I have a pretty good understanding now of which larger airports in Germany are GA-friendly and which are not (if not by experience, then by reading up a lot).
Now I’m considering a trip to Zurich to visit friends in May. What are your thoughts on LSZH as a destination for a VFR flight on a C172 by a not very experienced pilot? A good adventure? A costly adventure? A reckless enterprise?
I’ve checked their public information and at least they DO mention VFR flights and the pricing doesn’t appear to be completely beyond reason.
Any advice?
If you don’t shy away from the rather high prices, it is an easy and well equipped airport to fly to.
First of all, you will need a slot time for in and outbound. Can be gotten via e-mail [email protected] or by phone earliest one day before the flight. If you call early in the morning, chances are good to get the slots you need.
2ndly you need handling. MFGZ is the choice for a C172, Application here: https://www.mfghandling.com/de/request_preise/
Other than that, the VAC charts and airport text sais all you need to know. The Tower and Apron control expect fluent and proficient RT in English and it is a good idea to look at the taxi chart. 99% of the time you will land on runway 28 and leave to the south (left), from there you will be guided to one of the GA Parkings, from where you need to call handling to pick you up. Apron Control like it if you state your ground time on the initial call, so they know where to park you.
The folks at the GAC are friendly and helpful.
If you feel comfortable flying to controlled airports with a lot of traffic, then Zürich is no particular problem, just quite expensive. In return, you get an international aiport open from 6am to 10 pm, customs and immigration and good public transport as well as rental cars e.t.c. available.
Any more questions, don’t hesitate to ask.
Thanks, Urs!
I’ll see what I’ll do – might be choosing Birrfeld instead, which seems relaxed and convenient…
Well, Birrfeld is a totally different setup.
Are you planning to fly direct from the UK? If so, Birrfeld is no-go, as it has only Schengen Customs. You’d need to clear Schengen somewhere else.
Otherwise, it is an uncontrolled daylight only airport with a LOT of traffic. Personally, I am wary of the sometimes extremely busy traffic circuit.
Also, there is no public transport from/to Birrfeld, you’ll have to order a taxi to Brugg in order to catch a train to Zürich City. The cost of which may well offset the cost of a landing in ZRH where the public transport is 20 meters away from the GAC.
I’m flying out of EDLE, so it’s well within Schengen.
Thanks for that added advice. So two very busy airports…
I’m getting a quote in the range of CHF 160 incl airport charges at MFGHandling, which I would find reasonably reasonable for an airport of this magnitude.
Including airport charges yes, that is reasonable and would be around what i’d expect.
If you do drop in, let me know and we can meet. I work at the airport.
Interest in this one as I’m still thinking about Mali Losinj (LDLO) Croatia 23-26 May. Originating UK and stopping at LSZH with a Gotthard Pass transit to the South.
My other route would be to Innsbruck (LOWI) and transit South via The Brenner.
Not trying to change the ‘thread’ topic – just interested in LSZH, but there was a possibility of a pilot with Alps X’ing experience been able to accompany me, but that is now unlikely. Would anyone with good mountain experience like my P2 seat IF that becomes vacant?
I can P2 for you if you stop in LSGG, then transit via Mt. Blanc and Simplon :)
OK, I’ll take a look at LSGG. Are you up for a bit of ‘cost sharing’. Believe it’s mandatory for some reason in a ‘N’ reg – Arrow non turbo.
Sure LSGG must be GA friendly (even if not € friendly !!!) otherwise you would not have proposed.
Are you thinking just yourself or + 1 ? I was thinking of spreading the trip over few days either side of the weekend, say 21 – 27 May.
It’s a lot of money just to go there and back in say 48 hours for example.
Not sure how we ‘secretly’ exchange e-mails on this site – think Peter can ‘do’ that, and that’s authorization Peter.
I’m going to c&p this (and yours) into the Mali Losinj trip thread
And up…
Tuesday 11/11 I want to make a trip to Zurich, vfr from EBAW
Because I still have some questions about Zurich… tomorrow I will call them, but maybe some of you know already the answer?
1. arrival slots, slottime – is it enterin the CTR, wheels on the ground,…?
2.when I am too late for my slot, is there an extra fee or do they just say: diverte when you ask for entering the CTR?
3. When you want to cancel your slots because of wheather the day of the trip, is it accepted, is there a fee for it. Best by calling of by radio
4. Procedures:
In jeppesen vfr part, there is: “pilots contact apron directly for taxi clearance.” in the aip i read about start-up clearance with clearance delivery, 15 minutes before estimated time of departure. But this last part is not in the vfr part of the jeppesen. In the AIP i don’t find an exeption for VFR traffic, so I think VFR still needs start-up clearance first? Am I correct?
