>Don’t know what should be odd about it. It’s a rather complete guide of all airfields in the UK.
boscomantico you have misread the previous posts.
They are not talking about Pooley’s VFR guide, but rather Pooley’s Delage guide.
We could certainly fix one, e.g. 2 weeks later (1 week later is the Socata fly-in) but I suspect very few will turn up to the backup meeting. I am hoping that the four-day slot (23-26) gives enough leeway for having a useful meet-up on say the 25th (Sunday). It gives 3 different days to get in. Long-range IFR pilots will probably go on the 23rd. I will fly on the first technically flyable day, 23rd onwards. Views?
Peter, thanks for going along. The current plan is indeed ample. My thinking was mainly about those members for whom the proposed weekend is unsuitable anyway – should we have to divert, then it should be to a date that does suit them.
Flying around Europe 20 years ago wasn’t that difficult (or even 40 years ago!)…. phones and faxes existed… and of course in France, the Minitel was around….
Yes indeed flying wasn’t that difficult. I did all my preparation with Bottlang – everything you needed was listed there. In 1985 I did my familiarization flight to Courchevel.
I picked up the instructor at Sallanches LFHZ, chief of Air Montblanc, and we did 3 landings and take-offs at Courchevel in my Mooney M20C. Today you need almost a whole week
for familiarization … and you need to come back every year to keep it valid.
Same with La Mole (St.Tropez Airport). In former times you did not need a qualification at all. Today they ask you for a training flight even if you landed there 20 times before.
An airport which is not difficult at all once you have a couple of years flight experience. They should be honest and declare it an airport restricted to oligarch use …
I think in those days the only complicated thing when flying in France was the minitel 
Not sure if I have mentioned this already but some of us have booked into Hotel Apoksiomen which is in the harbour.
It was about €64/night for a single room which is a lot less than I used to pay – presumably because one is booking early.
There is obviously a weather risk…
Guess that’s still May 23 – 26 ?
I’m looking (thinking) about this trip!! DIFFICULT.
From Sandtoft EGCF.
Arrow non-turbo. No O, VFR in Europe.
Thinking Brenner Pass from Innsbruck area as best option.
Will need to stop (fuel) North of Alps – still working on that one.
Stopping North of Alps (even a night stop) will give me a ‘think period’ and serious weather check for VFR crossing.
ANY route advice/suitable stop airfields (100LL) from anybody would be really welcome.
In Austria (LOWZ) fuel is a little cheaper than in Southern Germany. You will have no big problem with a non-turbo Arrow on a nice day. Fly in FL110 or 120, I did that about 10 times with a 150 hp Piper Warrior.
Warley, FWIW:
Crossing the Alps is highly unlikely for my microlight. As I understand from these pages, your situation might be better, but not by much.
Departing slightly closer than you, I have as yet planned four easy stages on a day each:
EBZH – EDJB
EDJB – LKBA
LKBA – LHBK
LHBK – LDLO
of course this is a long way around, but it avoids high terrain AND hostile airspace/terrain like Austria. My selection of fields was more critical than yours – I require either camping-under-the-wing or basic accommodation, plus MoGas availability. I daresay any field I selected should suit you, too.
No. 98 Alexis
Do we not bother about ‘not above 10,000’ no oxygen!!’ Understand you are talking FL’s
No. 99 Thanks Jan
For VFR, what might be useful is my 2005 Santorini VFR trip writeup.
I realise the TB20’s 20000ft ceiling is a lot higher than a non-turbo Arrow, and I have always carried oxygen, but the route is perhaps worth a look, against present-day VFR charts.
My 2004 Crete trip was more conservative (with a stay in Switzerland before crossing the Alps) but I did not repeat that ever again because it was a huge hassle and extra wx risk (every stop is a wx risk) and it is generally a lot better to stay at home until the wx around the Alps is good and then go for it. I did that Swiss stop because some “sky gods” on another forum told me dark stories about mountain waves. In retrospect those people never flew anywhere for real, and in light winds, say 10kt, if you are say 2000ft above the terrain, you aren’t going to feel it. Obviously if the winds are say 50kt that’s different and you want to be a lot higher (say 6000ft+) but the winds aren’t usually that strong unless the wx is pretty crap anyway.
An Archer (PA28-181) can go to 14000ft or so, correctly leaned. That’s good enough for this IFR route although admittedly the N Italy airspace is likely to be difficult for VFR, with so much Class A.
For every 10 knots of wind stay 1000 feet above the terrain and you will not have much turbulence over the mountains.
Yes, I know the new rule is not to fly above FL100 without oxygen, but i never had any problems in FL110 or 120. You can cross in FL100 too, if you avoid the highest summits. But of course many times you will not get “on top” at FL100
If the weather is not good enough simply follow the Danube around the Alps from Bavaria. That’s a safe and easy to fly route around the high parts of the Alps.
