Reutte-Höfen (LOIR) in Austria - recommendation!

I wanted to write up this flight properly, as the destination really merits more visitors. Talk is about Reutte-Höfen airfield (LOIR) and its surroundings in Tyrol.

For anyone coming from the more western parts of Germany, or BeNeLux, it’s the closest possible spot to spend a day “in the Alps”. It’s just beyond the German-Austrian border, so there is not so much flying in the Alps involved, also making things easier also on the weather side. The approach is still mildly challenging so as to make it fun and rewarding.

One reason (other than the relatively short runway and the slightly challenging approach) why this airfield doesn’t get much traffic is that it is PPR. Most German pilots dislike PPR, a consequence of most airfields and airports NOT requiring any PPR in Germany. Reutte has a limitation on the number of visiting aircraft per day, but this limit is hardly ever reached. It’s a short mail to the airfield staff. In my case, I sent it the day before at 17:00h, and got the OK at 19:00h. The airfield is also regularly available only on weekends, but weekday arrivals or departures can be arranged as well. There is lots of accomodation and general touristic infrastructure in the area.

The airfield website with all the infos is here. They say there are working on an English website. In the meantime, you have to browser-translate it.

Here is the location as well as the route from Mainz, on this flight undertaken this past July.

The Jepp VAC.

Sat view of the circuit. You can see that the downwind leg is beyond a ridge.

The runway (which used to be grass, but has been tarmac’ed seven years ago) is right next to the river Lech and is otherwise pretty well surrounded by buildings.

I took the trusty Cherokee 180 – no better plane for such trips.

After takeoff from Mainz, the usual (pretty) views of Rheinhessen. What was striking this year was how early the colours turned brown in Germany. This was on the 2nd of July…

I got a flat out refusal for a transit of the Stuttgart TMA at FL70 or thereabouts that day, so had to make my way down below and to the east of Stuttgart, dodging dozens of glider airfields. No time for photos, so the next one was of Memmingen (EDJA) which always marks the northerly starting point of the interesting scenery to come.

The ever so green Allgäu, with the Alps appearing.


The Forgensee, near Füssen, which is on the border to Austria.

The Tyrolean mountains, as I approach the reporting point November 1 for Reutte.

Here, you can see the town of Reutte, and slightly further back and to the right, the airfield. Normally, in the mornings, winds are rather calm and they like to use runway 04 for landings (more on that towards the end).

This is the ridge I was referring to.

Turning final for 04, over the river Lech. The threshold is just coming into view.

Short final.

Picturesque, I would say.

The landing fee for four-seaters is 25 Euros, and for two-seaters is 20 Euros. Both Mogas and 100LL are available.

Only about a good 10 minutes walk from the airfield, there is a gondola cable car departing for the Hahnenkamm Höfen, not to be confused with the much more famous Hahnenkamm in Kitzbühel. The top of the gondola is at 1700 meters above sea level, the peak of the Hahnenkamm itself is at almost 2000 meters.



The place is good for a little walkabout in the mountains or even a serious hike.

I enjoyed a Schnitzel at the mountain-top restaurant pictured above. By the way, next to the airfield, by the road, there is another restaurant which offers all the usual Tyrolean good stuff („Sennerland“).

I then returned back down and picked up my folding bike from the aircraft (the airfield also has bikes for rent, by the way). Nothing better than cycling alongside the river Lech, which is often referred to as the last remaining Wildfluss (“wild river”) of Europe.

At was quite hot by that time, and I even had a sort of a “swim” in the 15 degrees cold water. Not for the faint-hearted, also because of the currents.

The town of Reutte is also easily reached by bike.

Another highlight of the immediate area is highline179, a pedestrian suspension bridge across a valley. Website here

Back at the airfield, the usual slight northerly afternoon wind had set in, so even though it wasn’t strong, I chose runway 04 for takeoff. This is not the preferred runway for takeoff, mainly due to noise concerns and obstacles. I haven’t taken a photo this time, but to give you an idea, here is one I have taken in 2014, back when the runway was still grass…

My takeoff went absolutely fine. Unfortunately, a couple of weeks after my flight, a Cessna Cardinal 177B crashed into one of these houses on departure from runway 04. See here

Likely some sort of engine trouble. Nobody knows why he had to crash into the house instead of putting it down in the river bed, which is just next to it.

Anyway, after this, the airfield was closed for a few days. But it reopened shortly after. For now, they have introduced a restriction that takeoffs are allowed only on runway 22, and landings are allowed only on runway 04. Don’t let this deter you. One should pick a relatively calm wind day for the mountains anyway. Maybe next year, the restriction will be gone anyway.

Here are a few more nice photos taken on the return trip. First of all, just about ten minutes after leaving Reutte, I decided to make a short stop at Kempten airfield (EDMK), for no particular reason other than it being a beautiful airfield, so when I am down in that area, I usually make a stop here.

After this, I headed for Mainz again, and this time I decided to cross the CTR (instead of the TMA) of Stuttgart. The former is ALWAYS possible. Just south of Stuttgart, the sharp dropoff from the Swabian Jura.

Midfield-crossing EDDS.

Downtown Stuttgart.

This is the old and (and long-time closed) Heidelberg airfield.

Bridges of Heidelberg across the river Neckar.

Crossing the river Rhein.

Almost back home: vineyards of Rheinhessen, the Frankfurt skyline and the Taunus in the background.

Final 07 at EDFZ:

To summarize: personally, I really like a day out in Reutte. From Frankfurt or Mainz, it’s about the same distance there as it is to the islands in the north sea. All in all, going to Reutte is just more rewarding and special than going to the crowded seaside in summer.