I’ve been told that FPLs are mandatory for all flights in Italy. Is this true? What if one flies to and from small/unmanned airfields?
If true i have been non compliant on several occasions ;-)
Not aware that there is such obligation and cant find anything in the AIP.
…said who ?
Funnily enough it was someone from GASCo
That explains it fully. The Royal Air Force definitely cannot fly to/in Italy without a flight plan.
Aha! That would indeed explain it.
Is inter-Schengen is ok? I wasn’t allowed to depart Elba for Lugano without a FPL a couple of years ago, which surprised me. Thankfully it had been filed as a precaution anyway, but lost which caused all manner of grief.
I wasn’t allowed to depart Elba for Lugano without a FPL
Of course; you are crossing a border (Italy to Switzerland).
Rule of thumb – crossing a border w/ or w/o landing requires a FP.
Number of exemptions (DE-AT, DE-CZ to name just 2), but since it is so easy from online platforms or nav apps, I often err on the safe side.
AFILE is possible, but doesn’t make friends with the FIS /ATC staff.
Of course, silly question, just as we did from Switzerland into France.
Although it did make me laugh when the marshaller said “welcome to Italy” when he collected us at Lugano
The exemptions are a bit more complicated.
Most likely incorrect, all my seaplane training flight in Como were done without any flightplan, including the one when I landed an amphibian in Milano-Bresso airport, hence kind of cross-crountry. Since I was with italian local instructors for all of them, I guess they would have told me if such a requirement existed.