One more supporter for Mali Losinj LDLO. It’s very high on my ‘must visit’ list for 2014. Prague is a fine alternative – we had a great time there in July. Wonderful city in every way except the food 
Although several months away, it would be helpful to have suggested dates. I’d go for either the first half of May (or first half of June). With the prospect of a Socata TB fly in (look forward to details on that) and the annual tour of a flying club I belong to, there is lots of scope for clashes. On the up side, I may be airborne for almost the entire month
Mali Losinj is nice for partners and kids, but I think about the parking space :-)
I´m still for Colmar, nearly in the middel of europe.
Cheshunt, I feel places like Colmar, Speyer, Schwaebisch Hall are very convenient for ’’impromptu’’ meetups – announce here Thursday if the weather looks ok, and meet on Saturday. I feel this should be our main aim, planning not too far away and even less far ahead.
I am certainly in for a weekend meeting at LFGA!
For THE event of the year, I must admit Croatia has a lot to say for it; even though my own participation would require very good meteo for a week at least.
My routing is usually Lowi-Breno .. I have Climbed to Fl180 vfr on that routing although FL140-150 should Be sufficiënt.
Routing via Vienna seems to Be only a small detour (maybe an hour .. But iT also means a fuel stop).
I am interested But iT depends of THE weekend.
Or make it LDLO, Mali Losinj – and who wants can fly down the coast later – which HIGHLY recoomend to everybody who has not done it!
From Switzerland to Croatia and further on, I found the route mostly available was east via St.Johann im Tirol (LOIJ) and Villach. Nevertheless, I never was able to fly this one conventionally but always on top at FL150 or so (VFR). The Gotthard towards SRN is unsuitable VFR as in the South you will have to deal with the Italian Class A and later the further mess of airspace east of that. If the weather is good over the alps, then I do try to fly via the Dolomites (north of them) to Dobiacco and then direction URAVA and ILB. That route however will give a maximum exposure to moutainous terrain and requires FL130 to stay on top.
I am more than fine with Losnij, never been there but has been on the list for long. Need to find out if I can fly there direct from Switzerland (non EU/Schengen) or if a stop in the EU is needed. Croatia seems to have given up a lot of customs and immigration facilities at smaller airports.
On one website offering pilot reports, Losnij has recently had some pretty negative reviews due to rude personell and expensive pricing. They recommend Rijeka or Pula or Split as alternates. Never been there so can’t say if true or not.
Need to find out if I can fly there direct from Switzerland (non EU/Schengen) or if a stop in the EU is needed. Croatia seems to have given up a lot of customs and immigration facilities at smaller airports.
You can fly direct. Losinj and Brac have full Customs. As have Pula, Split, Dubrovnik. Hvar and Unije don’t. Russians fly direct to Losinj and Brac, apparently. I have done both Losinj and Brac to/from Switzerland.
It would be really bad if Croatia joined Schengen and this led to them doing a “France” i.e. withdrawing the Customs from Losinj and Brac, but my information is that is unlikely, and anyway they use just 1 policeman to implement it (which is all you need! – not the N European job creation scheme) who is required for security anyway. I simply cannot understand the N. European mentality of running an airport, where 99% of the costs are fixed costs, and then doing anything whatsoever to reduce traffic…
On one website offering pilot reports, Losnij has recently had some pretty negative reviews due to rude personell and expensive pricing. They recommend Rijeka or Pula or Split as alternates. Never been there so can’t say if true or not.
I can’t confirm that from any of my multiple flights there. Everybody was really nice. Yes, Losinj is not a €10 airport, but one is not going there for lunch every week.
In fact our (Justine and myself) “people experience” is 100% good for Croatia and Greece, both at airports and elsewhere – which is one reason we keep going back there. I certainly can’t say that for any other country in S. Europe. Even Zagreb – a big busy place – was really friendly and fully functioning for GA.
A good alternate for Losinj is Pula and for Brac would be Split – both have ILS, and in both cases you have a relatively easy boat trip to get to the respective island.
I still have my last “big trip” to write up… We did Shoreham – Losinj – Pula – Le Touquet (due to massive headwinds) – Shoreham. Pula was very nice, and not expensive. But I would say the islands are nicer Anyway, you can do Pula on the way back – it’s a hugely complicated 15 minute navigation exercise from Losinj 
Regards crossing the Alps in the “middle” under VFR – can the routes I used in my 2004 and 2005 VFR trips not be used anymore? In 2004 I went straight from Wangen-Lachen via RESIA, down to Corfu. In 2005 I went direct UK – Trieste and I recall the airspace a lot easier on that flight. Both avoided crossing the large Class A in N. Italy. Also my experience of Italian ATC (as a VFR flight) is rather “random” and I would always much rather avoid that part of their airspace lying south of the Alps, and go straight to Slovenia and down from there in Croatian airspace where everything is far more relaxed and competent. It’s also a lot more scenic than flying along the Italian east coast.
Peter,
What hotel would you recommend on Losinj?
Also Alexisvc suggests a small hotel on Milos owned by a friend, what is the name please?
Thanks in advance.
Hotel Apoksiomen is good and the most obvious choice. It is right in the very pretty town, by the harbour (in this pic) and not “full of screaming kids” if you get my meaning like some of the bigger hotels elsewhere there.
Mare Mare Suites is very nice too but has few rooms and fills up quickly.
As always there are self catering apartments which are normally much better value than hotels plus you have more space. Let me dig out the details of a couple of “OK” ones.
I’m tempted to do this in the Falco but might need some help with the planning…………….
