Trip to Rome

Last weekend we had a trip to Rome with our Cessna P210 Silver Eagle. They have 3 airports in Rome but the actual decision is between Rome Ciampino (LIRA) and Rome Urbe (LIRU). LIRA is an IFR and LIRU is a VFR airport. Because I never flew in Italy but had heard many bad stories, I decided against LIRU. I didn’t want to fly low level and follow several VFR reporting points in a highly saturated airspace with a turbine. At least not on my first visit there.

Two weeks before arrival I contacted Universal Aviation, one of the handling agents at LIRA and requested a quote. After several reminders and phone calls I got it but it wasn’t clear to me what the total price would be. After a few more eMails I gave up and estimated a price of 168 Euros.

So we started at EDXQ last Friday morning IFR to LIRA which is about 740 NM. We had to pass a front in the middle of Germany and so filed an initial level of FL210 to avoid icing. We passed the front abeam Karlsruhe and descended to FL190, our final level for the rest of the flight. We had an average of 40 knots head wind component so it took 4:37 h to reach LIRA. The flight was unspectacular, the Italian controllers professional (but sound funny) and the weather ok.

Here is a clip from the trip, starting after we descended to FL190:

We had a PPR number for the arrival which needs to be added to field 18 of the flight plan. About 20 minutes before arrival we had to call apron and tell them this number. They answered with “Stand 305”. After landing we taxied to that stand which is in front of the GAT. I called for fuel and then they told me they have to push me back into my final position. That looks somewhat strange:

So they pushed me 50 meters into my final parking position, with me inside the aircraft asking ground about a pushback clearance. I felt strange. Later in the GAT they told me this push back costs 56 Euros. I got angry and had another eMail exchange with the lady that sent me the quote.

Nevertheless did we enjoy our weekend in Rome.

Our return trip was on Sunday. When we arrived at the airport, I filed my flight plan and requested the invoice. It took a while which forces me to delay the flight plan of 30 minutes. The invoice was about 320 Euros. I got angry again but was able to negotiate it down to 230 Euros which is not cheap but acceptable. And then, you know it, we had another pushback right on the taxi way (about 5 meters) at 56 Euros (which was already charged with the 230 Euros):

I talked with the guy from Universal a bit and he told me that they usually handle Citiation, G5 etc. These aircraft load/unload their Pax in the parking stand before the GAT so the pushback makes sense. They have had self-maneuvring parking spaces in the past but not anymore. So even small aircraft have be handled like larger ones. That’s Italy!

After 3:46 h with cross wind and IMC most of the time in FL200 we arrived save at EDXQ.