NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2024
Our Customers, their aircraft…
16 years of MCR-4S travel
Albert Scius, Alain et Catherine Mouflard are our customers. Aircraft and ultralight pilots based at Grenoble le Versoud airfield (France – LFLG), the three of them have logged a total of 3,500 flying hours: 1,330 for Albert, 1,410 for Alain and 760 for his wife, Catherine. They have also flown on all kinds of very different machines: DR400, D140, Rallye, Cessna 172, TB-9, CAP 10, WT-9, Savannah, etc. Passionate about travelling by plane, Albert even had the opportunity to fly a Beechcraft C23 from Norfolk (USA) to Mar del Plata (Argentina) in 2018.
In 2008, the three friends decided to buy their own aircraft, but it wasn’t easy to find because, in addition to not being too expensive, it had to allow them to travel all together with their luggage, have a good range, a good cruising speed, be able to land short, and, of course, be pleasant to fly and safe. Quite a set of specifications, which would be fulfilled by an MCR-4S built a year earlier, in 2007 at Gap (southern France), which had only 100 flying hours at the time. Suffice to say, the aircraft was almost new!
In terms of safety, the aircraft has an airframe parachute, LED anti-collision lights and ground anchoring loops.
There’s nothing unusual about the F-PCPI’s paint scheme, which is all about efficiency. Originally immaculate white, the three pilots decided to paint blue the winglets and leading edges of the wings, so as to be more visible when flying over snow in the mountains. Also, for purely aesthetic purposes this time, two orange stripes have been placed on the fin, just above a “Téo l’Aviateur” sticker, in honor of the grandson of one of the pilots.
Flying over 2 continents and 16 countries!
Albert, Alain and Catherine are true sky travelers! They have, of course, criss-crossed France from east to west, north to south, plains, mountains, the French Riviera, the Atlantic coast, Brittany, Alsace, the Paris region, Périgord and the famous Rebeyrotte farm, the Pyrenees mountain range, Corsica, and so on. In short, France from the air holds no secrets for them. And, best of all, they’ve done the same thing in a dozen European countries!
And the list goes on: the three pilot-friends have taken part in the Raid Latécoère no less than three times, in 2015, 2017 and 2024. Africa, by the way, is a continent they are particularly fond of, as they have also taken part in the “Southern Algeria” and “Africa” Raids. They have therefore traveled to Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, Senegal, Tunisia, Burkina Faso and Mali. Who can beat that?
Such aviation adventures also require rigorous training. The three pilots regularly make local flights to train for blind flight, descent in restricted space to simulate a dive into a clear hole above the cloud, and mountain flying with its particular aerology.
Incredible flight memories
When you travel so much with an MCR-4S, great memories and images come flooding back. Albert, Alain and Catherine have them in spades! And who better to talk about them:
“Just imagine! You’re flying over the Moroccan coast at less than 1,000 ft, with its fishing villages and endless desert in the background. The beauty of the wadis still brings tears to your eyes, as you prepare to land on the sandy runway of Cap Juby, which only opens twice a year, and where Antoine de Saint-Exupéry landed many times.
And our MCR-4S, our faithful companion, has also enabled us to fly and land from island to island in Greece, always with the same wonder and pleasure of flying, whatever the destination. For example, have you ever put your plane’s wheels down on the grass runway at Lido airport, facing Venice? Our brave F-PCPI has done it several times with us.
Another example of an outstanding flight: between InSallah and Tamanrasset in October 2010: four hours over the Sahara in a great solitude that leaves you wondering, especially when the flight control in Algiers becomes inaudible, 1 hour after takeoff. And then, still in Algeria, how can you fail to be moved by sumptuous landscapes like those of the Hoggar mountains? That’s what it feels like to fly so far, as an MCR-4S makes possible!”
Albert, Alain and Catherine could talk for hours about their journeys. A book could even be written, so sweet and intense does the poetry of their memories seem. And yet, although they were pensive and contemplative on these very special flights, they knew how to remain down-to-earth:
“We always took along survival equipment, such as plenty of water, distress flares and so on. We even thought of taking rolls of wallpaper to make marks on the ground in case of an emergency landing. However, our valiant F-PCPI never betrayed us, and these wise precautions never came in handy!”
The F-PCPI is for sale, but adventure must go on!
Today, after 2,400 flying hours and over 16 years of good and loyal service, the three friends have decided to sell the F-PCPI. The aircraft is in better shape than ever, having just come out of overhaul, but medical constraints are forcing Albert, Alain and Catherine to turn to a new project. Without revealing the ins and outs, you should know that its name begins with “MCR”, and that it will be at SE Aviation Aircraft once again…
Perhaps you will?
When Albert, Alain et Catherine talk about their MCR-4S…
Since we acquired it, our MCR-4S has been masterful. It has checked all the boxes. Its 8-hour range with 3 people and their luggage has always been a factor of comfort, safety and serenity. In addition to being an easy and pleasant aircraft to fly, its fuel efficiency is really excellent. That reminds me of a funny story from the Raid Latécoère… While we were averaging 18L/H at 115 kt, a member of the organization told me “I had to take your plane out of the fuel consumption statistics because you looked like an anomaly!” In short, this plane is a joy to fly! As a good friend of mine would say: “Since I’ve been flying, I know why birds sing!”
WHAT IS NEW AT SE AVIATION AIRCRAFT?
Info-Pilote talks about us!
A fine 10-page article in which the owner of this supercharged MCR, Jean-Grégoire Estanove, is also featured. If his name rings a bell, that’s natural, since last September, Jean-Grégoire was the “Happy Customer” of our newsletter…
SE Aviation Aircraft website (slightly) changes…
After some consultation, we’ve decided to make a few changes to the home page of our website. From now on, all catalog pages will be grouped into three main categories:
For the time being, the rest of our website remains unchanged. You’ll be able to find your way around again, while benefiting from this ergonomic update.
