What is the procedure for Samedan?
I've been in VFR with a Swiss instructor. In a light single, landing isn't the problem (the circuit is a bit weird, but there is plenty of room on the valley to the north) - just remember to set your mixture appropriately to develop full power should you need to go around.
Taking off to the south is much more fun... There is quite a large hill right in the climbout, and density altitude IS a problem (tends to be quite warm there in the summer - we had a density altitude of something like 6500ft and no wind to help - good leaning is absolutely necessary). The trick is to rotate promptly to Vx and turn 30 degrees right as soon as you clear the hangars. Once you are near the western side of the valley, turn at no more than 10 degrees bank 180 degrees around to the left. If you get it right you use about 60% of the width of the valley, and don't come too close to the hill in front.
My favourites are:
Samedan, for the scenery and the flying challenge
Collonsay, scenery
Scilly, scenery and the friendly town
Welshpool, has to be the friendliest small GA airfield in the UK
Oban, for the scenery and the jammy dodgers
Deauville, for the food
On the (achievable) bucketlist:
Vagar (Faroe Islands)
Sumburgh
The Lofoten Islands
The Arran Islands
Catalina
Writing this, I realise I have a bit of a problem with islands...
My pick so far: - Courchevel (LFLJ) is the nicest approach I have experienced. I go there regularly and hopefully again this weekend. See my blogpost. - Propriano (LFKO) is a great runway out to the beach. - Elba (LIRJ) is great, but don't refuel there. - Barra (EGPR). Great to land on the beach. My approach wins top votes for extreme airport approach. See my blog. - Ameland (EHAL) is a great island north of Holland to visit and the approach is nice. - Antwerp (EBAW) is nice. It is very close to the city centre, so great for an evening flight with something to eat in the city centre of Antwerp. Dock's Cafe is a great place to eat. - Idar Oberstein (EDRG). Order food when on the radio. The food is ready when you land. Well prepared on the BBQ. Read blog post.
There are many, many more places I love to visit or still have to visit.
Another favourite from my logbook is WMBT....Tioman Island....one way in...no go arounds
With Samedan... am I right that one can just descend from the cruise level (FL130+ though we had to fly VFR at FL129 because they would not let us into the Class C) and land on a long final, and the depart the same way? The valley seems plenty long enough.
The challenge would be if one needs to fly a circuit but if you are performance-wise able to climb back up above the surrounding terrain (about 10000ft IIRC) before coming back down, that isn't an issue.
Their website test is a bit like the one I did for Lugano a year or two ago. I kept having problems with the browser crashing on it, and when I eventually managed to make it work it turned out that the airport never got a copy of my pass. So I gave up and flew to Locarno, cancelling IFR on the way in.
I used to know somebody who flew into Courchevel (TB20 and TBM700) but I assume he can't do it anymore because they withdrew Customs. I am just amazed the French did that, despite all the really rich people who used to fly there and presumably spent a huge amount of money locally.
Samedan is no problem unless you are 4 adults in a C172 or the weather is not CAVOK. And the latter is often true and the oligarch's pilot is forced to do a VIMC landing. Also the valley is too narrow for a turn in a jet, see the Beech Premier accident ca 2 years ago.
I assume he can't do it anymore because they withdrew Customs. I am just amazed the French did that, despite all the really rich people who used to fly there and presumably spent a huge amount of money locally.
I don't know about France but over here, the border police couldn't care less about who comes and spends how much money. Police are not a division of the chamber of commerce...
I don't know about France but over here, the border police couldn't care less about who comes and spends how much money. Police are not a division of the chamber of commerce...
Yes but that's a stupid way to run a country. One should organise things for economic benefits, especially if nobody is negatively affected.
With Samedan... am I right that one can just descend from the cruise level (FL130+ though we had to fly VFR at FL129 because they would not let us into the Class C) and land on a long final, and the depart the same way? The valley seems plenty long enough.
That's the way to do it, but you can't descend on a straight line along a three degree glideslope as some people have found out the hard way (as hard as Swiss granite gets). Samedan has now some strict rules regarding visibility and ceiling to prevent people from experimenting with home-grown GPS approaches down their valley. For us, the density altitude can be a problem as with the factor applied for commercial operations even an 1800m runway can get too short. But on a good day and with enough money on your credit card (landing and parking fees for a weekend are about 3500 Euros for our little Citation) not many airfields in Europe (probably in the world) can beat Samedan!
What would be your ideal set-up?
Gloucester!
Seriously, it has grass and hard, 3 x runway choice, hangarage, museum, great cafe, good opening hours, full instrument and night capability and decent charges. There is also plenty of parking, bus services and good transport links. The whole atmosphere is also very friendly.
Balliol wrote:
Gloucester!Seriously, it has grass and hard, 3 x runway choice, hangarage, museum, great cafe, good opening hours, full instrument and night capability and decent charges. There is also plenty of parking, bus services and good transport links. The whole atmosphere is also very friendly.
Geez, that sounds like paradise, ’cept for the “decent charges” bit 
