Hello EuroGA,
A couple of us are planning to get together for a social visit on June 29 in western Germany, location TBD. I have a meeting with EASA in Cologne on the 28th, and will stay over in the area. I'll be headed back north to Bremerhaven over the weekend.
Would anyone else like to make a gathering out of it? Suggestions for location? Patrick (Rhino), you're in that area aren't you? I'll be traveling by train, so a place I can get to that way, near to, or north of Cologne, suits me best. Smaller airports around Germany are not my territory, so I look to others for suggestions...
Or, if people want to venture as far as Bremerhaven, I can do the hosting, including a tour of AWI's Polar 5 and/or Polar 6 research turbine DC-3's. Bremerhaven airport will close in the next year or so, to allow a wind turbine factory to grow, so this might be an opportunity to visit. I do understand that it's a long trip from other points though, so don't feel obliged... Whatever works...
I hope I can meet some of the Euro, in EuroGA.....
I guess the most convenient place to meet would be Bonn-Hangelar EDKB. It is one of Germany's bigger GA airfields. VFR only but well situated and easily reachable by train from Cologne or elsewhere.
For IFR, you can do a cloud break in Cologne EDDK.
I'll stop by in "my" TB10 if weather and family permits!
PS: Bonn-Hangelar is the mother of all noise-abatement-stay-in-traffic-pattern airports. Make sure to read and understand the procedure. If you miss the pattern, you'll go straight to Guantanamo.
What is wrong with EDDK itself?
I would try to drop in, but need IFR and Customs.
Even if one can arrive VFR, one cannot depart from an airport in CAS (perhaps especially not in Germany where people will be watching you) if the wx is sub-VFR, so one could be stuck on the return leg.
Bremerhaven EDWB has IFR and customs...
EDDK is expensive and like all large airports not such a great place to be.
If the weather is unstable, one could fly into EDDK and take the train to EDKB. It's very close.
The weather in Germany in summer is usually so that VFR departures are always possible, just not at every minute of the day. There is a lot of serious stuff flying out of EDBK so the IFR pickup will work fine.
What is wrong with EDDK
That my (type of) craft is not welcome there.
Plus that this kind of aerodrome generally does not have the infrastructure for an extensive yet informal talk.
Hangelar seems a good idea.
Hi all,
Fingers crossed I might have my license by then (though I came across a recent report of someone waiting for six weeks...). At any rate, if you all meet up in the area (Düsseldorf, Cologne, etc.), I can always revert back to road travel and be there!
Btw, EDKB is where I had my first trial lesson two years ago. ;-)
Cheers
Patrick
I'm just boarding in Toronto for Amsterdam, then Bremen. I will look forward to the optimum destination being chosen by the group, and then someone providing me guidance to get there.
It will be great to put faces to user names!
Jim
Just in case EDDK is not ideal for GA but there is worse. No slot required and last year I paid around 120 Euro for 1950kg. They have a new nice GAT and they are very friendly. The GAT is quite a walk away from the main terminal but they drove us to the rental car company at no additional charge. The only annoying thing was that I later got a small bill for passenger safety controls with some paperwork. I don't know why the GAT does not handle that right away.
I'll be glad to attend, virtually regardless of the location chosen.
Speaking of Cologne, for those flying VFR, besides EDKB and EDDK, there is also Leverkusen EDKL, a very hospitable club airfield with a decent eatery on premises.
