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A quick trip Shoreham EGKA to Weston EIWT Oct 2018

I popped over to see my friend Colm (“dublinpilot”).

For the IFR routes, the Autorouter was for some reason not producing anything too great so I started up Foreflight (the web version; I don’t have a current model Ipad) which is a newcomer to Europe, and it produced this one, which was obviously partly in Class G but like a lot of these in the UK it validated ok:

I was happy to fly it because the Class G bit is after the complicated UK airspace so not an issue, and the weather was good enough to do this VFR if necessary.

Nice day for the trip:


The departure clearance was “OCAS, DCT GWC…” as usual; this is never filed but it is issued by London Control and it gets one climbing while away from the Gatwick traffic

Before Bristol, at FL100, I left CAS and got a DCT GINIS – a huge direct of 160nm

Nice scenery over Wales

Soon I got a DCT EIWT (a 183nm direct). In Class G you can do what you like obviously, but these were coordinated with Dublin which is pretty good

Ireland – the Dublin area. Flying the VOR D approach for runway 25, via TEDVO. There was a bit of cloud around but nothing relevant

Weston airport now visible – about to turn right onto left base for 25

Parked up and paid up. EIWT is €40 for landing and €30/night for parking.

We walked all around the Glendalough lakes. It’s quite a walk uphill and quite a walk back downhill and 4-5hrs total, but it’s super scenic and definitely worth doing. The uphill bit is well prepared, with old railway sleepers all the way up and along the top





The derelict mining villages


Departing Weston. To avoid the long IFR departure which takes you way away, north of Dublin, I asked for a VFR departure which is to a couple of VRPs, at 2000ft or below, all the way to the coast

As with the arrival, few engine failure options…

The 2 chimneys are the 2nd VRP

Nice late afternoon conditions. I will picked up a bit of ice in the climb through the layer (0C at 5000ft) but the TKS worked great. Lots of tailwind – about 45kt at times, and the return flight was under 2hrs

FL100. I didn’t get into CAS at FL100 (needs FL150 on the filed route via STU and BCN, but I didn’t fancy a climb to FL150 for this short leg and decided to take a chance on what happens)

so I got Western Radar in Class G (same as when outbound) which advises you firmly to “remain outside controlled airspace”. As expected, I got an IFR clearance later but with only about 10nm left before CAS, with Cardiff, then Bristol, then London Control


Back at Shoreham and all packed up, with the TKS fluid cleaned off with a watering can and warm water from the fire station

Eurocontrol track links (long dotted sections are where radar tracking was lost due to IFR having been cancelled within the UK system, due to the flight being in Class G)
Outboung route:

Return route:

FR24 track links
Outbound:

Return

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Departing Weston. To avoid the long IFR departure which takes you way away, north of Dublin, I asked for a VFR departure which is to a couple of VRPs, at 2000ft or below, all the way to the coast

I wondered about this, as I’m doing IR training there but haven’t done SIDs yet. The Weston SIDs arent published and my instructor said that once you leave the Weston AOR (ie climb through 2000ft), Dublin will typically give you direct KLY 5000 ft which overall doesn’t make the departure much longer than VFR.

EIMH, Ireland

Yes this is really crazy. After I called up for engine start I was told I need the sheet showing the “unpublished” departures And a fireman walked up to me and gave me the sheet, with UNPUBLISHED on top of it, which I will post this evening when I get home.

It is a bit like sticking a huge sign on the island of Monte Cristo saying “this is where Alexandre Dumas buried his top secret treasure, but don’t tell anybody”.

In the end I ignored it because I did a VFR departure to the east.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Sounds like an great trip ! These lakes look so scenic.
The fees are a bit steep, but definitely worth it it seems.

Last Edited by Jujupilote at 01 Oct 10:47
LFOU, France

Those fees would kill most GA activity, particularly aeroclub type activity, and sure enough there doesn’t seem to be much of the former. One will just get occassional visits like mine.

There is a flying school there and they probably have a block deal.

Ireland is very scenic – in the right wx

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Based traffic get better deals (€10 landings)

There was a big drive to become a GA hub about a year ago, then they rowed back on it within months….no idea why.

Sadly, one of the clubs had their a/c written-off in August, just after a complete re-spray and a huge repair job which involved land transport back from Wales.

EIMH, Ireland

Weston has certainly taken all the traffic which used to go to Dublin. I remember going there when the runway was the strip nearer the current terminal building. We were quite concerned about the runway length until we saw it in real life

Darley Moor, Gamston (UK)

According to reports, Dublin was extremely cheap for GA (several € only) for years, until they suddenly decided to evict it.

Weston’s main traffic limiting thing, well apart from the cost which is OK only for occassional trips, is the near-useless IAP. It means that – given the prevailing wx – a lot of the time nobody can land there. But I would expect bizjets being happy to land at Dublin; cost is almost irrelevant.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I have never been to Dublin, this city is still on my wish to do list. The landing fee, ok, I could live with it for one visit.
But parking fee is more expensive than Munich EDDM (8 Euro), I guess this is the reason for the empty apron.

Berlin, Germany

Weston landing fees are discriminatory!
It’s €10 for based aircraft.
€20 for domestic visitors
€40 for international visitors.

Why they charge more for international traffic, I don’t know.

Parking is also available on the grass. I don’t know if that would have been cheaper. It’s certainly cheaper for based aircraft.

EIWT Weston, Ireland
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