I don’t recall seeing a cash machine there but could well be wrong. Last time I went was 2 years ago.
You can pay for most things with a Visa card. However if you are staying in some B&B then you can’t – they will want cash. Also buying food from cafes and such needs cash; a few take credit cards but they don’t like them because it holds up the queue.
Ok I will bring some pounds from over here. Credit card is fine for any bigger expenses but in most places paying a cold drink to go or some ice cream might be difficult without some local currency…
When do you arrive? I’m there on Friday and live about 30mins by road. I can get you to the next hole in the wall.
We went to this on Saturday (fortunate really because it was the nicest weather day) and would like to recognise the terrific job done by ATC and marshallers. Several aircraft were turned away by ATC because they had not read the NOTAM and were most definitely a danger. In one exchange ATC stated they would be filing a MOR for the incident. There was a holding pattern to observe before following the route in and most aircraft were pretty good but some just had no idea where the turning points were. As we were on base leg with a short but suitable distance between us and the next aircraft in front, a Piper (with no R/T heard) just appeared on short final as the one in front of us was turning final and it was extreme good lookout that he saw the Piper and quickly extended his base leg to avoid. What really astonishes me is that people had still not read the NOTAM and carried on regardless. perhaps I shall drive to such events in future!
In contrast, on the same day at Cosford for Project Propeller, I was very impressed by the way pilots arrived at the planned time to their assigned gates and flew precise landings allowing a quick runway vacation. ATC was very good too.
Is the same in Friedrichshafen when it is time to leave. 80% have no idea what the NOTAMs said like: taxi on your own discretion and TOWER will contact you if you at the front of the row to depart.
It was utterly chaos. Most requested taxi. A lot announced their route on every taxiway.
Is the same in Friedrichshafen when it is time to leave. 80% have no idea what the NOTAMs said like: taxi on your own discretion and TOWER will contact you if you at the front of the row to depart.
The NOTAM (or AIP SUP, actually) for VFR was actually clear in that you had to request a taxi clearance, but on a special ground frequency. I believe this information was also in the ATIS as during the time I was on the regular ground frequency, I heard TWR reply to about half a dozen taxi requests by asking whether the pilots had actually listened to the ATIS – which of course they hadn’t.
In contrast, on the same day at Cosford for Project Propeller, I was very impressed by the way pilots arrived at the planned time to their assigned gates and flew precise landings allowing a quick runway vacation. ATC was very good too.
+1 for all those taking part in Project Propeller. By far the most organised and streamlined arrival to a large aviation event that I’ve seen. Well done to all the team!
Nowadays I would drive, not fly, to Sywell.
The traffic arrangements are a mess. They are not too bad if you arrive very early, immediately after the place opens.
And if the cloudbase is “really low”, say 1000ft AGL 
what you get, as you approach straight in at 900ft (all the published procedures are then discarded – they told me that on the phone) is half a dozen planes showing on TCAS, in a nice straight line, above you, descending in the cloud, VFR, using various GPS devices. They don’t know about each other or about you, and are all hoping to pop out of the cloud at just the right place.
Been there, done that, and don’t really want to do it again. The sky is big but no point in testing it in quite that way. Flying a DIY IAP once an hour is fine statistically but here we are talking about a separation of arriving aircraft measured in tens of seconds, and all in IMC.
Also the show is almost identical from one year to the next so it’s mostly good for meeting up with people. Like Friedrichshafen really, but that’s about 10x bigger so a lot more people are going to be there.
This year I didn’t go because I am in Greece and because it’s a 3hr drive anyway.
Well done all those doing PP
The NOTAM (or AIP SUP, actually) for VFR was actually clear in that you had to request a taxi clearance, but on a special ground frequency.
I was not talking 2015. It was in 2009. See here: VFR SUP 4 2009
9. VFR departures
9.1 Departures will generally be conducted via departure routes NOVEMBER or SIERRA. Changes of direction shall not be made until the end of the RWY has been reached. The neces- sary clearance for a right turn is considered to be granted. Pilots need not submit a position report over the relevant compulsory reporting point if, in return, they do not make use of the alerting serv-ice. 9.2 After the announcement via ATIS, taxiing will commence without establishing radio contact with Friedrichshafen TWR. After leaving the parking position, continuous listening watch shall be maintained on the frequency broadcast by ATIS. Pilots shall ensure that they are ready to depart, on reaching the taxi-holding position at the latest. In the case of VFR departures with flight plan, call sign with DEST shall be reported at the taxi-holding position.
9.3 Aircraft at the respective taxi-holding posit- ion will be addressed directly by the air traffic controller and cleared for take-off. Departures will take place alternately on the main and grass RWY. For departures with reduced RWY separation, pilots may overtake with sufficient lateral distance only, and should avoid this as far as possible.
