MFGZ have a Corvallis 400 accordingly to the website that is a bird I’ve been looking at for some time perhaps I should just start as a renter until I have found what I am looking for? Thanks a lot Tomjnx
And LSZK is to short takeoff 500M and grass
TSRA wrote:
MFGZ have a Corvallis 400
I’m sure MFGZ would love an additional pilot for the Corvallis 400, it’s not making too many hours a year. Therefore, availability should be good. Currently, it’s N reg, but there’s a project going on to change to HB reg.
TSRA wrote:
And LSZK is to short takeoff 500M and grass
Plenty long, isn’t it… you didn’t say what aircraft you’re interested in…
In this case Wangen Lachen LSPV isn’t for you either, because it’s 500m as well, with the lake on one side and marshland on the other.
Triengen LSPN was fun with slightly less than 400m (if I remember correctly), but not so much anymore since they made the runway longer…
Haha I don´t mind a short runway but for the types I am looking at right now it will be tight. I was at Wangen Lachen two month ago and had a look since that is the airport closest to me but 500m its really on the numbers.
Right now the SR22T has the upper hand but both PA34 V and PA46 JP is also in the mix but I need to identify my need before I commit. I will use it 50/50 for myself and company.
Are you based in Zurich?
Hi TSRA,
I am based in ZRH, so if I can help you with any information, you are welcome.
I am not aware that there are any hangar spaces available currently at ZRH and if so, the offer I once had for my Mooney was well over 1000 €/month. Outside parking however is very reasonable. Most airplanes are parked in Sector 3 and 4, parking for my airplane is around 8 € per day and is paid on the actual parking time. At the moment there are several Cirrus as well as Malibus and Senecas parked there, also two Mooneys and some others.
The main problem at ZRH is the requirement for a slot for both departure and arrival of which there are not that many. Landing fees and passenger taxes are quite expensive but what you get in return is also not too shabby. ZRH is about the only airport within 2 driving hours where you get 6am to 10pm opening hours, full customs and immigration clearance and full IFR. Nearest ones with those features are LSZR Altenrhein to the East and Basle to the North East or Bern and Grenchen. All of them imho are too far away from ZRH to be of interest.
There is a project of relocating GA to Dübendorf AFB south of ZRH within the next 4-6 years, which however is met with militant opposition by the local communities.
Starting out with MFGZ is certainly a good idea, you need to be a member there anyway for all practical reasons if you want to be based there. First of all, for VFR there will be a compulsory briefing pretty soon which you can do at MFGZ and which then is valid unlimited or you have to do it via the Internet, so far it is not clear when this will go in force though. But MFGZ also have a pretty attractive fleet and general package. The Columbia is in dire need of pilots, as far as I know there have been discussions in the group that it will get sold if hours do not pick up.
There is also another group which operates two SR22 out of ZRH, PM me if you want to know more about them. They have one G3 and as far as I know a G5 in use now. I know the owner of that group pretty well as the organisation also takes care of our training requirements on the Mooney.
Small airports: Birrfeld is basically the VFR airport of that area, primarily if you are in the western part of ZRH. However, it is VFR only and hangar spaces as well as outside parking is limited. It has a good runway lenght however, ok for all the airplanes you mention.
Wangen Lachen is on the short side (no problem for the Mooney but maybe a tad short for a Cirrus let alone a Malibu), but it is concrete and therefore usable most of the year. Speck Fehraltdorf is not really suitable for any of these planes, even though there is a DA42 there and some other twins. Another such airport is Lommis, but again grass and of course no IFR, but they are said to have hangarage available.
Feel free to contact me any time, I’ll be glad to help within my possibilities.
Vladimir wrote:
I’ve heard that there are hangar spaces at LSZH for appriximately 400-500 CHF / month but I have no more information. Maybe @Mooney_Driver can give you more info.
Rechecked it today… unfortunately that rumour is not true. Current prices are 1’400 to 1’500 rather, unchanged.
Gent´s you are the best so much information :)
I have been in and out to LSZH and I do remember it to be very hectic compare to LSGG that we have used as our home when operating in to Switzerland, But I guess its just a mater of go in and out with an instructor a couple of times and study the taxi charts and then it should be fine. I was looking at MFGZ webpage and I don´t know if it´s correct but it seams as if the PA34 is cheaper then the 400TT and it also is stating that its EFIS in the PA34??
Have a nice evening
Yes the Seneca is cheaper than the 400TT, it does have a Sandel EHSI similar to what Peter uses in his TB20 and dual GNS430W.
MFGZ do a nice course on Zurich, actually if you want to fly with them you have to pass it. As a briefing will be compulsory in ZRH soon, I will probably do it too as a refresher and to satisfy the legal part (if you attend the MFGZ briefing you will have the ZRH briefing completed forever.) I think it is a well spent evening.
Once you get here, let me know and we can get together with Vladimir and myself. He flies the Seneca there so he will be able to tell you more. I am based in ZRH since 1986. We can certainly also try to arrange an inside look into the airport before you get going on it.
Thanks a lot ! Absolutely I will let you guy´s know once I am in Zurich :)
Looks like Zurich is another one to become a no go;
I paid Parking Hours (x34) – 29.92 CHF (0.88 CHF p/hr) in June 2023.
I’ve seen the following comment;
“Since 2024 the parking fees have changed at LSZH. The first two hours are free of charge. Hour 2-3 is charged with a so called high rate which is 34.48 CHF for a DA40. From hour 3 onward, you will be charged 8.38 CHF per hour.”
All other fees were also somewhat higher so for a 3 night stay it would have been over 500 CHF.
I’ve worked it out that it’s a 722% increase from what I paid in less than 6 months.
Arrived at LSZH now with a price shock.
I flew here several times in 2023, I would stay for several days and total charges were about 150chf.
I just paid 374chr for an overnight stay. As said in the previous post parking is now hourly and extremely expensive, comes out to over 200chf per day.
