FredPilote wrote:
Legnica Airport or Tomaszowo Airport
Hopefully not too late…
If by Legnica you mean EPLE, this airport is formally closed: http://ais.pansa.pl/vfr/aippliki/EP_Sup_2014_01_en.pdf
If by Tomaszowo you mean EPZN, that one isn’t usable at all, stay away, even if you have one of these:
Both are ex-military bases which have been more or less left to rot, with Legnica possibly being “renovated”.
FWIW, I believe it is not mandatory to stay in contact with FIS while flying VFR, actually even a radio is not required in G airspace, except for a RMZ around EPWA. But the FIS folks are a helpful bunch, so it’s worth saying “hi”.
I guess EPKP is too far east for you, but if not, let’s do lunch!
Among German ultralight pilots, Jelenia Góra EPJG has a good reputation, but that might well be due to the presence of German-speaking AFIS operators. Less relevant to you, probably..?
I think you should carefully consider the language issue, very few people speak French there so you would have to make sure the radio operator has English. I think this will restrict you to the bigger airports.
OK, so I should not need a flight plan once I’m in Belgium to go to Germany and Poland or to Czech Republic. I was thinking that it was useful for ATC to know where I am but I realised that my new Mode-S transponder makes a better job doing that, as I am radar identified and easily localised as soon as I say hello, and I get a much quicker clearance than when I have filed a FPL, so if I can just not make one, I won’t.
Now I’ve passed Leipzig, my stop in Germany, and I’m not sure where I can go, in Poland. Are there any Polish pilots or anyone who have been to Poland before and who could tell me, for exemple, if Legnica Airport or Tomaszowo Airport a good place to stop for lunch on my way to Praha ? (meaning there is a place to eat and a small airport fee) ? Thanks for your help
In Poland talking to ATS is mandatory for VFR flights.
(AIP VFR ENR 1.2: Whenever possible, flights shall maintain two-way radio communication on the appropriate ATS communication channel.).
It does in France, from what I have seen.
And in Sweden. (At least if you have given a specific altitude in the flight plan. If the altitude is given as “VFR”, it’s not certain.)
To the Czech Republic, Austria or Poland a FPL is completely unnecessary for VFR, and if no value. Before i cross the border i greet the czech controller, he maybe gives me an advice or too, and before i land i say bye!
That’s good airmanship to me, to fly according to the regulations and not complicate things.
filing a VFR flightplan will not generally “let ATC know” you are there, at least not enroute ATC
It does in France, from what I have seen. Anybody filing a VFR FP which goes anywhere in France, even not landing there, will be visible to any ATC unit anywhere in France. They seem to have set up a very unified ATC system. Obviously for a highly militarised country such as France this “known traffic environment” makes perfect sense.
Phil,
You can continue filing flightplans as much as you like.
But most people think (and should be free to decide) that a flightplan nowadays is an archaic nonsense in central Europe.
By the way, filing a VFR flightplan will not generally “let ATC know” you are there, at least not enroute ATC. VFR flightplans largely have only one effect: SAR. And with most VFR flights nowadays being conducted in constant radio contact with some ATC or FIS unit, this argument becomes obsolete as well.
My 2 pence.
Whether you need a flight plan or not it’s always a good airmanship to file one, especially when crossing the borders. You want people, ATC, to know that you are out there, that you are coming, and in the unlikely event of emergency you will be found and they can send the SAR out to you.
It has happened many times that when people were found its often too late. Hence the flight plan comes in handy.
Safe Flying! Phil
Jan,
you know, in Germany there is this weird publication called NFL (Nachrichten für Luftfahrer, which by the way means Notices to Airmen, aka NOTAM, which creates a lot of confusion since these have zero to do with NOTAMs) and that’s where Germany often puts this stuff.
The mean thing is that NFLs are not public – they make a business out of it and sell the service as a subscription, much like with the dreaded AIP VFR.
The best I can refer you to is this:
Ausnahmen von der Verpflichtung zur Übermittlung von Flugplänen
NfL-I 129/08 vom 09. Mai 2008
Auf Grund des § 25 Abs. 1 Satz 2 der Luftverkehrs-Ordnung macht das Bundesministerium für Verkehr, Bau und Stadtentwicklung bekannt:
Flüge ziviler Luftfahrzeuge nach Sichtflugregeln in die und aus den nachfolgend genannten Staaten sind von der Flugplanpflicht nach § 25 Abs. 1 Nr. 6 befreit:
Belgien,
Frankreich,
Luxemburg,
Niederlande,
Österreich,
Dänemark,
Polen und
Tschechische Republik
Flüge ziviler Luftfahrzeuge nach Sichtflugregeln aus bzw. nach
Spanien, Portugal, Griechenland, Italien, Schweden, Finnland,
Norwegen, Island, Estland, Lettland, Litauen, Slowakei,
Slowenien, Ungarn und Malta,
soweit sie ohne Zwischenlandung über die o. g. Länder in die Bundesrepublik Deutschland ein- oder ausfliegen, sind von der Flugplanpflicht ebenfalls befreit.
Die Bekanntmachung tritt mit dem Tage der Veröffentlichung in Kraft.
Die Bekanntmachung in den NfL I – 209/01 werden hiermit aufgehoben.
Now this NFL might have in the meantime been superceded by a new one (don’t know), but the content of this one sure is still there.
