Cockpits, camper vans, Crystal Palace and the Conference League final

Crystal Palace supporters are making extensive travel plans for the Conference League final in Leipzig against Rayo Vallecano. A 13,000-ticket allocation has sold out, and more than 10,000 fans are expected to attend a screening at Selhurst Park in London. Some supporters are taking unusual routes to manage time and expense, including a pilot flying himself and his son in a small single-engine aircraft. Robin Wicks, who has flown for 25 years, will depart from Denham Airfield, refuel in western Germany, and continue to Leipzig, with about four and a half hours of flying time. Other fans are traveling by campervan from south London, starting early and driving toward Dover to continue their journey.

"Their 13,000-ticket allocation has sold out, and more than 10,000 fans are also expected to attend a screening at Selhurst Park in London. From a pilot flying his son to supporters taking camper vans on 12-hour trips and others piecing together routes between cities to keep costs down, for many, the journey has become part of the occasion."

"Robin Wicks from Gerrards Cross in Buckinghamshire is flying himself and his son to Leipzig in a small single-engine aircraft. He grew up in Bromley and began following Crystal Palace aged about 10, attending his first game in 1964 when he was 12. In his 25 years of flying experience he has taken the plane to "just about every corner of Europe" and even across the Sahara Desert, but added that he hoped this trip to Leipzig would be the most exciting for a Crystal Palace supporter."

"The Cessna 182 aircraft which will be flown to Leipzig is jointly owned by Wicks and five others. He set off from Denham Airfield near Uxbridge on Tuesday morning, made a refuelling stop in western Germany and continued on to Leipzig. The journey is expected to take around four and a half hours of flying time."

"Not everyone is travelling by air, though, with some supporters opting for a slower, road-based adventure. A trio of friends, Harry Green, Steve Brooker and Derek Coulter, are taking a campervan from Croydon, south London. They picked up the vehicle on Saturday and set off early on Monday, driving to Dover to"

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