Planning a three day intensive flying trip

Airborne_Again wrote:

Do you really mean Annex 2 or do you mean ultralights/experimentals?

Hm, yes indeed, I meant ultralights plus experimentals. What other categories could be concerned? “orphaned” types, perhaps, that had a CoA at one time but it is no longer under anybody’s care or responsability?

The letter of the matter is at https://mobilit.belgium.be/nl/luchtvaart/luchtvaartuigen/tijdelijke_toelating_overvliegen (in local language), it boils down to requiring this procedure for all aeroplanes not disposing of a “standard” certificate of airworthiness, and does refer explicitly to the Chicago convention.

PS thank you for insisting on precise vocabulary!

mrfacts wrote:

Just been to Bitburg yesterday and can confirm the very friendly staff. They have a 3000m runway (from the old days) but you better check how they handle your non-Schengen arrival here: http://www.flugplatz-bitburg.de/fbgmbh/airportdata.htm

You may also consider going to Luxembourg (ELLX) with their low landing fee of 6.10€ (you may require handling) and low fuel price of 1.77€ incl. VAT (also checked yesterday)

Coincidentally, I can confirm all this.

It was interesting to see what can happen at Bitburg simultaneously: Save driving training (Audi I think) on the apron, aerobatics in two boxes near the field, glider towing with gliders all over the first third of the main runway (requiring us motorized folks to make long landings) – but they have the space for all of that and it was a generally very relaxed and nice atmosphere at the field.

Jan_Olieslagers wrote:

The BE regulation for Annex 2 aeroplanes is a shame, as a Belgian I am really annoyed with it.

Do you really mean Annex 2 or do you mean ultralights/experimentals? I doubt that Belgium has the right (according to the Chicago Convention) to request special permissons of normal category aircraft with a CofA.

@carlmeek

Just been to Bitburg yesterday and can confirm the very friendly staff. They have a 3000m runway (from the old days) but you better check how they handle your non-Schengen arrival here: http://www.flugplatz-bitburg.de/fbgmbh/airportdata.htm

You may also consider going to Luxembourg (ELLX) with their low landing fee of 6.10€ (you may require handling) and low fuel price of 1.77€ incl. VAT (also checked yesterday)

@carlmeek – you haven’t mentioned a date, but to add to Jan’s suggestion of Kraków, you might want to consider the weekend of June 25-26, since the annual fly-in / air show at the Aviation Museum in Kraków is happening that weekend. If all goes according to plan, you’d land in a historic airfield, EPKC that is part of the museum and opens only for the show. Another approach here.

Alas, should you come to Kraków, any date you choose, do let me know, especially if you need anything locally.

I’ve not checked the distance/flying time, but a trip to Kraków (sp?) would offer beautiful mountain scenery, plus ample sights of the river Vltava/Moldau – remember Smetana?
And, again, the aviation museum at Kbely is not to be missed. Then again, you have only to take the metro from Letnany to the famous Prague city centre.

There are many positive reviews of Bitburg indeed – but do they provide immigration service? Also, if and when flying there, be aware of the airspace of the nearby Spangdahlem USAF base.

Regarding the Nürburgring (sic!) I flew over a couple of times, but never saw any activity. And a non-active racetrack is just as uninteresting as a closed aerodrome.

carlmeek wrote:

We’re actually fancying Saarbrücken and a quick trip to the Nurburgring.

If you want to go there, use Bitburg instead of Saarbrücken. A lovely little airfield with about the friendliest staff you are going to encounter anywhere!