Great trip !!
These last-minute destination change are a headache indeed. Glad to see you enjoyed good FIS in France (an inspiration for Tobias on the other thread).
How did you know that was required? I assume by notes field you mean /RMK ?
When I landed the lady doing the security tried really hard to help me. She explained this in very broken English and then she actually called Operations on the other side of the airfield and they explained that I would need to put this infomation into the flight plan. /RMK was where I put it and it worked fine.
Super report after lots of good tips. Many thanks. This type of current information is really useful.
SierraNovember wrote:
Leaving LELL was a bit of a pain as you had to file a VFR flight plan with all the passengers and passport numbers included in the notes field.
How did you know that was required? I assume by notes field you mean /RMK ?
Aren’t Spain and France both Schengen, so no PP control? Is there PP control at the intl airports when flying commercial Spain → France?
Having done this trip back end of last week a quick update…
EGKB – LFBH : IFR flight filed with RR as follows – DCT DET DCT LYD M189 NEVIL G27 ANGLO G273 DIKRO/N0170F150 G273 RAVIG T501 LUKEM T493 UPALO/N0170F090 V20 REN R14 NTS A25 TIRAV DCT. Smooth as you like at FL 150. PPR and all clearance was easy. ILS on RWY 27 with a circle to land. Only problem on landing to be told that there was No AVGAS. Apparently NOTAMd in the morning but I found it odd that the controller did not tell me when I was approaching as we discussed the fact I wanted AVGAS before parking on stand? Also restaurant closed. Thursday?? Any case we had enough fuel for our next leg to LELL so just decided to crack on with our trip! Grass parking…
LFBH to LELL on the following route DCT CNA R17 MONIX B31 BERGA VFR DCT. Again a very smooth flight with no issues at FL180. Decent and IFR cancelation was simple as you like going into a visual approach and landing on runway 13.
Filled up with AVGAS on landing that was a little difficult as the guy in the fuel truck and little English and I had no Spanish. We settled on typing into our phones and then using Google translate! Worked a dream as I need to get the fuel to TABS given my load on the way back.
40 min taxi into central Barcelona…
Next day with Nephew on board…
Leaving LELL was a bit of a pain as you had to file a VFR flight plan with all the passengers and passport numbers included in the notes field. You also had to pay the landing fee using a phone, printer and payment kiosk – this was quite simple. The only other problem is they confused Zulu time and local time on my flight plan so all fired up and ready to they would not release me when I was already holding short of the runway. I had to phone back to operations and make this change myself which I thought was a bit off given that I was already ready for departure and they had given me all the permissions to start, taxi and run up etc.
LELL to LFLC VFR along the coast speaking to Girona approach and then Montpellier and then Marseille. Montpelier and Marseille were great as they cleared me across all the difficult airspace at my own discretion. Great views on this coast! Had to change the destination as wanted to fly the trip back in two legs not one as the suggested passport and customs airport (LFQB) sent me a mail in morning saying they could not do the customs nor passports as I had to do 48 hours warning. After a bit of scrambling I got hold of LFLC and they were no problem for AVGAS and passports etc (I had a back up on LFAT but that would make 3 legs).
The approach to LFLC Visual on 08 was awesome!
LFLC to EGKB on the IFR route DCT RIVEK R161 NEV A3 DOMOD H20 LGL A34 SITET L151 DRAKE DCT NETVU DCT at FL 120 was simple and straight forward. ILS approach in IMC to EGKB.
Thanks for all the advice. Hope this helps anyone else flying down. Definitely recommend. Will do this trip with the wife next and make a weekend of it in summer.
Thanks all for the wonderful advice here again.
I will plan on LELL and if weather comes in LEGE. Great tip on the phone system now…
IFR to get down to LFBH for lunch and then LFBH to LELL. Back VFR roughly LELL – LFHO – LFQB – EGKB
Yup. One recent trick is they moved the airport office to the North side of the airfield at LELL, across the runway from the airside/groundside entrance. So if you want to to avoid doing the long trip (no easy way really) to pay landing fees or file a flightplan (does anyone do these at the airportt office any more?), it can all be handled over the phone from a small booth next to the entrance. There is a phone with instructions to call airport ops, a credit card pay machine and a printer where you’ll get your invoice. Not as convenient as it used to be but it works.
100 alas is sorely missed.
I don’t think rental cars are available.
I would highly recommend LELL. LEBL has no AVGAS, and it’s much more expensive to fly into it.
Even though LELL is only VFR, it’s very doable. I was based there during one winter. I think we only cancelled once because of weather.
One last tip for LEGE. It’s been a few years, but unless they’ve changed it, the self-serve fuel station is at the opposite end of the apron from the transient parking, with the commercial (read: Ryanair) apron in between. Suggest you refuel immediately after landing and then taxi to the parking.
Thanks all for the responses. What I think I may do is file IFR to Girona LEGE and if it ends up VFR conditions cancel IFR and aim for LELL.
Appreciate the guidance and advice – thank you.
Off to Waterford Monday for a look around the area… Seems like going West on Monday is better weather – although I am going IFR…
+1 for Girona if for whatever reason you don’t want / can’t use LELL.
