Mooney_Driver wrote:
I am not aware of airfields which are like this. Most of them don’t have night lighting anyhow so they are daylight only. To my knowledge there are no H24 airfields at all, not even ZRH and GVA are.Yeah, you’re right, I meant VFR-day only. SS or HRH (end of civil-twilight) is the max for landings, however starts are only allowed up to 19 or 20 LT. Airfields like these are for example: Kägiswil, Raron, Reichenbach, Wangen-Lachen etc.
However, airports like Buochs can also be used NVFR by activating the lights by three clicks on the frequency (advantage during wintertime), but starts are only allowed up to 20 LT (landings for home-based aircraft up to 22, not mentioned in the AIP).
In Slovakia, controlled airports can also be used after closing time. You just need PPR, but thats not a big deal if you don’t need handling. Little tricky are the separate frequencies for blind transmissions, which are only mentioned in some long texts in the AIP. Public uncontrolled airfields can be used any time during VFR-day and don’t ‘close’. If they have lights, you can even use them NVFR.
It’s for the most part up to the airport owner, as mentioned above. Even so, it may be different from airport to airport. The larger airports in Norway are open 24H, making it great now since its VFR 24H also, as mentioned by WWaW. Smaller (Avinor) airports have limited opening hours. When they are closed, you can use them from 0600 to 2300, but only VFR day, and a filed FP is mandatory. These are all towered airports, and the CRT/TIZ becomes RMZ where you transmit blind. Avinor is going to install remote towers on all smaller airports, making them 24H (in theory), but so far nothing has materialized.
Avinor airports are all used for scheduled CAT. Even if you can use the runway, you cannot walk/drive in and out of them without someone helping you. I once managed to get locked inside the terminal in one airport 
So even though they can be used, it’s not really all that practical without local help.
Private airports for GA are usually all unmanned anyway. Due to noise (or whatever, I’m not entirely sure), they are often “closed” from 2400 to 0600 or thereabout.
Tallinn – EETN , Turku, Kajaani EFTU,EFKI – a lot of airports in Estonia and Finland..
and most Estonian airfields are legal to use outside operating hours (some grass strips on islands are day-vfr only). Note that this does not automatically mean that runway lights will be on during night..
TimR wrote:
More broadly; what are some GA friendly H24 airports in Europe? I can think of:- Southend (EGMC)
- Oostend (EBOS)
- Paderborn (EDLP)
ENVA Trondheim is open H24 and right now it’s even day VFR H24 :-) i
TimR wrote:
Just want to check the AIP how it is conveyed…what are some GA friendly H24 airports in Europe?
I think Lille(LFQQ) is H24: handling/customs are PNR before 1700UTC and extra $ charges for arrivals after 2100UTC
As far as I noticed, most French AD entries in the AIP do not show an explicit concept of “AD opening hours”, you only see ATS times, restrictions on mvmts (e.g. no NVFR, based aircraft, training/circuits, commercial…) and logistics (e.g. PCL, fuel, handlers, customs…)
As rules of thumb: most A/A airfields are “just open” for day VFR, those approved for NVFR all need permission and PNR for PCL use OH and customs do not hang around after 2100LT (except for LeBourget or strict PNRs), if you plan to arrive late make sure you know your way out and it is not your first visit (e.g. getting out of LFPN is tricky for a first time )
Frans wrote:
Most Swiss airfields I know are open from 8 up to 12 and from 13 up to 20 LT, but landings are allowed at any time (or until 22 LT).
I am not aware of airfields which are like this. Most of them don’t have night lighting anyhow so they are daylight only. To my knowledge there are no H24 airfields at all, not even ZRH and GVA are.
This is something I never understood, what does it mean you can use French airports outside of opening hours? Does someone have an example where this is readily possible? Just want to check the AIP how it is conveyed…
More broadly; what are some GA friendly H24 airports in Europe? I can think of:
- Southend (EGMC)
- Oostend (EBOS)
Mooney_Driver wrote:
Small airports are usually only available SR to SS or even less, such as from 8 to 20 LT.If I interpreted it correctly, in Switzerland “opening hours” on small airports are usually “take-off hours”, with some exceptions. Most Swiss airfields I know are open from 8 up to 12 and from 13 up to 20 LT, but landings are allowed at any time (or until 22 LT). This makes a lot more sense as in Germany, where landings after closing time are generally not allowed, or you have to declare a “Sicherheitslandung” (not to be confused with emergency landings (=“Notlandung”)).
michelb wrote:
Yes, you can find exceptions.
Very common in some places.
