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First PPL trip to Eire

I recently passed my PPL in July this year. Ive done about 20hrs since then and have had difference training on various SSEA’s since.

I am planning a weeks trip to Ireland next Spring. It will be for my wife and two teenage kids plus one suitcase in a Warrior II.

Departure from Wellesbourne EGBW to somewhere along the Irish South Coast – maybe Cork or Waterford. Any suggestions?

I have read various articles including the one on the Haverfordwest airfield website amongst others.

I suppose i just want an added reassurance walk through if at all possible?

How would i go about planning this trip as regards paperwork? What do i file and where/who to?

This will be my first trip over a body of water bigger than Draycote Reservoir. At what point over the Irish Sea do i contact the Irish atc?

Thanks for your patience. Any advice will be greatly received.

Andy

I think I’d start with a closer look at w&b. With 2 adults, 2 teenagers and baggage for a week, I think you’ll be way over mtow, assuming anything like full fuel?

Well, I guess he does not need anywhere near full fuel for a hop over the Irish Sea, especially if he can refuel once in Ireland. So it can probably be done within the W&B limits, but it does require some calculating.

Last time I checked, Cork was in the order of 120 Euros for a one-night stop. Waterford is more like 30.

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

Hi LOC

>How would i go about planning this trip as regards paperwork? What do i file and where/who to?

Have a look at the article that I wrote about this very subject here
[Click here](http://www.euroga.org/articles/misc/flying-in-ireland)

>This will be my first trip over a body of water bigger than Draycote Reservoir. At what point over the Irish Sea do i contact the Irish atc?

If you are talking to London Info or ATC on the UK side, they will probably hand you over to Shannon Info when you approach the FIR boundary. If they don’t and they try to get rid of you from their frequency (or indeed if you simply lose comms with them because of distance) then try to contact Shannon Info 127.500. They don’t mind if you’re still well into UK airspace if you’re on the way towards them.

You’ll probably need to be up at 3000ft or more to get them by the FIR boundary.

>Any advice will be greatly received.

Fly as high as possible. It buys you time in case something goes wrong, and improves communications!
Cork is expensive. Waterford is a good first stop. Kerry is nice too, though the airport itself is a good distance from the two main towns there (Killarney & Tralee).

Do not try to do this to a tight schedule. The weather in Ireland isn’t all that predictable ;) The chances of you being able to come on the week that you select in Spring and complete a weeks flying in accordance with a preordained schedule isn’t that good!

In terms of your first water crossing be very mindful of visibility. 10km across land looks like good visibility. 10k across water on an overcast day looks like pure IMC! I’m recommend that you do your water crossing on a day with at least 20km vis.

Flying in Ireland is much easier than the UK, because we have very little controlled airspace, and with the exception of the controlled airspace around Dublin Airport, access to the controlled airspace is easy to get. What is harder is the weather ;)

Check avgas availability with the airports in advance. Sometimes you’ll find the airports have run out, though this isn’t as bad as it used to be!

Any more question, feel free to ask!

EIWT Weston, Ireland

Take a PLB and perhaps a liferaft and lifejackets but I would have thought w&b would be a problem for you. Waterford is a great place to visit – the airport staff could not have been more helpfull.

EHLE / Lelystad, Netherlands, Netherlands

Any chance you can find an Archer instead of the Warrior? Same plane so you’ll be right at home, but it can carry a lot more and is miles better for touring IMO.

ESSB, Stockholm Bromma

Hi Leftofcentre2009. I’m based at Wellesbourne and fly frequently VFR to Ireland in a -161. I’d be happy to meet up and share some of my experiences! I’ve never tried a PM on this site but if you can let me know your email (or if Peter can help out) perhaps we can set something up.

Best regards

EGBW / KPRC, United Kingdom

On request, I am happy to pass on email addresses.

We are now testing a major software update for EuroGA which will include a “private message” option. It will use email, two-way anonymised, so pretty slick and much better than the “PM” facility used by the various off the shelf forum software where you have to login to retrieve messages.

I’ve passed on your email, Aveling.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Hi folks
Thanks for your replies.

First of all, a correction – Id be flying this trip in a PA28-181 Cherokee Archer II (Taken from Ginfo). There are so many variants of the PA28 at my club i must confess i get mixed up with the different titles, although i know the exact reg and performance of the ac in question thankfully :-)

W&B would be 378lbs in front seats, 168lbs (Kids) in rear seats plus bag in Hold 40lbs.

I believe this to leave an envelope more than ample.

Dublinpilot, thanks for the info and advice. Very interesting. I lived in Celbridge for a while about 8yrs ago and had a few trial lessons out of Weston. Had to drop it due to finances though. Maybe when i get some confidence in a year or so i’ll return to Dublin for a visit.

Aveling, email sent.

Just out of interest – how far is Waterford AF from the town?

Regards
Andy

>Just out of interest – how far is Waterford AF from the town?

Miles or KM….I’m not sure.

But the important bits…€20 in a taxi and about 20 minutes drive!
There is car hire available at the airport too, but probably best to pre book that if you want it.

There is nothing within walking distance of the airport.

EIWT Weston, Ireland
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