Any thoughts on the best airport to use for IFR Berlin flight? OK to pay sensible handing charge as it is for work.
Berlin is a socialist city and does not want GA. There is currently no (edited to add: reasonably priced) IFR airport in the Berlin area. Schönhagen EDAZ will get their GPS approach somtime in 2013. If you really really want IFR now, I suggest Leipzig EDDP, you can take the train to Berlin directly at the airport. However, in anything other than really bad weather, I would flightplan "Y" to either Strausberg EDAY or Schönhagen EDAZ and only go to the alternate (EDDP) if the conditions really don't allow you to get in.
P.S. If you want to stay only for a few hours, you can try to get PPR for Tegel EDDT, which is very close to the city centre of Berlin. I did this a couple of years ago, and it was great and not expensive at all (50 euros without handling). Don't know if things have changed though, now that the airport is running at 200% of its design capacity. In any dase, they don't allow overnights for light GA.
You can go for EDDB, two nights with parking and handling more than 140 € and you need a slot for a IFR App and Dep. Y ist the "cheapest" option and EDAY, eastside of Berlin or EDAZ westside. At EDAY you can reach the S-Bahn (60 Minutes to city) by feed at EDAZ you need a shuttel (10 €) to the train (30 Minutes to City). The option for "bad" weather is a cloud breaking at EDDB and VFR to EDAY/EDAZ only 5 minutes away.
Thanks. EDDB seems like the best option.
EDDB no AVGAS! Good flight an much fun at Berlin!
Yes the AVGAS is a small problem but with the current weather conditions, it seems that the alternatives are at great risk of not being available.
What about a scheduled flight? The current weather conditions are really not in favor of GA. You will be lucky if they give you a de-ice for € 1000 at all.
A hangar is only €65. But yes, conditions aren't great at the moment. We will have to see if it works out.
Reminds me of a trip to Dresden EDDC some time ago. After landing I asked whether they had hangar space. The answer was yes and they put the C172 right in the hangar. After that they told me "but you know that this costs 150 € a night?". I said of course not and they should immediately move it back to the apron. That was done. On the invoice I then found "2x moving aircraft in/out of hangar" at 25 € each. After a lot of complaining, the fee was waived. So make sure the hangarage quote from EDDB is correct 
Good point, I have it in writing.
