I’d split this into two legs, spending night somewhere nice in France or Italy and continuing on the next morning. However, this doesn’t work if you’re planning only weekend trip and obviously long PPRs in France don’t help.
Yes – that is a total complete PITA 
And the hotel… It would actually be easier to fly to another UK airfield first, which allows an early departure, but that doesn’t avoid the hotel.
Even then, one likely wouldn‘t cross the Alps before 11 am, which is often too late already, because the CUs grow quickly to above FL150.
As a general rule, I want to have actually crossed the Alps by 11.
Yesterday was a good example.
I agree; I was thinking of something like 5am. But – just phoned Lydd – this is not going to be easy; best there is 7am.
I recall years when such a flight was impossible for over a month, on any day.
Often (not today) France tends to get less of this than the more central Europe but the TB20 can’t get to say LDLO on that route, around the Alps, without some tailwind.
boscomantico wrote:
As a general rule, I want to have actually crossed the Alps by 11
Sounds like a good rule to follow, and our recent discussion on “how fast is fast enough” comes to mind.
I managed to complete my flight early this morning – it seems like it was the right decision, so thanks to everyone
radar right now .. yikes..
par wrote:
I managed to complete my flight early this morning
Would you mind sharing your route? So we can better understand the area you flew through and the weather forecast that was published for that area.
Just reading this post, had similar decision issue but more west france to uk. Moved my flight to the morning, talked about on this thread
Peter wrote:
I’ve just scrapped a flight to Deauville (1500Z pic)
I flew through that area earlier around mid day (a bit east of it) and definitely had built up coming, afternoon look like it was going to be unpleasant, so probably right decision. I even heard while already over the channel, Lille advising to a VFR flight to not continue further south on their route and offering some diversion airport… Which I thought was nice, never heard ATC give weather advise in Europe before.
On weather advice from ATC, Langen FIS were very helpul last year going to Friedrichshaven from the UK.
We were near Saarbruken, VFR, when Langen called: “G-ABCD, two aircraft ahead on your intended route have advised they are unable to continue due to mountain obscuration. What are you intentions?”
“Standby, G-ABCD”
“G-ABCD, you may wish to consider going south following the Rhine valley, and then turn left at Switzerland”.
After we’d stopped laughing at “turn left at Switzerland” that’s more-or-less what we did (after a stop at Baden-Baden to replan).
Peter wrote:
I doubt the average GA pilot would do any better. He doesn’t have CAT3 either.
If I remember correctly those guys were flying a 4 legger and were replanned to go to Hamburg only shortly before the flight. At the time all you got to the airplane was a bunch of METARS/TAF Lists and if lucky an SWC. No smartphones or Ipads, they had not be invented, no internet on the plane. I’ve carried enough such briefing folders to the airplanes. They had nowhere close the possibility that we have to get acquainted with the weather. They also had no ACARS, no Satphone, nothing of the kind to get updates other than VOLMET and ATIS broadcasts. And from what I remember, ATC was also not too aware in this mess. CAT III was not an issue btw, as this was about a squall like preceding a cold front. The SB20 was CAT II if I remember right, but that would not help them that day.
Most GA pilots I know are very diligent and watch their apps carefully and then prepare a specific trip for days on end. These guys at the time got their briefings in the morning and then criss-crossed Europe for the rest of the day, mostly staying in the airplane all the time. So it’s pretty likely they never understood what was going on in the form that they were dealing with a cold front moving West to East.
Having worked in Meteo for the last 22 years by now, the improvements in situational awareness and graphic products is mind blowing. Also what we today have in our hands, as this very discussion shows, is a totally different world than what the crew of that SB20 had to face.
boscomantico wrote:
As a general rule, I want to have actually crossed the Alps by 11.
Yesterday was a good example.
I’m afraid Saturday was rather an example of completely incorrect GAFOR classifications. I crossed the Eastern Alps from Vienna to Reutte via Niederöblarn and Zell am See, while all GAFOR routes in the area were classified as “MIKE” (marginal) for the whole afternoon due to forecast showers and thunderstorms.
Which was complete crap. I saw exactly one shower at the very beginning of the flight, afterwards the weather was really nice with lots of glider traffic. Also nothing on the weather radar at all. See for yourself (picture was taken around 15:30 local):
