Thanks for your answers!
I guess most of us prefer spending the money now rather than saving it up for bigger/other plans in the future
Making more trips through Europe is certainly a priority.
I did a 15h flying trip two years ago around France = great experience and even my girlfriend loved it! Too bad she also loves skiing, safari and other types of expensive-non-flying holidays..
My preferred routing for a next trip would be: coastal slands of the Netherlands – Helgoland – Denmark – Islands between Denmark and Sweden – Southern Sweden – Northern Germany or Poland and back to Belgium.
Concerning flights over the Alps I am a bit ‘scared/under-experienced’ (weather, downdrafts, oxygen, aircraft performance,…) seems to much to handle for the moment… @Peter, you can always pick me up at EBKT if you have an empty seat going to the Alps ;-)
—> Getting additional ratings is good to keep a steep learning curve
I’m taking the NVFR course this winter, just because it’s fun and cheap (1200 euro max). I know the usability may be small but whatever, it seems fun
Going full IR (EASA or FAA) seems unaffordable at the moment. Maybe in a year or 2-3 I can go for the EIR (+- 6-7000 euro?) and since I am still young I have time to outgrow that licence and then go for the full IR (via CB-IR) when more money is available.
Medres07 wrote:
My preferred routing for a next trip would be: coastal slands of the Netherlands – Helgoland – Denmark – Islands between Denmark and Sweden – Southern Sweden – Northern Germany or Poland and back to Belgium.
Let me know when you get to southern Sweden =)
If you’re doing Helgoland or any significant overwater flying outside sight of land, make sure you’re comfortable flying on instruments, even if not rated. You can easily find yourself in defacto IMC even when legally VFR.
Regarding alpine, a few hours with a mountain flying instructor (say 1 transit across and 1 transit back + ground school) should give you what you need to transit the Alps on benign, low wind days. Some years ago, I would always make the choice—the long way around, usually through France, or the short way through the mountains. Sometimes the choice became clear only the day of the flight.
That could easily be fit into you 5K EUR trip.
In SEPs I’d rather be flying in the mountains on a good day than an hour from land over the water (especially up north!).
WhiskeyPapa wrote:
If you’re doing Helgoland or any significant overwater flying outside sight of land, make sure you’re comfortable flying on instruments, even if not rated. You can easily find yourself in defacto IMC even when legally VFR.
Very good advice. Even for crossing the Channel.
Medres07 wrote:
(weather, downdrafts, oxygen, aircraft performance,…)
I personally find it much more fun to fly low, in the valleys, where no O2 is needed. In a clear day, no strong winds ideally, some basics:
- pre-plan your route (avoid ridges, power lines, narrow valleys, etc)
- turn around if weather ahead (don’t get tempted to “duck under” if you can’t see the other side)
- stay close to one side of the valley (so that you have space to turn around).
- look OUTSIDE. Your should only really need to look inside to glance at instruments, engine instruments and which turn you need to take next. Don’t navigate a magenta line you drew at home, just make sure sure you stick to the valleys you had planned to take.
Doing something with a mountain instructor might be helpful if you want to depart from the basic stuff, but a nav in the valleys from geneva to Sion wouldn’t require anything else than the written above.
Go flying around Europe and spend your money :)
You should be able to find a good flying club with organised trips. By joining the trip, you get to share the plane with other people, taking it in turn to fly (and pay). So you get to go further for your money, plus you get the added benefit of learning from others too.
I went on a trip with a club a few years back – from UK across to Romania and back, and a lot of places in between. I flew about 15 hours total, thanks to having 3 people in each plane.
Consider coast to coast and back in the US. 50 Hrs, just about inside your budget, no ATC hassle, reliable weather forecasting, airports are (mostly) free, etc. Etc. So you can just concentrate on flying almost every day for 2-3 weeks.
I would probably have given up flying at 50 hrs if it had not been for my discovering the joys and accessibility of US long distance touring, compared with the misery of renting here with low experience when almost every flight resulted in some sort of ‘shouting at’ from some ‘sky God’.
Medres07 wrote:
Concerning flights over the Alps I am a bit ‘scared/under-experienced’ (weather, downdrafts, oxygen, aircraft performance,…) seems to much to handle for the moment… @Peter, you can always pick me up at EBKT if you have an empty seat going to the Alps ;-)
Bad idea, he only goes over the alps, preferably at FL 180 
Vieke wrote:
Bad idea, he only goes over the alps, preferably at FL 180
It is all relative. As far as I am concerned at FL180 over the Alps you are scraping the tops of the ridges….
Aviathor wrote:
WhiskeyPapa wrote:
If you’re doing Helgoland or any significant overwater flying outside sight of land, make sure you’re comfortable flying on instruments, even if not rated. You can easily find yourself in defacto IMC even when legally VFR.
Very good advice. Even for crossing the Channel.
True!
I had it 2 or 3 times in Greece, over sea when climbing and coasting out. It was definitely VMC but looked (and felt) like IMC. So flying on instruments (or AP) – so be sure you are able to handle.
Fe this picture: no clouds…only hazy. FL 70 or 80
