I can help too if needed.
I will put my question here as it might help other pilots as well.
I plan to come from LFAV to LFMD on the first weekend of July for the weekend. Flight will be VFR.
I was wondering how it was best to proceed inbound and was wondering if there are special things to know about.
My questions:
Does it make sence or do you have a better suggestion ?
For the sake of completeness I will also put the answer I got from @johnh . Thanks in advance for your help @greg_mp
-in the AIP they speak of a mandatory briefing but on the website seems only related for IFR. Any requirement for VFR ?
Not that I’m aware of. You need to get familiar with the VFR reporting points. You’d be coming in from the west which means WL at 2500 then they will usually have you cross overhead the field at 1500 to join downwind – assuming 17 is in use which it always is.
-for parking I understand that if you park on grass there is no issue. correct ?
I’ve never seen the grass parking actually full, though it gets a bit crowded sometimes.
-for fuel, I would need Jet-A. I understand that this is via truc and that it is via BP and BP card is fine. correct ?
I’ve never used Jet A so I don’t actually know, but for sure there are no self-serve pumps for Jet A. The service is BP.
-routing: I understood the you have to come over sea. A first idea (to avoid high terrain) was MTL-LFNH-LUC-STP-then VFR points DR-SW-SA.
You can come overland via WL. Arrival via DR is also possible. They will send you to SA then generally turn you onto downwind once you’ve crossed the runway axis (though not always, I’ve been sent to hold at SA sometimes).
Le Luc is a big military area (R95). You can always (fingers crossed!) get permission to transit, call 122.2 and they will generally give you 3000 though you can request something else. Don’t transit without permission, it makes them cross (I’ve heard them on the radio when it happens).
You will NEVER get a transit through R138.
When I flew my (now former :-( ) plane down from Paris VFR I went via MTL then wiggled my way round all the red stuff to LFMD.
No a lot to add over John’s elements.
DR is the nicest arrival buyt also the longest. Contact Cannes Tower 2 minutes at least before arriving at DR at 1000ft unless indicated by Nice Info, because it oculd be hard to check-in with Cannes Tower. They’ll grant you into the CTR by telling “report SW” (2 minutes before runway axe) then “report SA” (south of Lerins Islands, you can’t miss it). Once there is a pattern slot, they’ll tell you to report downwind, etc… If nobody in the pattern and wind permit, you can ask to land on R35 that is much more effective (so towards the land). If you think ATC forgot you, ask again before arriving island “approaching SA”.
If using WL arrival (south of Lac de Saint Cassien), it’s nice and bumpy, and as described by John.
If you arrive a bit more on the North, the N arrival is more challenging, you will miss visual clues, but also effective as you arrive in the runway 17 direction. It used to be the fastest. I do it with the CJ1 at 250kt, it’s kind of funny. It’s 3500ft on N point.
ATCs (Nice Info or Cannes Tower) are very accommodating, but you need to understand what they are asking, so keep an eye on the VAC chart. There can be 0 to 8 planes into the pattern, and IFR traffic depending on the time of arrival. You can be asked to orbit a few times.
You can also be asked to do a bigger circuit (called “north of La roquette”) when in downwind to help separation at landing.
Continue on downwind until passed the Golf on your right and turn left hand base just after the factory. You’ll be at 1000ft with high ground (1500ft are for the twins), not more than 500ft agl at this time.
It’s important to know that if you have an ADSB transponder and fly over the blue circle, you’ll get a mail from ATC. People living in “La Roquette” village are true cunts that spend their time looking at planes and file complaints. in 2019, 10 people have filed 10000 procedures though the whole year.
Also note that over Le Luc, the mil frequency (122.2) is less and less used and often located over LFMC airfield. You’lll be passed on either Nice-Info or Le Luc-App after Aix/Provence areas. They are both effective in English, that will be a surprise after Marseille FIR that brings a “lovely french accent” (as mine btw :P).
greg_mp wrote:
10 people have filed 10000 procedures though the whole year
Can people not get a life?
Antonio wrote:
Can people not get a life?
Apparently difficult with airplanes buzzing overhead. Important to note there are many retirees in this area… Some are not that busy
This may be a contrarian POV but I would not fly to LFMD unless I had a pressing reason to visit the city.
I posted a bit here and more here (search for “pump”). It was the lack of help with the fuel which wasted hours; a French speaker would have been fine but LFMD is supposed to be an “international” airport 
I have rarely been as happy to be back home as I was on that very long day, and since “home” was Biggin Hill (due to Shoreham being closed due to the delay at Cannes) that cost a few hundred £ more due to taxis etc. To be fair I also got the “PROB50” French ATC strike CTOT which had to be worked around with a VFR leg as usual…
If you want to stop for fuel on some long trip, use LFMT which has a handy procedure
They have changed the pumps and their computer, now I think these issues should be solved, at least if you have a BP card. I didn’t try yet the other pump but at least the pumps are now working and tarmac works are now over.
Peter, next time start VFR from Cannes and switch IFR over Avignon. Weather is usually good and it would spare all these IFR and slot issues, and VFR to Avignon is not that complex.
denopa wrote:
Apparently difficult with airplanes buzzing overhead. Important to note there are many retirees in this area… Some are not that busy
Most of them bought their house after airfield was built (early 1930 :D ).
I have to say that sometimes big jets do fly over Mougins old town and La roquette in a total ignorance of procedure, and these guys are ruining our effort to make everyone co-existing here…
next time start VFR from Cannes and switch IFR over Avignon
Well, except that Y/Z fight plans aren’t permitted under “coordination”. You can just land at LFMV and depart IFR from there, but it kind of defeats the object.
Fuel at LFMV is by truck and very enjoyable compared to LFMD, you just call, wait 5 minutes, and stand and watch.
VFR LFMD-LFMV is straightforward but you will be at 3000 or maybe 4000. You are very much at the mercy of the Mistral – I had to abandon a flight to Aix a few weeks back because the SEV TURB was getting uncomfortably close to extreme. Then La Montagne Ste Victoire came into view and I thought, 50 knots coming straight down over that – and you have to fly downwind of it – could well be a repeat of my thankfully unique rotor experience.
johnh wrote:
Well, except that Y/Z fight plans aren’t permitted under “coordination”. You can just land at LFMV and depart IFR from there, but it kind of defeats the object.
That’s true, but you can file IFR from LFMV and get your clearance before landing? When training IFR on 2 legs, I often get my return trip clearance during approach.
Anyway is a nice terrain, inexpensive and very aviation friendly.
About the turbulences, yes, if so you have to either go under the Saint Victoire (1500ft) downwing to be protected from the wind but that’ a painfull north bound route after because you arrive into the LFML area through the Alpilles MIL route at 1700ft and you will have a very hard time there, I already hit the canopy in a DA42 around there. I advise to go upwind Sainte Victoire and low, and you’ll be clear of big turbulences, otherwise it’s higher than 7000ft.
A good route to Avignon would be LFMD MDWD MCDG MEDOK 43.827/5.748 (Manosque City) LFMV, and ask your clearance to Orange/Salon App depending on who’s managing.
About the mistral, yes… It can be a hard time. Didn’t we all have one once? (this one at Carpentras, clearly not my best :D but runway was long)
