Goose Bay is a place steeped in history: during World War II, it served as a transfer point for aircraft heading to England. In the Cold War, it was a NATO forward base, and today the Royal Canadian Air Force still operates Bell CH-146 Griffons there, with CF-18s using it as a forward base if necessary. Previously, German Tornados were stationed here. Until 2005, various NATO air forces, including the German Air Force with Tornados, used Goose Bay for low-level training flights.
The departure was smooth, with a gradual and controlled climb to 31,000 ft in good weather and clear skies. Crossing into Greenland brought a dramatic contrast: initially, there was still a clear view of the land below, but soon I entered a dense, solid cloud layer. Only the cockpit chart reliably indicated my position. It was then I realized that with the Greenland coast overflight, I had also reached European Union airspace – on paper, Greenland is still part of Denmark. Occasionally, small “windows” in the cloud cover offered glimpses of the ground, but I knew the landing ahead would be tricky.
When the fuel indicators lit up, I was not in immediate danger – with 60 gallons remaining and around 30 minutes of flight time – but the tension was palpable. The descent was like that of a motor glider: extremely gentle and controlled, from 31,000 ft down to 1,800 ft, with minimal visibility. I kept a careful eye on the consumption, which hovered around six gallons.
Once under the gray cloud layer, the NDB at Kulusuk guided me for a precise approach. Touchdown went smoothly, but only a narrow strip in the middle of the 1,300-meter runway was cleared of snow. The parking stands were icy, and I was not alone – several aircraft were already on the apron.
Finally, I had arrived. With a flight time of 4 hours and 53 minutes, this was the longest journey I had ever flown in a Vision Jet – a real challenge, but also a great sense of accomplishment.
