A PA-46 is not possible to push and has low prop clearance so I would be turning off the engine and having a word. Anyway, sounds like hard is possible and I file IFR and just arrive.
If I can get a slot, I intend to fly down Friday early morning and back out that evening..... as I said though, it all depends on getting a slot....
Normally, I found, getting the slots is not a problem provided you hit the booking site (this time it is telephone-only) as soon as it comes up.
I have bought a backup Monarch ticket (from Gatwick) anyway. The Fri/Sun flights are mostly unbooked, as of today.
slot booking by phone is a really good idea - both number are busy as expected..
Yeah... you beat me to posting about this 
The arrogant idiots have stopped the web slot booking option and now you have to telephone.
Please contact the Slot Booking Office directly by calling +49 7541 284 - 185 or +49 7541 284 - 186. Starting April 3, 2013, slots can be booked daily from 6.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. (UTC).
The result is obvious. Both numbers 100% busy, with some huge number of people dialing them as of this morning. Maybe this was done deliberately, to keep out non-airline visitors, because it is an incredibly stupid move.
Monarch fly there from London Gatwick, fairly reasonably priced, but they rip you off £100 for changing any detail after you booked.
At least there is one major improvement regarding IFR. They only say that for aircraft < 2t MTOM, it is "strongly recommended" to fly VFR.
Strongly recommended ("dringend empfohlen") just means "pretty please don't file IFR but if you do, well, we have to accept you".
It's kind of pointless anyway. If the weather is good, IFR approaches will not be possible due to the separation minima and everybody cancels IFR. If the weather is bad, there is little traffic (thanks to JAR few pilots have an IR) and IFR is not an issue.
It looks like the English version of the page is broken, here's the German original.
Both numbers 100% busy, with some huge number of people dialing them as of this morning. Maybe this was done deliberately, to keep out non-airline visitors, because it is an incredibly stupid move.
Conspiracy theories are rarely correct. The explanation for 95% of all things is human stupidity.
Sure; they probably based it on last year when the wx was poor so they thought the phone will be fine.
Idiotic...
However, the ATC were never really able to cope with the arrival of .... aircraft
But even last year you could fly in IFR, filing "I" all the way. Does the EDNY tower have the authority to ban IFR arrivals?
I need to do some work, not just repeatly press "redial" on my desk phone. good luck to others, will try it later. Did anyone actually get the slot ?
Does the EDNY tower have the authority to ban IFR arrivals?
Of course not but capacity is limited. If they can't fit you in, they put you in the holding and you know what you have to do once your fuel reserves go below a certain level...
Anyway, once you get a slot, file an IFR flight plan. If the weather looks reasonable, cancel IFR and land. Their attempt to discourage IFR for small aircraft looks reasonable.
Sure; they probably based it on last year when the wx was poor so they thought the phone will be fine.
The most likely reason is some problem with the web based system, company that did it went bust or something like that. I've put in a request with the PR department of the fairground, they promised to get back to me with the reason.
Last year I flew into Altenrhein, which is at the same Bodenmeer lake but on the Swiss side. Easy IFR flight with cheaper hotels than on the German side. The next morning I did the shortest "international" flight ever with a VFR departure from Altenrhein in the direction of the lake and a VFR landing at Friedrichshafen just on the other side. The Gankt-Gallen/Altenrhein tower arranged the arrival directly with the Friedrichshafen tower for me. No slots or problems.
I am having problems staying a long time at such shows, so I visited all the exhibition halls and departed again less than 3 hours later.
What is of interest in Friedrichshafen is the Zeppelin Museum.
