I could never get a clearance VFR above FL095
Me neither in Germany 
No it is not worth it unless you want to travel the whole Europe in it. Register with a local air-club (if outside Paris area) or register with “Air & Compagnie” in Paris area.
There are other private individuals that rent good condition aircraft. The probability of finding a P-Baron is very limited though.
The Jepp ones ended in 2013.
Can anybody guess which of the other three is this online one?
BTW I have a “VFR in Europe” presentation (Powerpoint) under Articles
I am only carrying Skydemon nowadays next to JeppView on my iPad as map. Done with the paper charts. Advantage is that the map looks the same everywhere in Europe. I fly mostly IFR enroute but if needs to be I will transfer to VFR to get into smaller airfields. Then the easy switch in SkyDemon between IFR and VFR is great. In other places (like Africa or Middle East) I used the JeppView iPad app solely, even when flying VFR along IFR routes. There is no radar environment there in most places anyways so after 10 minutes of flight you are on your own for the rest of the flight.
I find France as well as the UK 2 countries that are private flight friendly. Hungary is also a haven for private pilots. Some other countries are maybe a little more restricted (no night landing on deserted airport with pilot controlled lights or IFR departure from a farmstrip) but in general ATC is very willing to help you out and give what you want. I am not knowing what to complain about.
which of the other three is this online one?
It bears some resemblance to the I G N 2009 edition that I have floating around.
there are 4 different VFR maps published in France: IGN, SIA/DGAC, Bossy and Jeppesen
The Bossy now generally known as Editerra after its publisher.
PS would we ever again hear from T/S Bill?
French charts are really terrible, I find them almost unreadable.
That is not so much because of the charts, but because of the spaghettis…The Paris and Provence areas are terrible because of entangled airspaces. The rest of France is pretty much OK as long as you dodge active high-speed low-flying military areas when active on weekdays. During weekends and holidays they are generally inactive.
You can find a graphical depiction of those areas here.
Other than that there are not that many R- or P- areas.
Flyer59 27-Jan-15 22:07 #19
Come on C210 Flyer
do you actually have a german VFR chart? It’s really very simple and easy to read. The Austrian one too. Czech maps are just as simple. The French charts are really terrible, I find them almost unreadable. But I guess if a local explains them to you it will ok.
Of course you can fly VFR at FL175 in Germany too, all you need is a clearance. Easy to get.
I was first introduced to VFR flying in Europe, in France. I was in Calais and asked a CFI that had flown in from Belgium about the local flying. I was warned that Flying in France was difficult, due all the airspace restrictions. I was on my way to Toussou to visit Michael and explained to him what the CFI told me. He said, “nonsense do this and that then contact this and that before you get into this or that while flying VFR”. Are you sure? I asked Michael. “Of course I do it all the time.” So I did as best I could. I flew low to avoid radar detection. Thought about turning off my transponder but was too chicken. In the US you would have F16s all over you. Getting nearer the barrier of No Fly without a clearance, I could see they really meant it cause one box was GND to 2000’ which was superimposed inside another box from 1500’ to 8000’ which was superimposed in another box that went unlimited. I thought it might have been a CZ left over from the big one, WWII. So I tune the frequency to hear nothing but French. I kind of pick my moment trying to make sure I didnt step on anyones communication. Nothing. Try again, nothing for a few minutes. A third time and someone responds,. “N6589M Wsin mous therouie.” What did he say??? Say again please. WSINX MOUS THEROUIE! came the reply but much louder. “Ok say it in English please.” Meanwhile for the English readers Im orbiting and for the rest of you circling, so as not to enter the Forbidden Zone. At this point someone else comes on the radio from control with a very thick French accent telling me that the instructions I was told were in English. Ok I thought, maybe I should ask for Yorkshire English. At least now I was speaking to someone who I could understand, somewhat. Sweating Im on my way to Toussou de Noble. Landed on the first attempt. Met up with Michael and his lovely wife Anna. After a few wonderful days in Paris we leave our lovely hostess Anna.
On the way out of Tousou I file VFR for Bordeaux region. I almost caused an international incident cause right off the end of the runway, is what appears to be a prohibited area or a Forbidden Zone which I almost busted. N6589M turn left IMMEDIATELY. Oh crap now what? After that I followed Michaels fantastic instructions to Bordeaux without incident. A few days in Bordeaux I filed IFR to EDMA. Now in the IFR system, I had female controllers who had the sexiest voices and accents. Definitely could understand them and could listen to them all day long. So it seems the controllers handling VFR speak mostly in their native tongue and the IFR controllers mostly English.
So after that experience do you wonder why I file IFR everywhere?
Me neither in Germany
Have you tried? Around Frankfurt or Munich you will probably not get it (also the rest of their Class C and D airspaces are pretty much inaccessible during most of the day) but over the rest of Germany that should not be a problem. But you need a mode S transponder. I hear paradroppers and sailplanes all the time on the radar frequencies who ask for – and get – permission to enter airspace C above FL100.
