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Avoiding high FRAPORT and HANDLING costs in Greece

Brilliant report, @Flyingfish and many thanks for posting it.

I too have found, over many GA visits to Greece, that the “people experience” is virtually 100%. Same in Croatia actually. Cannot say that for any other country in Europe…

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I agree 100% when it’s about Croatia.
Not so for Greece, and that’s even though I really like the country and go there all the time.
Some of the officials and handling agents, especially in LGKR, but also on some smaller places are really a pain. I learned to tolerate their craziness over the years, but some times I regretted not having taken a Valium on short final :-)

The last time I landed and parked at LGKR (summer 2016) the white VW of the handler arrived at the plane, the guy, cigarette in hand, jumped out and yelled at me “Who are you”?, “Where are you coming from”. I joked that “you as my handler should really know after I sent you 5 eMails” and he was so pissed off that he woiuldn’t say a worked after that. He then led us through the gate with a big SCHENGEN sign and nobody ever wanted to see a passport (“no passport needed, this is Schengen”)

I try find it funny, but sometimes it’s not easy.

Megara is a super place and everybody there was very friendly and helpful.

Last Edited by at 05 Jun 08:05

the white VW of the handler arrived at the plane, the guy, cigarette in hand, jumped out and yelled at me “Who are you”?, “Where are you coming from”.

Never seen that anywhere in Greece. And I have landed at LGKR many times. I wonder what provoked it. The handlers know exactly who you are when they get into their car.

Greek airports sometimes do have weird procedures e.g. the CAA office charade (usually it is airside so you have to be handler escorted) which wastes a good half an hour, but it is “just a walk”…

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

THAT IS the thing you have to get used to. That it’s different every time, and that always “invent” an new problem :-)
He had no idea who we were, or maybe he was just in a bad mood and wanted to tease me, who knows.

When we wanted to proceed to Megara the LGKR asked, at the holding position (that’s when the Air Condition comes in handy!) if we had “a permission” from Megara. “G-YORC, affirmative”…. “In what form do you have the permission?”… “I have it on paper”…. “G-YORC, stand by” …. Clearance came after ten minutes.

Last Edited by at 05 Jun 09:55

Well, see some recent posts here about people getting fined at Megara €500 (for turning up after it closed) and others more recently getting stuck there, because nobody even checked the notams…

These people then spill their anger on every GA forum they can find. And Greek ATC reads these forums.

Their situation became intractable due to PPR-expiry etc issues but if you don’t check notams you will get into all kinds of mess – and not just in Greece.

On a recent stop at LGKR I saw some French people turn up in a Robin, proudly showing me a Michelin road atlas which they used to navigate there… It doesn’t get much better… Well, there is always the tour de force one.

So, Lesson #1 for Greek flying is check notams because for historical reasons nobody ever read and nobody ever reads the Greek AIP, so airports notam almost everything of relevance.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Well most of the European airports I have visited are very friendly. Never really had issues. That includes Hungary Czech Slovenia Germany France. Everyone has been very helpful.

I recently had an experience where the PPR was given and they did not have it. I landed and there were no armed men with machine guns to meet me. Just please fill out the paperwork otherwise you might be in trouble with the German authorities. I actually had the permission on my Laptop so it was all straightened out when I opened it. I did ask him prior to finding my paperwork if he could just list me as an undocumented person of no interests. We laughed and made a make believe toast to Angela.

Even the guys at Straubing are nice once we agreed that no route charges will be paid by me.

KHTO, LHTL

AOPA Hellas has updated the information on the subject of this thread in paragraph 2 of www.aopa.gr/Info

LGMG Megara, Greece

Anyway, what are currently the odds of AOPA obtaining the goal of lower airport rates at the Fraport airports for say next season?

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

50 50 I would say from what I hear. The greater part of the problem is the HANDLER’s fees which increased as a knock on effect from FRAPORT operations.
Something like 40% is FRAPORT and 60% is Handlers in the 160~200 Euro bill for a visit and that is with AOPA discount. Without it it mounts up to something like 300 total.
If you fly in IFR (in need of mandatory slot during summer period) the ratio becomes 30-70 or so.

LGMG Megara, Greece

Greece will be wiped out as a GA destination, at this rate, unless they arrange Port of Entry status at some of the smaller airfields (e.g. Milos sort of place).

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
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