It’s always been a dream to fly to bigger airports, this time a country I’ve never visited; Switzerland. There were two choices to choose from that I fancied for my visit, Zurich or Geneva. Deciding between the both of them is a tough one, no doubt about it. They are both similar, but Geneva is smaller and the rivers and lakes that run through each figure heavily into their appeal.
Switzerland is often described as a “heaven on Earth” due to its stunning natural beauty, picturesque landscapes with alpine snow peaks and high quality of life – but it’s also very expensive, even more expensive than Scandinavia. The plan has been to fly to of Geneva or Zurich for the last couple of years so it was finally a ‘Dream come true’ to have the possibility come true.
For a flight direct from the UK, you can only enter Switzerland through the following airports: Geneva Airport & Zurich Airport. Having done any necessary weight & balance, and winds calculated for both directions of the flight we worked out that you could do this flight directly easily without any stops, and this is both more economical and financially more productive.
I had seen previously that MFGZ are the recommended handler for private/general aviation handling. They offer a low-cost solution for the compulsory handling of general aviation customers at Zurich Airport.
We emailed them with our details but were informed of some restrictions and couldn’t be given a slot till nearer the time. A few phone calls had to happen as the email may have not ended up in the inbox, but we managed to get the ball rolling.
Laura handled the accommodation search, and we would stay with an Air BNB in Alt Weidikon. This was ideal as it would come with 3 sleeping spaces. A double bed to share plus a sofa bed, and was an attic loft conversion with an upstairs rooftop with a great view of the local area. The building itself is centrally located in a residential area and is served with direct connections to the main station, the lake and other points of interest.
We would arrive fairly late on the Friday and check out by 11 am on the Sunday for an afternoon flight back to the UK. The Air BNB we stayed at is listed in the below link.
Due to work commitments, we could only depart Stapleford at 1445z (15:45L), arriving in Zurich by 1845z (20:45L) – coincidentally this worked with the airport giving us a slot. This was a great feeling, considering we were informed the previous few days – due to strong winds, Zurich Airport was reduced to single runway operations and thus Category A aircraft are banned from using the airport, as the flow is restricted.
I had set off to the airport and arrived roughly 2 hours before departure. I awaited the aircraft to arrive which had set off earlier this morning for lunch, it returned and I quickly hurried over to the aircraft to prep for the 4-hour sector to Zurich.
I had ordered fuel, fitted the oxygen bottle that was refilled after the previous trip and began the preparations to taxi the aircraft over to the clubhouse for the sector. My friends, who would be my passengers for this trip to Zurich had arrived and were awaiting boarding at the clubhouse.
The flight to Zurich was relatively smooth, flying out via Dover, across to the south of Brussels, overhead Luxembourg towards German Airspace, and passing Strasbourg, due south of Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, where I’d flown the previous year. A lot of preparation and thought goes into these flights, and it makes it easier to navigate the airway system. After 3 and a half hours, we started planning which arrival and runway we would be landing on at Zurich and thus started checking the weather, looking at the preferred runway for the airport for the time of day, which appeared to be runway 14. A listen to the ATIS confirmed this, as the runway was in use closer to the time.
We had made it to Zurich.
Whilst editing the vlog for the outbound flight, I quickly realised how distracting my passengers were and began to look into a fix, or a procedure I could develop that would enhance my flying when carrying passengers, especially those who aren’t seasoned flyers in general aviation. After publishing the video and receiving some comments, I looked into my checklist and discovered that my updated version didn’t include something that I had developed in my training checklist.
I strive to improve my own safety and develop tools that can ensure a safe flight at all times, and have developed briefs and continue to develop them in a specific format that will enhance safety. Such as the pre-flight brief or as known in the commercial operations at BA – the interactive briefing between pilots and cabin crew.
Part of Standard Operating Procedures includes conducting thorough pre-flight preparation and conducting effective briefings. The use of briefings is to understand the desired sequence of events and actions and thus achieve the safety and efficiency benefits of good flight preparation.
Highlighting the steep learning curve created by this flight, I included an AIDE MEMOIR for the pre-flight brief as attached here.
You can read more/discuss in my thread of Implementing SOPs which I look to update in the near future.
