Ultralight flying really isn't that much fun in Germany because of two impotant points:
More than occasionally do I think back of my days in Italy, where 1. and 2. don't apply for microlights...unforgettable!
Well, to each his own... I long to fly my microlight in Italy, but the 500 AGL max. seems scary to me (though I have a feeling it need not be observed religiously) Far better the German minimum of 2000 feet AGL. How was it again, airspeed is safety, altitude is life insurance?
As for microlight flying in Germany:
-) I have flown into a "Flugplatzfest" at a glider field, and there were plenty of M-flyers as they say there; even a few E-'s (i.e. Cessna's and Pipers and such). I understand many German glider fields welcome microlights, and have some resident too.
-) did I understand correctly that, in order to maintain the 2000 AGL minimum, microlights can enter class D airspace in Germany? I always learned that a microlight can never never enter controlled airspace..?
Thanks for that info - perhaps Austria instead of Germany? Or the Sud Tirol. Neither are too far from where I'll likely be based someday - some years from now. I can understand that IFR and/or intricate and stressful planning for every flight is one solution to fly certified aircraft in Germany, but not one that attracts me.
I've seen a lot of fun flying with ultralights in Italy, so I surely understand that point. One amusing thing was to hear that because of combined Italian restrictions on altitude, airspace and radio use, they could not legally fly ultralights from north to south within the same country. The guy who told me about this assured me that nobody ever breaks the applicable rules ;-)
did I understand correctly that, in order to maintain the 2000 AGL minimum, microlights can enter class D airspace in Germany? I always learned that a microlight can never never enter controlled airspace..?
Re your first point: no, of course not.
Re the second point: not true as a gereral statement. It entirely depends on which country you are talking about (remember that ultralights are regulated "nationally"). For, Italy it is true (to a certain degree), for Germany, it is absolutely false, i.e. with a radio (and a clearance) you can enter class Delta no problem.
The rules for ultralights in Italy have become a real big mess in 2008 (when the "avanzato" rules have come into effect). Even italian ultralight pilots don't exactly know what they can and what they can't do, depending on the status of the aircraft and the pilot's documents. It gets even worse when you try to determine what a foreign registered ultralight can or cannot legally do...impossible to find out. An attempt to explain the principles I made here.
Of course, the massive drawback of Germany is the millions of speed cameras set to something crazy like 20kmh
In Western Australia it is more like 5km/h over....points (doubled on long weekends) and big fines....and they are all portable tripod mounted units (German made!)....moved every hour or so....operated by incentivized contractors hiding behind bushes or large signs....the units catch you as you approach....radar detectors punishable by death...but there is a nice sign after saying "thank you for not speeding".....as a result no-one speeds....not even a little bit....that is the real Australia!
German ATC has been very competent - except one funny event on the final approach into Friedrichshafen EDNY where the controller was telling me, very sternly and arrogantly, that my speed was too low and that if he hadn't warned me I would have "obviously" stalled. He obviously didn't know airspeed v. groundspeed
German ATC on the approach into EDNY?
Hehe..
Clearly a State Secret is being hinted at here.
Friedrichshafen employs ATCOs who are on contract from Austrocontrol, perhaps? That's what one of the locals told me.
Friedrichshafen employs ATCOs who are on contract from Austrocontrol, perhaps? That's what one of the locals told me.
No, that is not correct. RADAR is provided by Skyguide (Swiss ATC) and the control zone is operated by onsite DFS staff. Just make sure that when Skyguide tells you about conflicting traffic, you carefully check your TAS. ATC might have no working phone lines and most of the staff might be asleep.
