Nestor wrote:
Thanks @Aviathor, but I meant Customs, not passport control, which is not relevant within Schengen countries.
Do you know if Buochs is ok for Swiss Customs and Excise administration ?
If you want an easy-going and fully staffed airport in Switzerland, I would advise Bern. Customs/Immigration is super easy. You just say hello and fill out a form that the nice lady helps you fill out.
Out of memory, it costs something like 35€ to make a stop there.
antoinebk wrote:
If you want an easy-going and fully staffed airport in Switzerland, I would advise Bern.
Depends on where you want to go. Berne airport is in the middle of nowhere (for Switzerland, anyway), so ground transport will take roughly an hour to Berne center (maybe faster by taxi outside of rush hour).
Grenchen might actually be better, a “full service” GA airport, with IFR, but only non-precision approaches. It’s roughly 10 minutes by foot to the train station, where you have pretty good connections to Zürich or Berne.
tomjnx wrote:
Depends on where you want to go. Berne airport is in the middle of nowhere (for Switzerland, anyway), so ground transport will take roughly an hour to Berne center (maybe faster by taxi outside of rush hour).
You are very correct but the original poster was just wanting to make a lunch/customs stop so I guess it’s a little different situation.
From here
OT, but what is involved in flying from Toussus to CH (or vice versa), customs-wise?
boscomantico wrote:
OT, but what is involved in flying from Toussus to CH (or vice versa), customs-wise?
Good question. Geneva has both French and Swiss Customs so for departure purposes at Toussous it may be considered an inner-French flight… Geneva in any case has all the necessary customs and is a full AOE.
Good point. I guess it was done as an intra-EU flight, then,
I asked because the AIP for LFPN is a bit unclear on whether non-EU flights (as long as they are intra-EU) are possible. Plus, as we know, what is written in the French AIP is often not 100% the same as the practice, with these cutstoms-related things.
Flyingfish wrote:
In fact, being based in LSGG, you are in Switzerland AND in the EU. No more customs misery…
Basle is the same btw. And as opposed to Geneva very GA friendly what I know.
Flyingfish wrote:
One major drawback of Geneva : no IFR for SEP on weekends all winter. VERY dangerous…. AMHIK
Oh. That is really no good at all. They are still going into frenzy about the skiing flights? I wonder if you can get any slots at all then.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
Flyingfish wrote:
In fact, being based in LSGG, you are in Switzerland AND in the EU. No more customs misery…
Basle is the same btw. And as opposed to Geneva very GA friendly what I know.Flyingfish wrote:
One major drawback of Geneva : no IFR for SEP on weekends all winter. VERY dangerous…. AMHIK
Oh. That is really no good at all. They are still going into frenzy about the skiing flights? I wonder if you can get any slots at all then.
Thanks for the info. Basel indeed is a great alternative, and my impression confirms yours – very GA friendly (never landed there but from frequent overflying on my way to Colmar).
LSGG are very nervous lately due to workload and the combination of winter weather + no IFR + extremely tight slot situation makes it downright dangerous to operate a SEP out of there during the “skiing NOTAM” season. I did apply for an exception at least on arrivals, but to no avail.
It is a tough decision: depart VFR in MMMVFR weather or cancel the flight… Given the very capable and redundant avionics (TAWS, Syn Vis) of Galatea and my situational awareness from many rotations out of LSGG, MMMVFR launch is less crazy than it sounds but I find it frustrating that we are squeezed into such choices…
On the arrival side it is an easier, no compromise decision: if IMC, I will either secure normal IFR or not fly… not willing to be trapped somewhere holding in pseudo VMC while picking up ice at the end of a flight…
Stopped over in Basel Mulhouse in September 2018.
ATC was very adept at slotting small aircraft in with the CAT.
Landing, shuttle, and overnight parking was €134·37; Jet A-1 was €1·52 per litre.
Email [email protected] (+33 (0)3 89 90 38 95) to book parking in advance. This will be on the main apron; the aero club is a separate operation.
DO NOT walk around the perimeter. It is forbidden. You MUST take the shuttle bus!
tomjnx wrote:
antoinebk wrote:If you want an easy-going and fully staffed airport in Switzerland, I would advise Bern.
Depends on where you want to go. Berne airport is in the middle of nowhere (for Switzerland, anyway), so ground transport will take roughly an hour to Berne center (maybe faster by taxi outside of rush hour).Grenchen might actually be better, a “full service” GA airport, with IFR, but only non-precision approaches. It’s roughly 10 minutes by foot to the train station, where you have pretty good connections to Zürich or Berne.
I would tend to agree with tomjnx. Grenchen LSZG has a very nice hotel and restaurant with terrace and view of the goings-on, adjacent to the terminal building. St. Gallen LSZR is also a very friendly airport with restaurant built into the terminal building. It has the advantage of being an only 5-10 min flight across the lake to Friedrichshafen.
Regarding approaches, it depends on what one considers to be a precision approach. There is an RNAV LPV but the DH is 510’ (MACG 7.5%, 655’ with MACG 2.5%) and RVR is 1500m, so it is correct that not equivalent to a 200’DH/800m “normal” ILS. But then, other than Geneva & Zurich, all ILS approaches in Switzerland have 500’/1500m minimums (e.g. Bern, St Gallen, Les Eplatures) at the end of a 3.5 or 4.0° GS. The topography just doesn’t lend itself to lower, often due to MACG limitations.
