DAY 4, LEG 15 - Banjul to Dakar
The second leg of the day takes me from Banjul to Dakar, on the far west coast of Africa. Since the weather was so good, I decided to fly VFR along the Senegalese coastline northbound for the 112 miles to my next destination. Dakar is ideally situated on a peninsula that juts into the Atlantic Ocean and is a major trading centre for Africa. It also makes the airport popular with cargo operators and is a convenient stop-over for trans-atlantic traffic heading into Africa. Since I carry a low payload, I am not restricted with the amount of fuel I can land with - I will always be below the aircraft's maximum landing weight even with a full tank of fuel. I can therefore carry round-trip fuel to Dakar and still have plenty left for the next leg.
Right base for runway 36 at Dakar. About to overfly the peninsula with the Ile de Madeleine on the far left of the picture. This island is a nature reserve and a UNESCO world heritage site - one of many I have seen so far on the tour - but importantly for me today it is on the extended centreline of the runway so very useful for navigation!
Turning overhead the Ile de Madeleine and sure enough there is the runway!
Dakar is a very busy, built-up city, even land right next to the airport is useful to someone.
Parked at Dakar with various national flags on display showing the international importance of the city.
GBYD - GOOY stats
Take off time: 0832
Landing time: 0900
Flight time: 0:28
Fuel used: 251kg / 552lbs
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