| September 16 |
Joe Robbins at Rice Lake Air Center in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, USA provided a pre-trip inspection. |
| September 18 |
The TBMs arrive in Ankeny, Iowa, USA and are loaded with medical supplies from Medicine for Mali. |
| September 19 |
The TBMs depart Ankeny, Iowa, USA, with a fuel stop in Timmins, Ontario, Canada and a final stop in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada. |
| September 20 |
Our second day started early in Iqaluit with a fuel stop at Kangerlussuaq (Sondrestromfjord), Greenland and on to Reykjavik, Iceland. |
| September 21 |
Today is a day off in Iceland. Half of us went on the Circle Tour of Island's natural wonders and the rest spent a few hours in the thermal pools of Blue Lagoon. |
| September 22 |
Our third flying day, starting with ice on the wings in Reykjavik, a quick fuel and lunch stop in Wick, Scotland and ending at the Socata factory (where our planes were born) in Tarbes, France |
| September 23 |
We had a tour of the Socata factory followed by lunch. Ray and Les arrived from Cambridge after stopping in Amsterdam to pick up supplies just in time for refueling on the Socata ramp. In the evening, Socata treated us to dinner at our hotel in Pau. |
| September 24 |
This was a free day in Pau, France. Paul, Ralph & Ray went shopping to find some
more supplies to take to Mali. |
| September 25 |
We flew from Tarbes to Gran Canaria, Spain with a fuel stop in Jerez, Spain. |
| September 26 |
We departed Gran Canaria first thing and flew non-stop to Bamako, Mali.
After refueling on the ramp, we repositioned to a remote ramp where we
were greeted by Medicine for Mali volunteers
and children from a local orphanage. After checking in to our hotel, we had
a wonderful meal at a restaurant on the Niger River. |
| September 27 |
We departed early from Bamako and flew for 1.5 hours to Timbuktu (Tomboctou in French) took
a tour of the town and returned to Bamako. All six TBMs did in fact make it to Timbuktu. Here's proof. |
| September 28 |
Ray departed early, returning to Cambridge with a single stop in Casablanca. The rest of us
took a tour of Bamako. |
| September 29 |
Although the original plan was for us to visit Nana Keneiba, the village where Medicine for
Mali has its clinic, we attended a reception with Mali's first
lady instead. |
| September 30 |
The five remaining planes departed Bamako for Gran Canaria. Two continued on to the mainland
of Spain leaving three for a couple days at the beach. |
