Kanazawa Castle Park

On slope for short final

Well thanks, ATC - who needs to talk to Ground anyways. I'll figure it out

Taxiing back towards the non-military side of the airport

Passing the terminals to reach the GA parking stalls

Didn't feel like using a circle, found a nice empty spot off to the side

Shallow climb out from the airport, thankfully not many obstructions here in the Orkneys

Remains of a brush fire noted as the Burn of Vam on Google Maps

Waulkmill bay

Coming around St.John's Head and spotting the rock formation known as the Old Man of Hoy

Target acquired!

Mira Por Vos Cays

On a nice easy descent to get under the clouds

Didn't make it, have to dive dive dive! Keeping a close eye on my speed as I sneak into the yellow. Pulled up veeryyy carefully once under the clouds, didn't break anything off

Turning off base to final a bit early but no big deal, I have a headwind so won't be pushed any further to the side and can line up gradually as I approach

A nice "soft landing" as rated by the analysis tool. I'll take it!

Run-up checks on the hard asphalt before taxiing out onto the gravel and grass

Coming ashore over the sea cliffs on Rousay Island

Following the Shinkansen line south, leaving Utsunomiya behind

Skudding through some light clouds below the main deck, not dropping lower until I'm forced to

Looking out over Saitama

Spring blossoms line Aya Lake as I pick up the Arakawa River to head for Tokyo

A boat drag racing strip, but at first I thought it was for water landings, of course

Avoiding the low clouds hanging over the city

Someone was flying around in an airliner like it was an aerobatic plane. It didn't end well

Looks like that aircraft is landing in the water but perspective is funky cause that shadow is not right underneath it

Cutting across the bay towards the northeastern shore

Looking across the port warehouses towards Tokyo, still hunkered under oppressive clouds

Headed out into the suburbs east of Tokyo

Passing JMSDF Shimohusa Air Base I expected to have to request clearance through their airspace but did not get the option to do so. Oh well. Just kept my eyes open

Taking a bearing off Lake Teganuma to head for the airfield at Ryugasaki

Looking out for the airfield that should be more or less straight ahead now

I believe I have spotted the dark asphalt of the runway ahead

Lined up for approach into Ryugasaki - or am I?

A closer look reveals the dark asphalt was actually the dark waters of the Taishohori River, but the actual runway is only a little bit to the right so still pretty much on approach

Eyeballing the approach angle since there are no slope lights. Staying flat and slow with full flaps since this is a short runway

Coming about on the runway to taxi back since the taxiways further along were marked unusable

Taxiing in past some rich Japanese person's private F-18? Sure why not

getting a little unsure of my location, not enough prominent features to track my progress on the VFR charts so tuned into a VOR station along the coast to learn I'm almost due west of it, so about halfway to the sea

Another look at the Lóndrangar rock towers on the shore of Faxaflói Bay

No incoming traffic so departed from Vaksinen Småflyplass without issue, able to head out from the clearer end of the field

Still climbing as I leave Osøyro behind

Switching over to AP to finish the climb to initial cruise altitude, making sure to keep the nav mode to HDG since the Direct plot I was trying to hold off on earlier ended up being activated anyway

More traffic passes behind me as I head southwest with a final look back at Bjørnafjorden

Headed down the Ålfjorden to point me to Stavanger

Approaching Stavanger

Central old harbour town of Stavanger with the sole spire of the Stavanger City suspension bridge visible

Western extent of Stavanger

A closer look back at the old city of Stavenger, the suspension bridge and the huge warehouse on the wharf

A final look back north up the Gandafjorden at Stavanger as I head east