Netherlands - Lelystad EHLE (or other airport) advice

There is no problem with Lelystad. Just no IFR.

Regarding the status of EHLE: Until 20 Aug 2017 WIP PHASE 3 of 6 is in progress:
See this document for details: https://www.lelystadairport.nl/uploads/documents/pilots-information-phase-3-v1.3.pdf

@Peter_Mundy is right that there is no problem. Field is open and there is 1100m of runway available.

Niederrhein EDLV charges a handling fee. The total of landing / ATC / handling costs will be around 35 EUR.

Any specific things you are thinking about, when you say that it’s a mess? Thanks for all input!

Well, there is a lot of construction work going on (building a terminal, lifting the tower, extending the runway, etc) and you need to inform yourself about the current status.
But all services are available (except for IFR / NVFR) and if you inform yourself it shouldn’t be a problem using the airport. I do it all the time ;-)

Nice to hear that the extension plans are progressing. Hopefully not a negative for us “small” guys?

The general opinion is that it is bad for GA: it will become a controlled airport with security. So just showing up, get in the plane and do some local flying without flightplan is no longer possible. For me (IR / night rated) I think I will benefit from the extended opening hours and facilities like proper lighting, ILS, etc.

I think the big problem in the immediate future will be the pilots who are scared of controlled airspace. I know several who have held a PPL for 10+ years who do not know how to fill in a flight plan and on that basis will not fly to a controlled airfield unless somebody else does the work for them.

Peter_Mundy wrote:

I think the big problem in the immediate future will be the pilots who are scared of controlled airspace. I know several who have held a PPL for 10+ years who do not know how to fill in a flight plan and on that basis will not fly to a controlled airfield unless somebody else does the work for them.

This is very true. My home base LHHO is right next to LHDC, which is at the moment not even controlled, just a proper AFIS airport with a largeish TIZ. Unless there is IFR traffic at the very moment, you can get in the airspace without any preplanning (abbreviated flight plan filed on radio) and with some simple radio messages (of course Hungarian is accepted). Still, most other LHHO-based pilots are simply afraid of flying within LHDC TIZ. There was a nice spring Saturday earlier this year when everybody was up in the air from LHHO. I wanted to practice stalls and steep turns, but I realised that the airspace around LHHO was super crowded, so I called up LHDC if they have any traffic in the TIZ. It turned out that they had none and the lady AFISO jokingly told me that I was free to use the whole TIZ as a training box for the following two hours. I just don’t understand why the others avoid that airspace like plague.

AndersB wrote:

Now planning for “EDLV Niederrhein” instead. Any tips and tricks? Suggestions on cost efficient handling etc?

The only way to fly into Niederrhein-Weeze in cost-effective manner was negotiated by Mr. O’Leary. The fees that his aircraft don’t need to pay there are distributed equally among the (few) remaining users of this airport. For “my” Citation the landing and handling charges amount to almost 1000 Euros per movement, about three times as much as we are charged at our homebase (which is not one of the cheaper airports either). The last time I flew there in a piston twin we had to pay in the order of 500 Euros. Apart from that it is an excellent airport with good facilities and helpful staff, but miles and miles away from civilisation…

Luckily for a SEP the rates are much better – I seem to recall something like €45.00 for handling and €17.00 for landing

The latest EDDH.de pireps on EDLV states:

Kosten zum Abholen eines Passagiers tagsüber rund 37,- EUR (bis 1500 kg MTOW) – durchaus angemessen bei perfektem Service.

Landung 5€, Lokal ATC 5€, Parken 4,50€/ Nacht, 5€/ Pax, 15€ Handling. Prima Flughafen, Handling absolut exzellent!