do Croatian ATC or Airspace have any climb altitude restriction for VFR? can one ask for FL140 on VFR FPL?
No. You can ask anything and you’ll get it, other traffic permitting. Which usually means you’ll get it immediately or with few minutes of delay.
Then I simply don’t get how they end up over there? there are far worse places to be when it comes to dodging weather on VFR FPL with zero ATS cooperation: Alpha airspace in UK with convective weather or icing, Switzerland in 12kft-20kft band…
Even in France where ATS are traditionally very relaxed or chilled, it can gets nasty to end up IMC on VFR FPL near Paris TMA in 3kft-FL70 band or bimbling in SIV/ATC sectors intersections near FL120 cutoffs, like this guy
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/181347
He was an IR rated ATPL in IFR DA42 with auto-pilot, likely 10kh of flying hours, he got a bit of struggle with airspace, clouds and terrain: ATC clearance to enter/avoid airspace/weather never materialized. On VFR FPL, there is no shortage of help from ATS to leave controlled airspace and fly into terrain unless PIC pushes back or mayday (ATC will rarely propose IFR or deviations or climbs to PIC on VFR FPL, they have no clue of capabilities & handovers, from their perspective a GA pilot VFR in IMC is like catching a falling knife)
We were crossing the Alps departing around 7:40 UTC at LDRI at the same day heading back to EDDS.Weather was as mentioned before not the best. Climbing in IMC short after departure we got some light icing between FL 80 to about 100. Then we could switch of the TKS because at FL 120 we could fly between the layers. Before descending after the Alps we had to switch it on again, until FL 70. With the final decent to altitude 6000 we got free of any ice which had build up on some edges. As said before, not a good idea to cross the Alps in the eastern part VFR.