We had arrived in Zurich for our short stay. Once the aircraft was tidied up, covered and prepared for the next few days of stay at the airport, we were driven barely 50 meters to the offices for the handler, to register any final details and then clear customs and have passports checked for our stay in Zurich. This was a barely 10-meter drive before we were then given instructions on how to walk to the main passenger terminal.
From the main passenger terminal, we would take a train to our Air BNB. This involved a short change at the Main station (Zürich Hauptbahnhof/Zurich HB). This is one of the busiest stations in Europe, and we had time for our connection we went to a local shop and got some beers that we could walk around with and enjoy on the train.
We took our further connection from ZB to Zürich Wiedikon railway station and walked the short distance to our Air BNB. This was roughly 12 minutes walk from the station, and is a great connection into the main city, either by walking or public transportation.
We spent Saturday taking in the sights as much as we could, walking around and chilling, exploring the old town, and looking for some good photography spots. We spent most of the day drinking and eating good food. We slowly walked back to our apartment, not knowing the fate of our next day would be completely changed by the weather gods and the shock to the system this was, with having to change our plans (for me, the first time away from home).
We received a very early call, but before 09:00 (so missed it as my phone was silenced) – I phoned it back and it was the Handlers, sadly with very bad news. Due to the strong winds forecast, see weather above for 11th – ATC decided to restrict Category A operations during our slot, which meant if we did depart it would be with low light and forecast severe thunderstorms on our route, landing either at sunset or just before. The other alternative was to call up ATC and see if they could get us out, but this meant packing completely, heading to the airport getting ready to go finding out we couldn’t then having to find accommodation again.
This meant an extra day in Zurich, but it was well worth it as we could enjoy ourselves just that bit extra. This meant whatever we didn’t do on the Saturday, we would do on the Sunday—more drinking, spending time on the lake on boats before having an early evening back at our accommodation for the early start.
The original departure was 1425z (16:25L) on the Sunday. We went for the earliest departure possible on Monday morning that was available for CAT A, and this was 0620z (0820L) which meant that we would arrive by 1130L, enough time for me to get to work on time (Sadly this was not possible for my friends who would have to have started Monday AM).
This is something to bare in mind if you ever visit Zurich Airport. Whilst it was a great trip, we were gladly on our way back to the UK, after a delay of almost 24 hours.
For the flight home it was relatively calm, good flying weather but with forecast Thunderstorms near Paris and some building later that day in the UK. As we got airborne we could finally see the Alps in the distance. It was a shame the previous days were very hazy, but the heat storms must have cleared all the air.
It was great to finally fly to Switzerland, and of all places Zurich. Sadly this is one of the most expensive cities in the world and although the views and vibrancies were great, it wouldn’t be a regular visit for me by General Aviation, least with the unpredictability of the airport’s operation with the slightest winds or bad weather, changing the whole dynamic of the operation and forcing Category ‘A’ aircraft out of the slot system.
Nonetheless, don’t let that impact your judgement in choosing Zurich as a destination of choice, and take in probably some of the most breathtaking scenery and views in the Western world. Be prepared for some last-minute changes, especially in planning and how it may affect your ability to fly home. For sure if I could do it again, I would plan a bit better where to eat out and have a plan of places to visit.
You can read the in-depth blog over at – along with the costs associated with such a trip – Visiting Zurich | The Flying VLOG
Enjoyed that short report @pilotrobbie, thanks for that.
Switzerland is often described as a “heaven on Earth”
??🤣
Kinda funny how people see things… my observation is an overpopulated and overbuilt place, somehow saved by what remains of it’s mountainous region… though also this one is under constant threat of further acts of vandalism such as wind parks, solar arrays, or further hi price condos by foreign or local “investors”. And the melting glaciers sure don’t help.
For a flight direct from the UK, you can only enter Switzerland through the following airports: Geneva Airport & Zurich Airport
Well, that is not entirely correct. There are other fields as e.g. Altenrhein, Bern, or the one I use when going to or return from the UK direct, Grenchen aka LSZG.
Good you have enjoyed it 😉
There are other fields as e.g. Altenrhein, Bern, or the one I use when going to or return from the UK direct, Grenchen aka LSZG.
What about LFSB? According to AIP immigration is H24 and Swiss customs is 0415-2300 which is practically also H24.
