172 driver,
Bern IS the capital city of this country and its airport is one positive example of how GA and airlines can indeed live together if the will to do so is there.
Geneva has slots and as of recently some very restrictive wake turbulence rules forced on it by EASA whichbno longer permits simultaneous use of their concrete main runway and the grass runway. This has a major impact on their flightschools and VFR traffic. Geneva also has a 2ndary airport across the border at Annemasse.
Basel, which is the 2nd biggest economy after ZRH is very ga friendly so far.
Zürich is still accessible and, as you know, my homebase. You need slots, landing fees and taxes are pretty high and you need handling. Fact is that there are powers which wish to evict GA up to biz jets to make space for yet elusive airline traffic… At the front, people are very friendly and helpful however.
So far the FOCA has resisted the calls for a GA ban at ZRH. However, confidence is low at the local clubs. . There is a motion to move GA to Dubendorf AFB which is abandoned by the air force, this move is violently opposed however by the communities around Dubendorf who wish to develop the land reserve as well as anti noise groups. So far it is unclear where that will go. Aopa is part of one bidder to develop dubendorf as a full GA airport. We hope but don’t hold our breath…
Flew into Oslo Gardamoen a few years ago.
Very friendly place with dedicated GA terminal
paid app 250NOK for landing and parking for a few days.
Zürich is not the capital of Switzerland, Bern is. Unfortunately you are right re ZRH, but Bern is ga friendly and IFR.
OK, I’m aware of that, but it’s not a capital city, is it? I think the issue here is: are major, commercial centers accessible via GA.
While we are at it – how is Geneva wrt GA?
Peter,
I don’t know how many capitals are easily/cheaply GA-accessible now.
Bern is (LSZB) and quite normal prices.
Sofia is (LBSF) a bit expensive.
Belgrade is (LYBE) and VERY attractively priced, apart from 1.50 €/Ltr Avgas
Ljubljana (LJLJ)
Zagreb (LDZA)
172 driver:
Zürich is not the capital of Switzerland, Bern is. Unfortunately you are right re ZRH, but Bern is ga friendly and IFR.
Indeed. We also have to plan a eurocontrol route through impossible airspace and get it accepted in order to go flying. In the US, the term “Direct” is usually the only plan required and you file it just before takeoff…
I can understand that an airport like Arlanda (or likewise Vantaa in Helsinki) has restrictions on slow traffic and general aviation of piston types, but Bromma is not Arlanda.
It’s just plain amazing how f*cked up Europe really is. In the US, if I fancy doing it, I can fly the 182 into LAX and pay NO landing fee! In fact I learned to fly at an airport (KBUR) that’s roughly comparable to Stansted. Imagine that in the EUSSR.
Yes, that’s true, Malmi is under pressure. Unfortunately it is becoming less convenient to fly to IFR airports with access to major cities unless you are prepared to pay through your nose and accept abuse from officials.
What we need are nuclear powered VTOL aircraft with autonomous GPS approach systems allowing us to go wherever the h**l we please.
It is really a shame but this is part of EU. I have been to Bromma in 2008 and would like to come back to this nice city. Landing fee and parking for one night was about 50 Euros.
But without AVGAS there It`s getting very difficult. One can get very good access to the city centre from Helsinki-Malmi by local bus, landing and parking in 2013 was 26 Euros,
Fuel very expensive there. And so far I know the government wants to close Malmi. RIGA has a bus every twenty minutes to the nearby city centre, the fees are about 100 Euros.
Copenhagen is very very expensive, the good alternate Roskilde is far away by train.
Bromma has decided that the lower end of GA is not in its interest to serve anymore. Therefore, the majority of the Piston powered GA has been thrown out. There are a very few exceptions where they have not been able to enforce a move due to contract issues. The flying clubs have been kicked out and most private owners as well. This was easily accomplished by tearing down, or threatening to tear down, the hangars unless people moved out freely.
They have stopped all sales of Avgas but there are some private individuals who have access to a tank for a while, but that will end too no doubt.
As far as I know the landing charge is the same as before (250 SEK +VAT), but when you park you will be directed to Grafair Jet Center, or in some rare cases the northern parking. The charge for driving you to and from the aircraft is 300 or 400 SEK, each way. And there’s no fuel.
So, while it is possible, it isn’t exactly accommodating. I can understand that an airport like Arlanda (or likewise Vantaa in Helsinki) has restrictions on slow traffic and general aviation of piston types, but Bromma is not Arlanda. In Helsinki there is still Malmi airport close to the city and very convenient for private operations with business jets as well.
This is government at its finest.
Again, what has happened at Bromma? Is it only that Avgas isn’t served anymore or is the landing fee exorbitant high or will landing with MTOW < 2t be rejected?
