This was a somewhat difficult trip because two parts of it were cancelled. I was going to depart 2 days earlier, which would have enabled a meet-up on Croatia somewhere and some hiking, but those two days were not flyable from the UK across mainland Europe, due to convective wx. Then after EDNY I was going to fly to Orleans in France but that was cancelled also. On the plus side, the wx worked out just fine for the flights which were done.
We were having a EuroGA dinner at Aero Friedrichshafen and that worked out great. A really good group turned up.
The trip was plauged by CTOTs (ATC delays). AFAICT these were mostly ATC strikes, which are called “staff shortages”. I got them on every flight!
The 1st one was at the start, at EGKA. It was a long delay; almost an hour. That would have prevented reaching LDLO before it closed; I had booked the €120 +1hr later closing but if you don’t need it you don’t pay. Then it halved (not unusual) and then doubled (unusual). This repeated maybe 5 times. Clearly the Eurocontrol “software” was having problems. But an airport with staff (AG, FISO or ATC) will not let you go because they get some action taken against them. So I did this which was possible on a phone (all I had, with the laptop packed) given the flight plan was a Z (VFR-IFR-VFR). It was French ATC on strike so I just extended the initial VFR section all the way to the Swiss border 
Then asked France for an IFR clearance which they eventually gave me; one cannot fly > FL115 in NE France under VFR. As you can see from that link, some people don’t approve of this method but one is only gaming the stupidly designed system which is out to game you; these CTOTs are never related to actual traffic management, given the levels where GA flies are mostly empty.
The next CTOT was departing at LDLO and it was very long (2hrs or so) but it shrank to about 15 mins; I would have missed the pre-booked arrival slot at EDNY (another big and dirty story which repeats most years). The final CTOT was at EDNY to get back home (probably a localised Swiss strike) but it was fairly short; ATC held up the entire airport’s departures for some 20 mins.
So I hacked a new FP with VFR right across France (on the same route as the previous IFR FP) and departed very fast before another CTOT could appear
Beachy Head
VMC on top at about 6000ft, below the FL075 airspace
I flew VFR EGKA XORBI BILGO and then got the IFR clearance and a climb FL110
Approaching the Alps, up to FL160. Nice long DCT to RESIA, which is at Samedan (and needs a bit more than FL160 per the IFR min levels)
The Alps are always spectacular; the snow is thinner now, following a relatively warm winter with not much snow
This shows how south facing mountains end up with much less snow
FL170 for RESIA requested by ATC (radar minima)
Samedan
Lake Garda. I flew here on my very first trip down there, all VFR, and held low down by ATC who did not allow me above FL130
Venice area
Some buildups near LDLO but actually cloudbases were ~4000ft so ok. Pula ATC were nice as ever…
The village of Unije and its grass strip
Mali Losinj airport
I headed straight for the excellent cafe/restaurant but it was closed!
In the town. Taxi €25.
To the herb garden, to stock up with another 10 bottles of lavender oil (nice in a bath)
I rented a bike and went around the coastal path to Veli Losinj.
A nice spot for a fish for dinner
Back in town
I always put this one in, for the ladies Somebody had painted his private parts!
The tunnels… I always check them out, always carrying at least two torches. At the far end is a torpedo service workshop, from the days of Yugoslavia
Cycling round to the other side of the island
Susak island in the distance (not much there in 2014; may be better now)
On top of Mali Losinj
The usual pre-departure selfie spot
The new IO540 Pipistrel Pantera; looks pretty good and is very fast for the fuel flow
Departing, after a wait for a CTOT. Had the tower been empty I would have ignored the CTOT 
Venice again; a better view this time
This route is good at FL140 but these mountains really didn’t look low enough. In the end they were at least 2000ft below!
Final for EDNY. The ILS vectoring is done by Swiss ATC and very competently; putting several aircraft on the ILS at the same time.
I would have refused grass parking under power on an unknown surface, but on this case the aircraft was pushed back on the grass manually, with the help of 3 men. AIR BP fuel turned up fast. Then there was the “usual business” with the airport bus, where last time, 2019, upon hearing we were from the UK then stupid driver said “you have already left the EU” and dumped us behind about 100 Russians having their visas checked This time it was easier but confused the hell out of the the police upon subsequent departure…
The show itself is very similar every year; I do it mainly for the meet-ups. There is the endless range of virtually identical looking Rotax 2-seaters, priced at 200k plus and selling as “toys” in very small numbers.
Cirrus has moved into clothing; a smart move since their piston planes are now over a million!
I did only less than a day total actually at the show, and went to Meersburg which is a really scenic town on the lake shore
I got off the grass without assistance, along a pre-inspected path and using a lot of power, then cutting power while traversing the grass-tarmac transition.
The flight back was straightforward. Another CTOT! The tower apparently stopped all departures for some 20 mins. They also didn’t tell me to change from Ground to Tower so I was not getting any more instructions… it took me a while to realise this and eventually I called up Tower. Then it was all fine, departing on a SID which soon became nice DCTs. Later, in France, I got extremely unusual shortcuts, HR to REM, and later REM-KUNAV. The whole flight was done at FL090, with about 5kt headwind. The only actual IMC was at the UK end, with heavy haze and drizzle
Some flight details:
EGKA-LDLO Flightaware track
LDLO-EDNY
EDNY-EGKA
EGKA-LDLO route
LDLO-EDNY route
EDNY-EGKA route
Landing fuel on board:
27.9 USG
51.6 USG
44.6 USG
EuroGA Airport Database reports:
Looks great. Some nice memories of LDLO
Great report as always. Have you thought about applying for Eurocontrol NMP? You can do so as an “Aircraft Operator” and flick open your laptop whilst in the aeroplane, refile your FPL and avoid the regulations and depart on time, or a more suitable routing once you’ve looked at the network map.
Can’t wait to do my first proper trip in a few weeks if all goes to plan.
I forgot to add one thing:
On the way back, on Lille, and approaching KUNAV, on the handover to London Control, FL090, Lille said LC is requiring a climb FL120 and DCT DVR.
This was completely nuts and obviously a cockup – a roughly 90 degree right turn, and a climb when one should be descending for Shoreham. Maybe they thought EGKA was Norwich
I told Lille and offered to solve this by cancelling IFR and descending 5000ft which is below UK CAS. After another discussion with LC they agreed. Simple! I got the usual instruction to call “London 124.6” (the much discussed silent termination of any clearance) but I just stayed below the FL075 UK Class A and then below 5000ft, all the way to Shoreham.
Where are those tunnels? Looks like an interesting spot to visit with kids for the next time…
There are two like in the photo which merge together and from their junction runs a long straight one, deep under the hill. This is the torpedo workshop
Above the two tunnel entrances are three entrances
to cylindrical underground fuel tanks. The tanks themselves are gone.
On Brac there are some big submarine pens.
