Flying in Italy

[QDMQDMQDM]

This often gets a bad press -- obstreperous officials, difficult ATC, high charges etc. I am thinking of taking the cub there. Are there small grass strips which are different and can I get by with staying outside controlled airspace and not talking to anybody unless absolutely unavoidable?

Cheers,

QDM

[172driver]

QDM, may I suggest you post this on the Italian forum ? I'm sure you'll get more answers there. It's been a few years a while for me, but there are quite a few small fields (not sure about the grass, though). Some beautiful flying around the lakes in the north :ok:

[Legalapproach]

I took a Pitts there a few years ago and had no problems at all. You will get a very friendly welcome from the local aviators and I did not find officialdom to be a problem. Have used various airfields from International airports (Florence and Bologna) to small private strips. Whereabouts are you planning to go?

[QDMQDMQDM]

That's very helpful, chaps, thanks a lot. I shall post on the Italian forum -- didn't think of it!

I have 10 days at the end of June / beginning of July and shall probably try and make it to the Italian Lakes. If all was going well I will try and head South. One day I want to go all the way to Sicily.

Any suggestions of good small places to go pretty much anywhere in Italy will be welcome.

Cheers,

QDM

[camlobe]

I flew a TB9 back from Brescia (Monti) via the 'chicken' route past Nice and up through France last August. I cannot complement Italian ATC services enough. The Met and Flight Planning people were also fantastic. And they speke betterr Englis than I does. Made the trip an easy starter and didn't make life difficult when the mode 'C' didn't work. Thank you Italy. Never did get the number of the girl at Milan ATC either. Damn.

Enjoy.

[172driver]

QDM,

there's even recent post of a chap in northern Italy on the 'Spare Seats' thread - he/she outta know :ok:

PS: sorry, can't quite figure out how to x-link to other threads here.....

[QDMQDMQDM]

Thanks, I have sent the Italian chap a PM.

QDM

[Justiciar]

Does anyone have any experience of or recommendations for, any airfields around Florence, for a weeks stay. Florence itself seems to be out, from what I can see from the web site.

[Bluebeard777]

Crossing Italy each way last year I visited Elba, Brindisi and Salerno. For GA-friendly rankings I would say 5/10, 2/10 (avoid!) and 7/10 respectively. While there are not many airfields shown on the Jeppesen charts, there do seem to be quite a few others that are not marked.
I would endorse the comments above about good quality ATC, and also helpful availability for discussion when my flight plan routing from Corfu was initially rejected.

If flying past Rome, stay east of it unless you like a long overwater crossing below 1500 ft.

The website www.luigiflyer.com, which had useful info, seems not to be working now.

[AfricanEagle]

Justiciar,

there are a couple of pleasent airfields just north of Florence. I'll get the details and pm them to you.

There is also Lucca that, while not exactly near Florence, is a nice little airport.

AE

[QDMQDMQDM]

Many thanks, everyone! Any more details of friendly small Italian strips much appreciated.

QDM

[Adrian N]

Try this link, which has microlight strips. I don't know the laws in Italy about landing Super Cubs on a microlight strip, but it may be of help / interest.
http://www.ulm.it/hangar/campi/default_en.htm

[QDMQDMQDM]

Thanks, Adrian, that link looks v useful. Doesn't seem to be such an unfriendly place after all. Maybe one just have to steer clear of acres of concrete!

[Mark 1]

I'd second steering clear of acres of concrete. Cuneo was very helpful and reasonably priced when I had cause to divert there last year. Pre-Schengen I'd used Genova and Torino-Casselle - both rather unhelpful and bureaucratic.
I went to a local home-built fly-in once at Biella-Cerione (between Torino and Milano), quite a friendly bunch there.
They've had national fly-ins at Carpi, Ferrara and Ozzano-Emilia in recent years (all Bologna area), and they all seemed reasonable venues.

[Adrian N]

For Torino, African Eagle recommended Torino Aeritalia to me - and it's very nice. It's almost in the town centre, is quiet and friendly, and serves excellent coffee. Casselle is definitely somewhere to avoid when Aeritalia is so close.

[5footface]

If you are looking for friendly, relaxed strips in Italy you could try Sassuolo airfield near Bologna. I kept a plane there for 3 years while working in Italy. There is also a nice GA airfield right next to the Ferrari test track of Mugello. This is 1/2hour drive from florence.

Just for reference, I found absolutely no difficulty in operating in Italy, but it did make things alot easier in Northern italy if you stay below 1000'AGL and don't talk to Milan control

[*Globex*]

Interesting thread, I've visited Italy for many years now and i would definately like to fly myself there for a change.

Looking at a jeppesen map, the airspace in the north does seem rather complicated, with a lot of class A starting at 1000ft agl?
Is milan control a pain for a vfr clearance? (I can't imagine that vfr flights there never go above 1000ft agl especially with this sort of topography)

There also seem to be (looking at that same jeppesen map) vfr sectors in the TMA's wich are class G?
Anyone with more info on this?

@Bluebeard777, You rate elba 5/10 on GA-friendly-ness. may I ask why?
I visited the airport when on holiday and it seemed like THE local fly out spot, on a sunday there were at least 50 light aircraft from all over italy on the field. With that sort of traffic I assumed they would be very GA- friendly

[AC-DC]

Elba is a GA friendly airfield just don't buy fuel there as the cost is sky high.
Milan airspace is very tight, a friend had a mid air last summer with a C-172, both aircraft landed less some pices of wing and vertical stab. and rudder. ATC is very good and all staff at all airfields/airports that I have visited were very helpfull.

[Woodenwonder]

Can't remember which GA magazine, but only last year a touring article made the point that Avgas was difficult to get (not to find) at Italian airfields. The writer described how he was allowed gas for "emergency use", which seemed a goodwill local arrangement. Something to do with supplies at the field being only for Italian registered aeroplanes, due to a tax rebate system.
Was the writer unlucky - or rude and given retribution? Can you easily buy Avags at small fiels - the kind of places a friend and I hope to visit in July in a Pipoer Vagabond (limited endurance) and a Sportavia Milan?

[AfricanEagle]

Big airports are busy, often you must check before and book parking space, lots of form filling can be required, handling fees can be expensive.

Smaller airports are much more easy going. Bear in mind that most Aeroclubs are closed on Mondays.

Avgas is available at big and small airports quite easily up north. A few airstrips also have fuel. Down south, after Rome, fuel is not so readily available. Salerno, Reggio Calabria, Catania, Brindisi always have availability, but the last two are big airports with all the connected hassles.

Lots of the minor airports where Aeroclubs operate can't sell fuel to third parties for tax/fiscal reasons (wish we could).

All flights in Italy require a flight plan unless:
a) you are operating exclusively in G space.
b) the aeroplane is equipped with an ELT (emergency locator transmitter). In this case you just go.

In TMA there are standard VFR routes (most 1000 agl) with VRPs.

ATC likes the following standard of communication:

Rome Info, G-ABCD, PA-28, Vfr with ELT on board, departed XXXX destination YYYY, currently x000 ft abeam zzzz, next reporting point kkkk, estimated at 00.00 hours.

Unofficial list of airports an airfields:
http://www.aeroclubmilano.it/manzlang/aeroporti.pdf
http://www.aeroclubmilano.it/manzlang/aviosuperfici.pdf

If during your flights in Italy you receive bad service or extra expensive charges at airports, please contact AOPA Italy (www.aopa.it) and let them know.

Details on flying in specific parts of Italy can be asked on the AOPA Italy forum.

Hope this helps.

AE

[QDMQDMQDM]

AE, does an EPIRB count as an ELT?

QDM