Advice for trip south of Paris to Venice LIPV in VFR

Sorry for forgetting the VENISE trip report traduction (that I have posted in French)…time for me to consult a Neurologist ?

If any interest thank for reading

I planned an air trip with my BEECHCRAFT Bonanza to Venice Lido LIPV (although my wife had preferred to fly there).

I thank those who warned me of the particularities of VFR flight in Italy (MILAN area and VRP)

I had to wait until the third week of June for good weather.

This Tuesday, June 18, 2019 the forecast is good, I reserve on BOOKING at the last moment the Hotel Splendid Starhotels in Venice at 7:30 LT (for several weeks I checked the rooms available in the few hotels that meet my criteria).

VFR departure at 9:00 LT from my aerodrome Moret Episy LFPU (south of Fontainebleau / Melun) in the initial direction of VALENCE.

As I said in a post, the trip by the Alpine passes (Brenner or Gotthard preferred) was refused by my wife who did not want a mountain.

Anyway the problem did not arise for this June 18th because it did not seem feasible in the Alps (and in addition no O2 to climb higher)

the road passed through the valllee of Rhone, 600 NM, with a technical stop Essence VALENCIA LFLU after 1H37 flight and I activated my FPL takeoff VALENCIA routing LFLU DGN LIMJ LIMG LIMP LIPV (via PZS4 and PZS3 ).

A friend whose FK14 is parked next to my plane, and who is Captain Air France, had warned me to arrive with the maximum fuel LIPV because there is only one runway currently in service at LIPZ (the other is in repair) and in case of arrival from the North the wait can be very long!

For my part, the problem did not really arise when arriving from the south of the lagoon ….

After taking off VALENCIA I climbed FL75 to DGN where my wife noticed that it was not as flat as I promised!

After the swarms of paragliding (especially after DGN) some of which were flying in the middle of the valleys sometimes less than 1000 ’under us, the ceiling went down, first hanging the peaks still snowy then all the horizon in front and time to get into a cumulus I opted to SAN REMO to join the coastal route quite foggy, descent 6000 ’mandatory to GENOVA (LIMG) then direction PARME flying over the low mountains of the LIGURE.

MILAN asked me to go down to 3000 ’passing through the VRP of the PARMA CTR and we finished the journey in a still foggy and warm weather ++ with a small head wind adding to the consumption of Bonanza at these altitudes .

Magic arrival to VENICE LIDO (Nicelli) LIPV in self-information after 2H36 of flight, close circuit in 05 refueling and parked with the windsock because, remaining 4 days the parking had to be free to receive June 21 of the DC3.

Strenuous walking under a hot sun with the wheeled suitcase and backpack for over half an hour to reach the Vaporetto station and finish dehydrated at the Hotel; 4 hot but beautiful days (walk in the canals, dinners on the canals with good wines Chardonnay and ballads on the grand canal or omnibus Vaporetto.

The departure of Friday 21 is advanced in the morning because of thunderstorms planned in the afternoon on the Massif Central Rhône Lyon area and we reach the small port of Nicelli Lido by TAXI BOAT taking us to the pontoon of the hotel … the class ! Super trip in the maze of small canals to reach the lagoon by the hospital and we go to the LIDO.

One of the DC3 has arrived but the other 3, coming from FRANCE, will probably not pass (I confirm) ..

Takeoff 05 and exit PZS3 then PZS4 to make us avoid 1500 ‘arrivals on LIPZ … we can only climb too far to 4000’ and finally 6000 ’max after PARME.

Journey to GENOVA SAVONE ALBENGA and border crossing at IVLAM (vintimille) direction NIZ and FAYENCE for refueling at AIX EN PROVENCE LFMA after 2H25 of fine weather flight.

Takeoff of LFMA for a direct to LFPU at FL65 and after MONTELIMAR the time on our left on the Massif Central is dark (thunderstorms on Clermont Ferrand) and the cumulus clouds are obviously on my road obliging me as soon as SAINT ETIENNE with more and more bypasses more hazardous and after having the last METAR of Saint YAN I go down to the FL45 with drizzle and then I finish after 1H58 flight under cumulus and sun (Massif Central and Lyonnais zones will be in “VIGILANCE ORANGE” for thunderstorms at from 5 pm

Note that on the go and return (LFLU LIPV then LIPV LFMA) the FPL were announced “activated” by the two TWR and yet the different frequencies asked me my routing and I came to understand that they had never been passed on to anyone! The LFMA tower confirmed this to me when I asked for confirmation of the closure of the FPL … I was told that there was no trace of FPL.

I confirm that in ITALY it is illusory on this way to reason in level of flight and to calculate performances and consumptions, that VRP can can be requested (PARME e.g) ; NICE and MILANO fréquencies are inaudible at FL 75 ; AVGAS is very expensive at LIDO but the south arrival, the LDG in 05 and the aerodrome are so nice not to mention VENISE