Nice report @pilotrobbie. I seem to recall seeing your DA40 there (there was not a lot of non-based traffic even then). Glad you enjoyed it, despite the even then high fees at ZRH.
pilotrobbie wrote:
Switzerland is often described as a “heaven on Earth” due to its stunning natural beauty, picturesque landscapes with alpine snow peaks and high quality of life – but it’s also very expensive, even more expensive than Scandinavia.
It’s a nice place to live, no question, but paradise is pushing it, particularly the Zurich area is hopelessly overbuilt and overpopulated with rents and property prices going to the insane.
I see that this flight took place in June 2023. It has to be mentioned that since Jan 24 the pricelist at ZRH is much changed with much higher landing and parking fees. Unfortunately today, ZRH is biz jet territory and even they are not really welcome. The ridiculous restrictions already in place before, which have hit you guys with slottery and “Cat A bans” just because there is a whee bit of wind, would make ZRH a very poor choice these days. Having worked there for close to 40 years, it is frustrating to see how a very nice GA destination has deteriorated into a typical “stay away” minded glorified 365 day shopping center with an airport attached to it as a necessity…
As for ports of entry into Switzerland, ZRH is only one of several non-Schengen capable airports. If you are IFR, There are Altenrhein, Bern, Grenchen, Les Eplatures , Samedan and Sion which also have those facilities, VFR there are some more, Samedan for instance and I believe also Lausanne has the possibility to accept non-Schengen flights PPR LFSB and Geneva are also not quite easy on GA these days. For eastern Switzerland I’d recommend Altenrhein (LSZR). It serves quite a few lovely places such as my birthplace of St. Gallen, Appenzell and Bregenz in Austria. Zurich is about 1 hr away by train. If you want to be more central, Bern LSZB. Bern is about 1 hr by train from ZRH main station but also a very nice city in it’s own right not to mention the Bern area which includes some very pictoresque landscape.
Glad you liked it… let me know if you (or any of the EuroGA crowd) is in town…
Thanks for reading – I guess that’s similar to most places in the world now, but it is very photogenic if you look away from the city. That view looking south over Lake Zurich is literally beautiful. But hey, what do I know, I’ve only been once hah.
Dan wrote:
Kinda funny how people see things… my observation is an overpopulated and overbuilt place, somehow saved by what remains of it’s mountainous region… though also this one is under constant threat of further acts of vandalism such as wind parks, solar arrays, or further hi price condos by foreign or local “investors”. And the melting glaciers sure don’t help.
Dan wrote:
Well, that is not entirely correct. There are other fields as e.g. Altenrhein, Bern, or the one I use when going to or return from the UK direct, Grenchen aka LSZG.Good you have enjoyed it 😉
Mooney_Driver wrote:
Nice report @pilotrobbie. I seem to recall seeing your DA40 there (there was not a lot of non-based traffic even then). Glad you enjoyed it, despite the even then high fees at ZRH.
I’ve been duly informed over at PPL IR, and it does seem that’s the case. I do want to try Geneva before that follows in Zurich’s footsteps
What’s with the 700% increase in fees for parking? I don’t understand it, other than it’s just another way of going around and banning GA via stealth tax than actually stating outright we are banning you. The wind issues and banning CAT A traffic were p*** poor for sure, and as you can see I was caught out by. It’s a shame, but glad I’ve done it and would probably only visit again if I had no other choice than to land at Zurich vs going commercial.
I was disappointed in the restaurants except the vegan one I mentioned in my blog, even though I am not a vegan/veggie – that was fairly decent.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
As for ports of entry into Switzerland, ZRH is only one of several non-Schengen capable airports. If you are IFR,
Good list, I’ll make note of these as I want to fly my girlfriend who’s Swiss into Switzerland in August. I’ll have to see which one works for her.
pilotrobbie wrote:
What’s with the 700% increase in fees for parking? I don’t understand it, other than it’s just another way of going around and banning GA via stealth tax than actually stating outright we are banning you.
They simply threw out some weight classes and increased the overall fee. Previously I paid some 400 CHF per month outside, after that it would have been 4000, so 10 fold. I suppose it’s still “ok” for some to park over night or so, but not to be stationed there.
pilotrobbie wrote:
The wind issues and banning CAT A traffic were p*** poor for sure, and as you can see I was caught out by. It’s a shame, but glad I’ve done it and would probably only visit again if I had no other choice than to land at Zurich vs going commercial.
