9-10 September 2017 fly-in - Astypalea LGPL Greece

Here’s a 360 degree Theta photo of the dinner:
https://theta360.com/s/epy0LDieeHDrYlh4MjjKVBwR6

We flew from Astypalea to Athens then onto Malta to beat the weather. We were supposed to be in and out of Athens in an hour (just like Friday) but the refueller turned up after an hour with jet fuel then they insisted on us going to the Passenger Terminal instead of the GA Terminal to pay then they forgot I hadn’t paid on Friday so it all took 2:45 and we didn’t have enough time to get to Annemasse.

Malta was nice – 4:35 over water all the way including a 340 nm direct to the outer marker at Malta, then 5:10 yesterday to Annemasse.

Athens LGAV was €84 for handling and parking each time, Malta LMML was €150 handling (but it was excellent) and €25 overnight parking.

Looking at your track from Athens to Malta — Greek ATC are usually very uncooperative. However, if you harass them long enough, you get your DCTs. There is an inherent unwillingness to do more than the absolute minimum for you but if they want, they can.

If you graduate from the masterclass in “Managing Greek ATC” like the Ryanair crews, you will learn to invent walls of CBs with only one possible path through them: DCT DEST. I have observed it twice and learned from it.

I have used those really bad CB’s too! ;-)

chrisparker wrote:

We flew from Astypalea to Athens then onto Malta to beat the weather.

Chris that Greek route was it due to weather ?
If not, yes, insist the due to weather you need to veer off left or right etc. They can rarely deny this.

Who was your handler in Athens LGAV ?

achimha wrote:

If you graduate from the masterclass in “Managing Greek ATC” like the Ryanair crews

Alexis wrote:

I have used those really bad CB’s too! ;-)

Now I know who is responsible for real life Greek controllers disconnecting me from a well known virtual network for asking similar things.hehe
Don’t ask me why but a few real life Greek controllers after controlling at work then they continue the work at home (virtual)

I remember once, in that virtual world I was trying to take off from an Island for an IMC local training and they never let me for not having a name of a VOR in my flight plan.
When I say, in UK not even a flight plan needed they get crazy.

Exchanging some emails about it with an old respectable member of that network, he told me to not do that again. They getting upset in the idea of comparison…

But, hey what do I know :-)

Peter wrote:

This sort of trip needs a Jetprop but really I won’t again do it again alone, to Greece and back. But flying friends (without complications) are very hard to find.

We’ll see for the 2018 fly-ins but I am OK to be the copilot for long range trips !
I can take several days off if it’s planned some time ahead. It would be a pleasure to meet to team.

boscomantico wrote:

5 aircraft total, including the Greek ones? That really isn’t much.

Wasn’t parking at LGPL limited to 5 a/c anyway ?

Chrisparker : a Bonanza at 20 000 ft with 5h+ endurance and GTN750 equipped ? I need to play Euromillion

Jujupilote wrote:

Wasn’t parking at LGPL limited to 5 a/c anyway ?

Who said this ? Airport responded “if you can park on the edge of the pavement, even better on the soil just off it there is no space problem” one of the few airports in Greece you will hear this.

Just a few trip pictures from my mobile:

One of the two typical activities of my wife – she either reads or sleeps when we fly “longhaul”

Using the “MH Oxygen system” for the first time

Technical stop at Belgrad – LYBE. 29EUR landing fees, 1.32EUR per liter AVGAS!!!

Flying at FL130 above Bulgarian mountains reaching almost 10000ft

More Bulgarian mountains

FL130

Crossing the shoreline for the first time

Samos – LGSM, shortly prior departure to Astypalea

enroute from Samos to Astypalea, around 4:30ZULU

Parking at Astypalea, our TB20 in front of Peter’s TB20GT

Windmills at Astypalea

View from the terrace of our apartment

Lunch with Irene, Justine, Peter and Mimis

Chris’ well equipped A36 with tip tanks