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A summer weekend trip from Lübeck (EDHL) to Palanga (EYPA)

Hi there,

do it! It’s great!

With the routing through Kaliningrad FIR, I can’t really help you, since I haven’t flown VFR in that area for many years.

I can’t imagine they will allow you to parallel the coast. Also, as I wrote, the Russians will present you with a noticeable bill fterwards.

Most people just circumnavigate the Kaliningrad FIR to the east and pick up some fuel at EPKE if needed.

Last Edited by boscomantico at 16 Mar 17:26
Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

Many thanks for this trip report. The pics are super and do a lot to get one excited about undertaking a trip to Palanga.

If the aircraft doesn’t have the legs of the Cirrus and a long overwater far from land is to be avoided, how close to shore do the Russians allow one to get? For example, Gdansk to Palanga following the land bridge along the coast is only about 100nm. Is the coastal/overwater route even possible VFR or is it limited to IFR? My map shows this as largely Class A airspace.

RobertL18C wrote:

A Yorkshireman I know took a Cessna 150 to Lithuania and back around the time of this report

Robert, do you know the route he took, assuming a more limited range for the 150? Avoiding the overwater would seem to leave only a single route to Lithuania and back via the gap between Kaliningrad and Belarus or around via the north up to Finland and back down via Sweden which is really a very long way around. If the trip is made VFR, then the risk going through the “gap” is weather.

Regarding stops in Poland, there is a nice grass airfield with avgas at Ketrzyn EPKE. The folks there are very helpful and appreciative of visitors. The Mazurian Lakes flyout in June is based at Kikity EPKI, also grass no fuel. EPKE and EPKI are only about 10-15 miles apart.

LSZK, Switzerland

Well at least autorouter is offering a route with no particular warning.
It is quite a long leg, so maybe I will stop over in Prag to visit my brother and then fly across Poland into Palanga, and cross Lithuania from West to East and fly back with a nice stopover somewhere in Poland. Any ideas?

LSGG, LFEY, Switzerland

@Flyingfish

Since I haven’t flown this route again simce summer 2014, I don’t know for sure. But I assume that nothing has has changed for crossing Kaliningrad FIR over the high seas. Also, no idea if things have changed for more substantial overflights of Russian territory. But again, I assume no. Business aviation has been going on as usual AFAIK.

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

Flyingfish thank you for the thread resurrection- good report. A Yorkshireman I know took a Cessna 150 to Lithuania and back around the time of this report – he had flown to Australia in a 182 so I guess his Lithuanian trip was the equivalent of a ‘burger’ run.

Oxford (EGTK), United Kingdom

@boscomantico I just read your nice Pirep. Met a Lithuanian lady a few days ago and she persuaded me to go visit. So I searched here and voilà.
Thanks for sharing. If when my Extra is game I intend to pick up a friend or two in Düsseldorf and head for Lithania probably in June 2017.
Do you know if the Russian “blockade” you warned about is in force now?

LSGG, LFEY, Switzerland

By the way, I am reading today that Russia considers blocking their airspace to foreign operators. So possibly no more flights through Kaliningrad FIR soon…

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

Very nice report ! Thanks a lot for sharing and for inspiring future trips..

Teo
LSZE, LSZR, LSZH, Switzerland

Great report! Thanks!

I know some pilots here in the Stockholm area who regularly fly to Palanga and highly recommend it. Your report really
motivated me more to go there, still a little bit sceptic to cross that much water ;) I usually fly to the Swedish Island Gotland Northwest of Palanga… “relatively” good gliding distance in case of an engine failure. This might be a greater challenge in a 172SP ;)

Last Edited by Jonas at 03 Aug 21:25
ESOW Västerås, Sweden

Russia switched to the imperial system a few years back. Quite sad actually
Strange… when I open the approach plates from the AIP, these are all in meters.
Link

But ATC will typically give you altitude in feet if you are not RA registered.

Belgium
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