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Skiing in Austria (merged threads)

Isn’t that not just a matter of making a short intermediate customs/coffee stop at e.g. Antwerp or Oostend before continuing on?

EDLE, Netherlands

Isn’t that not just a matter of making a short intermediate customs/coffee stop at e.g. Antwerp or Oostend before continuing on?

Of course, anything is possible, but

  • there is an extra wx risk due to the time on the ground
  • if one climbs VMC on top out of the UK and further down the route the tops are say FL120 and it’s -10C above, then if you go and land, you will land with a load of ice, and no way will you get back up again unless you have a fully deiced plane
  • it’s a hassle
  • every approach/landing is an extra risk
  • you waste some fuel; about 5 USG i.e. about 40 quid, plus the airport costs
  • on a long trip, you may need to fuel up
  • the delay can be a bit indeterminate if you land at some places (e.g. 2hrs f-ing around at various places esp. in France or Italy while they are at lunch)

So, say Shoreham to Zell, 5hrs might become 6-7hrs.

And then you have the same on the way back.

If I want to go somewhere, I want to get there, not stop elsewhere just to waste time. The police never turn up, especially if you picked a place where they don’t turn up, to minimise the hassle. And I know many others feel the same – even if they don’t go on about it Some French airports lost 1/3 of their business overnight, in 2012.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

All valid points, but…

Peter wrote:

every approach/landing is an extra risk

Also, every approach/landing is a chance to grow and become a better pilot. That’s how I look at it – still. Maybe that changes with time.

Hungriger Wolf (EDHF), Germany

Well, that’s true too. Personally I prefer to “concentrate value” in my flying, so e.g.

  • landing somewhere nice, or
  • landing to meet up with friends

is desirable, whereas

  • landing in some dump (i.e. most airports) to clear customs
  • landing to refuel
  • landing to take a leak

is 100% undesirable

Just watch all those who gave up flying way too soon because they got bored, and look at the sort of flying they were doing. I bet you they didn’t go to nice places and didn’t meet up with friends.

Getting value out of GA is not easy, especially in Europe, and I think one has to work on it.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I see value as getting to the best airport for my intended destination. Of course we all prefer not to stop but sometimes you just have to.

EGTK Oxford

Peter why dont you stop at EDMA has Customs etc. If you have a noise certificate it will only cost about 20Euro then you can rent a car and in 2hrs you will be skiing. Your a beginner and really you dont need spectacular trails. You might never get to the summit of some of the big ones. Or more time consuming, you can take the train to Munich 20 Euros and from the Munich Hofbahnhof to Garmisch or Zugspitz for 50 Euros including lift tickets.

Actually I will be flying into EDMA on the 22nd (skiing the 23rd) and will be there for a week so if you want company I can go for a day or two.

KHTO, LHTL

Sounds good, C210_Flyer.

Let me review the plan when the date is nearer. One reason I have been looking at Zell is because of the glacier (Kaprun) reportedly having some/more snow when many places don’t have much (and having beginner areas, which is rare), but I think that has changed recently, with some heavy snowfalls. A friend has just come back from some place just south of Salzburg (called something…moose) and had a great time. Another reason is that it avoids complicated transport which is always a bit tricky given I can’t speak German. Plus, there is a lot of value in getting somewhere easily and quickly.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Ok so let me know. The idea is to go mid week and not on weekends. Due to lines. I will check to make sure it is not a school holiday somewhere in Germany otherwise you might be spending more time on a lift line than actually skiing.

KHTO, LHTL

I have probably cancelled the Winterberg trip this weekend (currently has snow but lots of warm rain coming during the weekend), so the next one is going to be one of the previously discussed Lausanne, Sion (the “Swiss thread”) or Zell am See.

I am also looking at Filzmoos which is about €110 by taxi from either Salzburg (Easyjet) or Zell am See (TB20). That one definitely has beginner areas. The friend I went to ski with in December has just been there and brought back some videos.

I am getting conflicting reports on whether Kaprun really has any beginner areas – what is a “beginner area” to a good skier is a bit like asking the pilot of a Maule with tundra tyres about some grass runway

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter, if you’re an absolute beginner you need just a practice hill.
Kaprun has one at the Maisi lift (34). I think there’s one on the glacier as well.
Once you have some experience you should be able to do the blue slopes. The Kaprun area has plenty of them:

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