Around Eastern I have to run a training in Sibiu LRSB. Therefore we will combine this with our Eastern vacation and are planing a VFR trip in the region. As we have never been there at all, we are looking for recommendations regarding the destination and the availability of Avgas 100ll.
We are planing the following route departing from Stuttgart EDDS:
LHBD Szekesferhervar to visit a friend
LHUD Szeged to refuel and doing customs if the new Schengen regulations are not in place as proposed in march.
LRSB Sibiu for work and leisure, regarding AIP Avgas should be available, regarding FF it isn‘t, any infos?
LRBS Bucharest, we will visit the town and stay overnight, regarding AIP Avgas should be available, can anybody confirm this?
LBWB Balchik if we get permission to land there, we will stay overnight or/and LBWN Varna depending of the implementation of the Schengen rules
LBWN Varna or/and LBBG Burgas regarding the AIP Avgas should be available on both airports can anybody confirm this?
LBPD Plovdiv Beside visiting the town and staying overnight we will use the airport also for customs.
LWSK Skopje we will visit the town and stay overnight, regarding AIP Avgas should be available, can anybody confirm this?
LWOH Ohrid just for leisure, wegwill stay overnight
LWSK Skopje again for customs
LBSF Sofia we will stay overnight, regarding AIP Avgas should be available, can anybody confirm this?
LYBE Belgrade, we are going there for refueling only, been there a few years ago.
LOWG Graz, last stopp, will stay overnight.
Back to EDDS
Depending on weather, availability of Avgas and recommendations to visit other destinations from you, we will change or planed routing. Our departure will be in three weeks and we do have about two weeks all in all available.
Looking forward to your advices.
eddsPeter wrote:
LBWB Balchik if we get permission to land there, we will stay overnight or/and LBWN Varna depending of the implementation of the Schengen rules
LBWN Varna or/and LBBG Burgas regarding the AIP Avgas should be available on both airports can anybody confirm this?
LBPD Plovdiv Beside visiting the town and staying overnight we will use the airport also for customs.
As far as I know Balchik has no AOE status, but at the same time, someone recently mentioned that for AIR TRAVEL ONLY Bulgaria will become Schengen member as of tomorrow, March 1st. IF that is correct and if you are coming from Romania (and departing into Schengen) in theory you should be able to fly directly to all airfields they have.
Varna has AoE status as well as Avgas. Not been there myself, but heard it is ok’ish for GA.
Burgas also has AoE should have Avgas too. it has been described as rather cumbersome for GA though.
I would recommend to fly to Primorsko (LBPR) which is a great newish little airfield south of Burgas. The city of Primorsko also has ample hotels e.t.c. and access to the whole southern sea side from Burgas all the way to the Turkish border near Rezovo.
The area around is pretty!
Plovdiv is a great little airport and has AOE but no Avgas.
Sofia is also said to be ok if you have the AOPA card. Otherwise, there is LBLS Lesnovo nearby.
For Bulgaria, you might want to contact AOPA Bulgaria. If I remember right, Rosen Marinov is still the go to guy. I also have a great guy with the CAA who can help, PM if necessary.
Generally for BG, I am there a lot of times and have been to several airfields. Just let me know if there is anything I can help with.
Hi Peter,
I‘ll try to answer a few of the questions:
LBWN: Avgas available (2022), expensive. We liked the town and the area, but nothing too special.
LBPD: C&I no problem, we came from North Macedonia. Highly recommend the town!
LWSK: Avgas available (last October), cheap. City is so so.
LWOH: Avgas available (2022) and cheap even though it’s not in the AIP. Highly recommend the area!
Not on your list but might be interesting: There is cheap Avgas in Arad, LRAR, but not in Timisoara, LRTR which is unfortunate as it is the more interesting city.
eddsPeter wrote:
LWSK Skopje we will visit the town and stay overnight, regarding AIP Avgas should be available, can anybody confirm this?
LWOH Ohrid just for leisure, wegwill stay overnight
LWSK Skopje again for customs
LBSF Sofia we will stay overnight, regarding AIP Avgas should be available, can anybody confirm this?
LYBE Belgrade, we are going there for refueling only, been there a few years ago.
Skopje has some sort of weird PPR, make sure you get that. Ohrid is WONDERFUL, fully worth it. But I also presume they have customs, as there are many international flights, so it should be possible to exit Makedonia direktly from there. If you can make time, the lake of Ohrid is a gem to visit, so an overnight there might be very nice indeed, particularly if you can skip SKP or even SOF and go direct to BEG for fuel.
LWOH has C+I, it allowed me to go directly to LATI from Ohrid. They had avgas (few years back).
Make sure you leave your mobile number with the office – they called me at 11 on the day of departure to inform me that I had to leave no later than 13.00 (instead of 15.00), because they were to close the airport (no particular reason given, no NOTAM – I guess a cancelled CAT allowed for a free afternoon ;-) )
I arrived at 12.55 at the airport and leisurely left at 13.30. Everyone was relaxed and easy.
Thank you all for the helpful advices.
We will put Primorsko on our fly-to list. Thank you @Mooney_Driver for the photos.
Great to know about the cheap fuel sources @terbang. We will plan with refueling at Arad. And it sounds great, that Ohrid has C+I and cheap fuel as well and is a wonderful destination. We will contact them short before, and this will ease our plannings and we may skip Skopje. Thanks @ch.ess.
LOWG Graz, last stopp, will stay overnight.
Highly recommend Graz, however, for cheaper fuel check LJMB (about 1€ cheaper) and landing fee there is around 30€.
@Moneey_Driver wrote:
As far as I know Balchik has no AOE status, but at the same time, someone recently mentioned that for AIR TRAVEL ONLY Bulgaria will become Schengen member as of tomorrow, March 1st. IF that is correct and if you are coming from Romania (and departing into Schengen) in theory you should be able to fly directly to all airfields they have.
It‘s theory up to now. Although it is the same with Romania, after landing in Arad there was the check by the police and the AIP mentioned, that the AOE is still necessary.
It will change on 31st of March.
boscomantico wrote:
It will change on 31st of March.
For airliners. When they will manage to implement it for GA is totally in the stars. Knowing their bureaucracy, couple of years?
Or maybe we underestimate their GA crowd… what they have achieved in recent years is quite impressive. So maybe they can convince their customs and immigration folks to let GA use the Schengen privileges also at uncontrolled airports. Would be lovely.
