On this occasion we didn’t go into the town but just did a walk. There is a really nice one, via the Le Gouffre Cafe and then to the cliffs.
The airport – EuroGA database report – is nice and friendly as always, although the “handling” (in reality there was none, as is normal) has gone up from £10 to £30 over 3 years. Landing fee was £22. Still ok for the occassional trip but at this rate their piston GA traffic will soon disappear.
Two GAR forms on 12hr PN, plus one GAR for Guernsey which goes to two addresses on their website and the ASG address as well. The days when one could go at short notice via Cherbourg are gone, since Cherbourg lost the battle with French police and their bizzare work-minimisation politics and is now 24hr PN and 48hr for weekend trips…
I filed EGKA GWC KATHY ORTAC EGJB 5000ft which is OCAS, so knew that London Control won’t touch it, and neither will Solent who have stopped providing a service to non-CAS-transit traffic. So one flies “VFR 7000”, in VMC or IMC as usual in the UK system, and speaks to Bournemouth 119.480, and then to Jersey Zone who do it correctly, with a squawk etc. At Guernsey I got a vectored ILS 09.
Final 09
Parked at ASG; no other option AFAIK
ASG has a lot of Rockwell Commanders there, and of course a lot of 2-reg aircraft generally. I think a lot of Commander owners fly to Guernsey for maintenance.
The walk to the cafe
Crab sandwiches; unfortunately only white bread available
The cliff walk
This is a well known beach with another cafe but we didn’t go there because it was a long way down and then a long way back up, and time was a bit limited
The walk back towards the airport
A very English pub, with “all day breakfast” (probably 30000 calories and fried in W80) and tables which your hands get stuck to
This is probably Hurn
and this is definitely Alderney, in a lot of haze which took a bit of work in Lightroom
A nice day trip and a walk, and much nicer than a taxi into town
Alderney is very very nice. Like England in the 1920s Do a search here for EGJA, in our database and I have one here.
Guernsey is different, and Jersey is different again.
I think Guernsey would be great for a EuroGA meet-up and with a cliff walk like above, not a taxi trip into town and a big lunch, which is nothing really special. Some of us used to do these but it seems most Brit long term flyers packed up and disappeared with the virus. And very few people from the mainland fly to the Channel Islands (no idea why this is).
I have Guernsey in the diary for the first weekend in July. Taking some friends so four-up in the TB10 and three hours fuel = MTOW.
All three of the islands make for a good trip. At Guernsey you use ASG, a ‘bizjet handler’ but the fee (although irritating if a for a burger run) is not significant in the context of a weekend away for four. Jersey is via the Aeroclub, so doesn’t cost much. Alderney is just the airport itself I believe. I’ve been to each of the islands a few times and none has ever costed enough to worry about.
is not significant in the context of a weekend away for four
Indeed, but when I posted a trip report in the various GA chat parts of FB (which I do to promote EuroGA ) it drew the usual “what????” response from UK pilots
Nice idea Peter.
I have flown to Alderney and Guernsey a few times now from EGSX.
Great trips out.
I’m up for a meet up!
I’m still amazed that people moan about £30 for landing and handling fees etc when they have all the services of an international airport to hand and they have just burnt £££ to get there
Peter wrote:
via the Le Gouffre Cafe and then to the cliffs.
Under new ownership for a few months so back to being as good as it used to be
Fuel prices for May 2023 at ASG
Avgas is back in Guernsey !!!
Unfortunately still none at Alderney.