ZRH has been ravaged by senseless restrictions and ATC, while doing their best, are so restricted in what they can and can’t do, that a lot of capacity is thrown away.
Well, I’ve closed that chapter from the GA side and will close it in a few years professionally too.
pilotrobbie wrote:
was disappointed in the restaurants except the vegan one I mentioned in my blog, even though I am not a vegan/veggie – that was fairly decent.
Restaurants wherever you go are a question of local knowledge and of course preference. Let me know next time and I’ll give you a few hints. I admit that there are not that many in the city I’d recommend and those who are reasonably priced and good are few and quite well hidden to the tourist eye. I can’t help with vegan or vegetarian beyond the contents of my own garden though…
pilotrobbie wrote:
Good list, I’ll make note of these as I want to fly my girlfriend who’s Swiss into Switzerland in August
And there are more
Yes, some are VFR only, but a Y flight plan will get you below most of the possible cloud covers, and once over the “flatlands” clouds or vis will only seldom prevent one to reach the intended destination. My field LSZF Birrfeld (limited to Schengen) is strictly VFR, but we have quite a few pilots using the Z or Y procedures and flying successfully in/out of the field, but for foggy conditions…
One recommendation I have for any UKer is to visit Lausanne LSGL, which you can fly direct to/from, but is VFR.
Located right on the northern edge of the croissant shaped lake (Léman/Lausanne/Geneva), and given good weather the view from the city (built on 6 hills) is breathtaking. The airfield has it all, friendly, very affordable, and sits almost in the city. The bus station is right to the field, and a 25 minute ride has you right to the lake’s shore. The Mövenpick hotel there has good rates, plenty of restaurants to choose from, and the public beach not far away. Ok, they do speak French, but as everywhere in the country, most also do understand and speak Shakespeare favourite
Thanks a lot for your report. Great to read and see, that you’ve had a good time. Another example, showing the advantages of IFR flying, which seemed way more relaxed, compared on doing such a trip VFR. Not so much because of the weather, but especially how easy you arrive and depart in and out of Zurich.
pilotrobbie wrote:
It was great to finally fly to Switzerland, and of all places Zurich. Sadly this is one of the most expensive cities in the world and although the views and vibrancies were great, it wouldn’t be a regular visit for me by General Aviation, least with the undictability of the airport’s operation with the slightest winds or bad weather, changing the whole dynamic of the operation and forcing Category ‘A’ aircraft out of the slot system.If you want it a bit cheaper next time, I would recommend to give Berne a try, which has a welcoming IFR airport for GA. As mentioned before, St. Gallen or Lausanne are pretty nice too and easy to reach from the UK by GA as well. As I do live close to Lucerne, I would also highly recommend it’s city and lovely region, but it’s not so straightforward to reach from the UK. You either stick to Buochs (LSZC), which is incredibly expensive and VFR-only for visitors, or still need to go to LSZH, LSZG or LSZB and continue by public transport or rental car to Lucerne, since the smaller (more challenging) VFR-strips in the vicinity don’t have immigration.
I was disappointed in the restaurants except the vegan one I mentioned in my blog, even though I am not a vegan/veggie – that was fairly decent.I’m sorry for your restaurant disappointments. You seemed to have bad luck, as I find Swiss restaurants in general pretty good. As everywhere, I would recommend to use Google Maps and search for “Top Rated” restaurants. This helps to filter out all options below a 4 star rating. With this approach, I never had a bad experience anymore. Note, that top rated restaurants might be fully reserved for dinner time, so make sure to reserve a table upfront.
What about LFSB? According to AIP immigration is H24 and Swiss customs is 0415-2300 which is practically also H24.You can, but it is a lot of hassle and the gate to the Swiss sector is only open during day time, earliest from 8:30 up to max 21:30, depending on the time of the year. You can also park at international tarmac and pass through immigration and customs using the main handlers, but that costs a lot of additonal money, making LFSB more expensive compared to LSZH. I would recommend the tip of @Dan instead and use LSZG.
It has to be mentioned that since Jan 24 the pricelist at ZRH is much changed with much higher landing and parking fees.According to this official charge calculator, I would say the airport fees in Zurich are still quite reasonable. It’s the 99 CHF basic handling fee of MFGZ on top, that makes the total amount a bit expensive, but Zurich is still not that pricy, compared to other main European airports. Not want to judge prices for basing an aircraft though, just talking from a visitor perspective.
