EuroGA fly-in - Venice Lido LIPV, 18/19 May 2019

All I can say is that I’ve been to LIPV in a DA40, DA42 and SR22. It was always dry and not a problem.

@Emir
The problem is defining “poor.”
I will never buy a plane that couldn’t land at LIPV. I’m a little startled to hear a 210 driver expressing such concerns, but this plane with the tip tanks seems to have its own features.
No one wants to urge someone in who then has a prop strike. But it seems to me some pilots are over sensitive on the topic of grass, perhaps because of one bad experience or lack of experience.
LIPV is definitely better than LHBS (where I would feel perfectly comfortable landing a Cessna retractable). C210_Flyer mentioned LHBS as a no-go standard, so I was responding to that frame of reference.
Field condition is always important. If dry, LIPV should be fine, but I don’t want to talk someone into doing something that makes them feel uncomfortable.

I vote to keep LIPV. Maybe some guys will lose their grass virginity and decide they like the satisfying thump and soft roll out. I prefer a well maintained grass runway over asphalt. They just feel softer, like they meet the tires and give a little. Asphalt feels hard and impersonal.

BTW I am in with wife (if I don’t sell the plane to buy another in perfect which promptly goes into the shop for 3 months).

Ive landed at many grass fields in C172s Arrows and even a Stearman. Ive also landed with my plane at Hertelendy Kastely ZZZ which is Smooth as a golf course but girlfriend says, corrects me, it was bumpy and I say way too short for my comfort during a 30 cent day and 80% humidity. Also landed at LKLT Letnany which I thought was rough for my wings. If I didnt have the additional tip tank weight on the planes wing both of those airports would be fine to land on. With that said I still would not use LHBS even without the tips.

An interesting story prior to my bringing my plane over to LHTL I communicated with a pilot who also owned an older 210. I arrived looking for him only to find out he landed at some grass field had his nose wheel dip into a hole which tore his front wheel off and ruined the prop and engine. He had no hull insurance and so he has no plane.
That was right before we had another mishap at LHTL where a beautifully restored MIG 15 on its maiden test flight was wrecked. But that was on our then 8000’ (Or was it 6000’) concrete runway.

Also there is no reason to change the fly in airport. For those that want to go but are reluctant to use unimproved fields we can always use a hard surface alternate as long as: 1 the fees are reasonable and 2. it is not too far away and within easy transport to the Island. Where I think most of the activities will take place anyway.

Having already committed to the dates, and prepaid the booked hotel at LIPV, on the assumption of what I thought was a clearly done deal, to change it now would, I believe, put EuroGA in very bad odour.

WhiskeyPapa wrote:

The problem is defining “poor.”
I will never buy a plane that couldn’t land at LIPV. I’m a little startled to hear a 210 driver expressing such concerns, but this plane with the tip tanks seems to have its own features.
No one wants to urge someone in who then has a prop strike. But it seems to me some pilots are over sensitive on the topic of grass, perhaps because of one bad experience or lack of experience.
LIPV is definitely better than LHBS (where I would feel perfectly comfortable landing a Cessna retractable). C210_Flyer mentioned LHBS as a no-go standard, so I was responding to that frame of reference.
Field condition is always important. If dry, LIPV should be fine, but I don’t want to talk someone into doing something that makes them feel uncomfortable.

Thanks for your opinion and don’t worry nobody can talk me into doing something that I’m not comfortable with. Reading this I’m bit more convinced that LIPV is worth of trying. I don’t have any particularly bad experience with grass strips in terms of getting damage but I have several ones with overstressing gear with bumps on takeoff.

Snoopy wrote:

All I can say is that I’ve been to LIPV in a DA40, DA42 and SR22. It was always dry and not a problem.

This is another convincing sentence.

Jujupilote wrote:

It would be a shame that a fly-in (social event) organised by a web platform which want to gather airplane lovers split in two groups. It is a sign of how European GA (doesn’t) work

Expressing the opinion and sharing the experience in open way is by no means attempt to share the community or to cancel the fly-in. The destination is chosen, the dates are set and it’s one’s free will to attend or not. As for any EuroGA fly-in I’m committed to attend unless something really serious prevents me from arriving. In this case it can be forecasted IMC conditions on arrival or bad runway conditions on day of arrival or expected bad runway conditions on day of planned departure. I would say that these reasons sound pretty reasonable for any VFR-only grass runway destination.

@Peter Maybe it’s time to make this thread sticky