Hi @Hairyplane,
We were in Bol on Brac last week for a few days and previously stayed at Supetar earlier in July. I agree its a beautiful part of the world and seems unspoilt at the moment, probably due to the low cost airlines not being able to get in. We really enjoyed Bol and was very tempted to take the Cat across to Hvar, but in the end just wanted to relax for a couple of days. Being able to fly yourself GA to these unspoilt places is a wonderful experience and a privilege. We will plan to go back to Bol early next season, and if we take the ferry to Hvar next time, will give you a call. Happy plane hunting.
Hvar/Brac might be on my list later this year. I need to be in Trogir in October for a sailing thing and I’m thinking about flying the mighty Europa down. Therefore i would be interested notes/experiences.
If it helps you at all, I’m based in Schwäbisch Hall (EDTY) and that might be a good stop over point for your way down. Customs/immigration available, plus all fuel types. I could assist for a seamless quick turnaround, or meet you for lunch at the restaurant on the field if you want to have a break. I’m reckoning on 3.5 hours from my field to Hvar/Brac area via Brenner at 115knots.
Hi @italianjon would you be better with Split LDSP for Trogir?
Split has some parking restrictions, depending on the time of the year, I recall. Brac is a much more friendly place. The location is also really nice to hang out in, then Split, IMHO.
I’ve only flown to Croatia on EasyJet, so I can’t speak to the actual flying side of it, but as far as places to visit or see I would say this:
1. Split is heavily touristed (in the worst sense of the word) and only good for a day or two of sightseeing.
2. Brac is much much nicer, and less crowded. Bol is on the far side of the island from Supetar, and seems a bit more upscale? However, it’s all very scenic and picturesque, so I don’t think you can go too wrong. I would also investigate Sumartin, which is on the east of the island and even smaller, though they may not have enough restaurants and things, depending on how long you stay. However, the airport is closest to Bol, and while the island is pretty small, the roads are very curvy and steep, so going from Bol to Supetar is probably the better part of an hours drive. We rented a car in Split and took the ferry, but if you’re flying in your best bet might be to fly to Brac, and then have your hotel or a taxi take you down the hill to Bol.
3. Mostar LQMO, in Bosnia, was really interesting and just a few hours drive from Split. It’s not as classically beautiful as the Croatian coast, but it’s much more interesting, and also very cheap. I’m not sure what the avgas situation is there, or if it’s feasible to fly there via GA, especially since it’s outside the EU, but I would at least think of going there.
4. The Croatian beaches are fairly rocky. There is one sandy(ish) beach near Bol, but otherwise it’s rocks of various sizes. So, if you just want to be on a boat or near the water, that’s fine, but for actual beach I think Portugal or something might be nicer, and the cost delta (ex-flying) is not that large between southern Portugal and Croatia.
Obviously this is just my experience, so take it with a grain of salt.
@italianjon : yes, Split airport is right next door to Trogir. But they do have restrictions on parking for GA, and exercise their summer PPR scheme quite strictly. However, October is obviously the end of the tourist season, so you might be lucky. Emir might be able to help you but even does run out of luck sometimes, IIRC. It wouldn’t make sense for any other reason to use Brac or Hvar airfields instead.
Is Hvar operating? It was de facto closed (and overgrown) for some years, reportedly.
I would use Brac – it’s a super place and super friendly. We had a great fly-in there in 2016.
CAA-wise, Hvar has never been closed.
It’s little more than a meadow, so as long as the CAA doesn’t say anything, the concept of “open” or “closed” hardly applies.
A skydive plane (Cessna) was using Havar last summer I met him at Brac airport getting fuel!
Hi guys, I want to just say I’m at a very early stage. Last year I wanted to go to the same event, by plane, when the event was in France… But I hadn’t finished the work on my plane, so we all went in a minibus. This year I have a chance to finish… Anyway this is a tangent.
I am actually looking at Split, Brac, Hvar and Sinj. Split are saying they have the GA restrictions in place until the end of October, and I will be there at the beginning of October. Therefore Split only becomes an option if they lift their GA restrictions early. Which I’ll keep an eye on.
This leaves Sinj, Brac or Hvar as realistic options. From a “post-landing” Brac and Hvar seem the same; taxi to a port then a boat to Split and taxi to Trogir (or I think some other crew members are driving, so there might be a car). So Sinj might be an option if I can convince a crew mate to pick me up. (It seems there’s no car hire… But a bus to Split is available)
I need to go to Brac anyway as they has Customs/Immigration… But two things making me thing Hvar/Sinj are, firstly, I have nonstandard tie-down geometry.Therefore grass is easier to stick a custom tie-down kit into than concrete :-) and secondly the Brac fees (from their table) seem expensive for a 7 to 10 days parking. Hvar/Sinj seem to be friendly clubs with cheaper parking and no odd fees.
TBH the main reason for posting was to offer Stamps and Hairyplane an offer for turn around assistance at my base.
I’ll look into my planning July/August time, as my research so far seems to indicate fueling with MoGas in Croatia is my biggest logistical problem :-)
