Flying experience in Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine

[LH2]

Hi there,

I'm planning a flight for sometime in the next couple of weeks and I would be interested to hear of anyone with flying experience on any of the aforementioned countries.

I have experience up to the Adriatic coast, but planning to go further East this time, hence my request.

Also welcome would be recent pointers about Montenegro and Pristina, if anyone has landed there in a private flight.

Any information would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[vanHorck]

IFR flying in Romania is not an issue, all as per normal

VFR is a different matter. Unless you fly a Rom registered plane, you need prior approval of the military for flights within Romania.

The way to do this is to contact the romanian CAA who liaise with the military. They are based in Bucharest right next to Baneasa airport (the downtown airport).

The CAA will want to see copies of your CofA as well as your insurance. If this checks out they will get you a clearance within 48 hours plus details of your flight routing. This is alongside a VFR flight plan , not instead of it!

The airport of Tuzla on the coast is privately owned by Dorin Ivascu who is also MD of Baneasa airport. He was most helpfull with both the Rom CAA and is trying to get GA off the ground in Romania

there is also a small AOPA membership in Romania

Check with the airfields you go to about AVGAS. When i left Rom end of last year there was avgas at Baneasa and Tuzla as well as some others but not always!

Baneasa is also the ase of the Romanian Flight Academy who own and maintain 2 PA 34-V as well as some Cessna's, so they would be your emergency repair centre

Why not fly to Iasi, no more than 6 miles away from Moldovia (no Avgas but good runway), a beautifull city with many historic buildings.

PM me if you need maps (VFR) and phone numbers of people

[IO540]

Last year I planned a trip from Crete (LGSA; 5 days PPR!) to Odessa (UKOO) with a stop at Constanta (LRCK) in Romania for avgas, and then onto Kosice in Slovakia (avgas no problem at all).

Constanta seemed like a well organised GA airport, with avgas and Customs.

I think I have some contact details if you need them.

This was all IFR, no VFR and I never knew VFR was a problem.

That part of the trip (I got to Crete OK) was scrapped due to an intractable Eurocontrol routing problem, and due to the 5 day PPR at LGSA I had to leave the island for "somewhere" on the day.

[middles]

Flew into Tivat,Montenegro and also Tirane,Albania last summer in a PA28 Dakota.Both expensive.Tivat was just for a pilot change so the stay was about 45mins.The bill,including the mandatary handling charge, was about 90 Euros.
Tirane was a night stop resulting in the most detailed landing/parking bill I have ever come across!
Landing charge/parking charge/security charge/ATC charge(we were VFR?)MET briefing charge/ground handling charge etc etc etc.
Result---200+Euros.
Which would probably explain the lack of visiting GA in Albania.
However,the city was an interesting visit.

[vanHorck]

the reason for the limitations in Romania is in part due to the lack of official up to date VFR maps

The limitations can be found here
Cerinte AOA (http://www.caa.ro/en/Authorisations/Cerinte%20SURVOL.htm)

I had my Seneca based at Baneasa for a year. VFR are often limited to below 1000 ft, especially around Bucharest.

Constanta is indeed well kept with friendly staff.
Arad can be a point of entry with often Avgas (although i always flew direct to Baneasa) , but check before you start.

[IO540]

Tirana LATI is run by a UK airport management company, so give it another year and they will kill the place :)

I went there in 2006 on a trip down to Corfu. A very interesting place, but wouldn't go there too often - Euro 240 for a landing and 2 nights' parking.

[LH2]

Thanks a lot for the replies. I guess I'll have to go out and see if I can find an IFR-approved ride that I can use--seems like it's going to be a lot less hassle that way :ok:

[vanHorck]

Believe me, if you can get your IR or an IFR rated pilot to fly with you, lower airways flying is the way to go!

just above most weather, safe, easy and relaxed and at the same time a most enjoyable challenge!

[LH2]

lower airways flying is the way to go

Yep, I think that's what I'm going to aim for. I am instrument rated (JAA) btw, it's my chosen spamcan which is not approved for IFR, so I'll have to find something else.