Kinda funny how people see things… my observation is an overpopulated and overbuilt place, somehow saved by what remains of it’s mountainous region… though also this one is under constant threat of further acts of vandalism such as wind parks, solar arrays, or further hi price condos by foreign or local “investors”. And the melting glaciers sure don’t help.Being born and raised in the Netherlands, lived in Germany for some years, and now a Swiss resident, I think Switzerland is indeed superior when it comes to many parts of life, such as welfare, financial and political system and stability, safety, social cohesion, cleanliness, healthcare, general organization, taxes etc. Sure, landscape, and recreation possibilities are more a matter of taste, but I would also put them on the list. Wind parks? You should visit the Netherlands some time and complain again.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
They simply threw out some weight classes and increased the overall fee. Previously I paid some 400 CHF per month outside, after that it would have been 4000, so 10 fold. I suppose it’s still “ok” for some to park over night or so, but not to be stationed there.
I was talking to someone who works there and he mentioned to me that they wanted to try ban CAT A aircraft from next year (2024), but wasn’t able to do so for whatever reason. So I suspect this is the next best thing that doesn’t impact the pockets of an A320 operator or a Cessna Citation?
Mooney_Driver wrote:
Restaurants wherever you go are a question of local knowledge and of course preference. Let me know next time and I’ll give you a few hints. I admit that there are not that many in the city I’d recommend and those who are reasonably priced and good are few and quite well hidden to the tourist eye. I can’t help with vegan or vegetarian beyond the contents of my own garden though…
Frans wrote:
I’m sorry for your restaurant disappointments. You seemed to have bad luck, as I find Swiss restaurants in general pretty good. As everywhere, I would recommend to use Google Maps and search for “Top Rated” restaurants. This helps to filter out all options below a 4 star rating. With this approach, I never had a bad experience anymore. Note, that top rated restaurants might be fully reserved for dinner time, so make sure to reserve a table upfront.
In terms of restaurants, I don’t think they were a major issue, but the price they charged for the quality was well below average. I think I just went to all the wrong places, and it’s easily done in London. We also had the added issue that my friend Laura wanted something more forfilling than what was on offer for Vegans. I have no issues with a beef burger and chips, but it can be repetitive. That rooftop with vegan/vegetarian curries was really tasty though but on the expensive side charging per (g).
Dan wrote:
And there are more
Thanks for those recommendations. I’ll try collate a list from this thread the next few days to show to my girlfriend, see which ones closest to her family. She’s originally from Lucerne but not sure where they live.
Frans wrote:
Thanks a lot for your report. Great to read and see, that you’ve had a good time. Another example, showing the advantages of IFR flying, which seemed way more relaxed, compared on doing such a trip VFR. Not so much because of the weather, but especially how easy you arrive and depart in and out of Zurich.
I try to make it easy as possible. The hardest part seems to be getting the handling at some places, per the Spanish dealings that always seems difficult but once I’ve got going it’s easier. They also seem to give decent service. I always almost fly IFR now, as it’s just far simpler for me and it keeps my rather expensive rating current. Although I may treat myself to a nice VFR bimble to Isle of Wight for the BBQ.
A lot of the fear I think from IFR is that 70% of the time you probably have to visit a big airport and 99% of the time you have to have some form or formal handling, but I make no issue out of that. Take my recent example of flying into Amsterdam, expensive yes, but fairly easy and straightforward apart from the stress of a full blown CAT 1 ILS on arrival.
Frans wrote:
If you want it a bit cheaper next time, I would recommend to give Berne a try, which has a welcoming IFR airport for GA.
Bern may work actually. I think that’s closer than Geneva and if it saves a bit of money, I can always visit Geneva in the future to get that in the logbook. I guess in early August the weather is okay? She flew into Basel and returned via Zurich, so I guess Bern is closer than Geneva for her family to pick us up if we do visit.
chflyer wrote:
Whever I’m at an event in Zurich anywhere near the Opera / Bellevue, I usually have a meal at tibits. It’s very popular and is casual, meaning buffet with a counter to orders your drinks. But the food is excellent and the prices ok for Zurich.
Very nice, I’ll send that to Laura – if she visits again she may want to try that. I am sure I’ll visit Zurich again with my girlfriend, so will keep tabs on decent places to eat.