish artist, in Kaptensgårdens skulpturpark:
“Venus”, another beautiful sculpture in the park, by Lena Lervik, a Swedish artist:
We went to see Citadellet, a fortification built in 1549-1559 by the Danish King Christian III. Behind the fortification’s eastern and western sides lies Sweden’s oldest allotment-garden area, a very nice place to go for a walk.
None of us managed to get breakfast, so we compensated by extra calories at lunch in a cozy Espresso House cafe. After delicious sandwiches, we shared a chocolate muffin and a kardemummabullar (a Swedish cardamom roll, my favourite!)
for desert:
A walk to the harbour, then a taxi back to the airfield, and we waved goodbye to this hospitable place:
A tour over Landskrona is a must. The city’s shipyard, Öresund Dry Docks:
Öresund Dry Docks‘ history dates back to 1915, when Landskrona began building its docks and harbor areas. The paved dock, which was completed in 1920, was, at that time, the largest dry dock in Northern Europe. During the 1950’s, the area was modernized, with new constructions added to allow for the construction and maintenance of ships. Following the shipyard crisis of the 1980’s the docks shifted its focus to the repair and reconstruction of ships, ship hulls and other steel constructions. In 1988, the dry dock was expanded to its current size.
The Viking Cinderella cruise ship on the photo above goes between Stockholm and Marienhamn; it has a length of 191 m, and 2500 beds.
Gråen, a small artificial island off Landskrona’s coast:
Gråen was constructed during the 18th century both in order to protect Landskrona harbour and for military reasons related to the nearby Landskrona Citadel. A smaller allotments area is located on the island, and access is only by boat. Most of its 50 acres is a bird sanctuary and there are strong trespassing rules between 15 March and 1 August.
The New Water Tower of Landskrona:
Citadellet from air:
And a round over the Kronborg Castle of Denmark after leaving the Swedish airspace:
We flew over other castles on our way, and enjoyed the marvellous sunset views:
The sunset was especially beautiful in the last moments:
Though we didn’t reach Halmstad – our intended destination that day, we had a very nice day in Landskrona. Flying over the shipyard of Landskrona was spectacular, and we took many pictures there. The debriefing was spent by a fireplace and with a glass of vin chaud, my favourite winter drink.