Flying to Germany! =-s

[Oliver Wareham]

A friend of mine would very much like to do a flight to his second house in northern Germany in a SEP. Therefore he plans to cross the Channel Dover to Calais then follow the coast up. I think France and Germany should be pretty straight forward, however he will be flying through the Netherlands and more importantly fairly close to Amsterdam.
He has no mode S Transponder and I said I would try to find someone with experience flying in this part of the world, but to no avail as yet! Therefore I am simply trying to find someone who has some experience with flying in France, Germany and more critically Netherlands in the Amsterdam region who could give some advice and guidance...........to save embarrassment =-)

Thank you.

[172driver]

Suggest you check out the current requirements for France and Germany also. France now requires a 406 ELT (and Mode-S for IFR), I think - but check, I'm not sure - that Germany is also on the way to switching to Mode-S. AFAIK not a requirement yet, but about to change.

As for A'dam, I'm pretty sure BackPacker and/or VanHorck will be along any second....

[BackPacker]

Flying through the Netherlands without mode-S is still possible, but becomes a fairly difficult bit of flight planning. You need to stay out of the TMZs and stay fairly low (1200' or below) in other areas.

Start with the AIP, available here: AIS Netherlands (http://www.ais-netherlands.nl/) Check out GEN 1.5, para 4.1 and ENR 1.6, para 2.

There are two AICs relevant as well:

Aeronautical Information Circular Series NETHERLANDS A 07/08 (http://www.ais-netherlands.nl/aim/080522-080703/eAIP/html/eAIC/EH-eAIC-08-07-A-en-GB.html)
Aeronautical Information Circular Series NETHERLANDS 01/09 (http://www.ais-netherlands.nl/aim/090521-090702/eAIP/html/eAIC/EH-eAIC-09-01-A-en-GB.html)

And yes, if it looks like the AICs and the AIP contradict each other on some minor points, that seems to be right and I don't know why, and which document takes priority.

Furthermore, currently in force (introduced by NOTAM a while ago) are the SRZ Schiphol, SRZ Lelystad and SRZ Hilversum, where you must put your transponder on standby. This to avoid radar clutter and spurious TCAS RAs. This situation is supposed to be temporary but nobody knows when this will end.

http://www.lvnl-ohd.nl/maps/BVG/Schiphol%20SRZ%20poster%20SUP0509_V3.pdf

Okay, that's the official rules covered. Practically speaking, what I would do is call the Operation Helpdesk of the LVNL (the Dutch NATS), tell them your route and see what they think. Homepage - OPS help desk LVNL (http://www.lvnl-ohd.nl/).

Furthermore, during the flight stay in touch with Amsterdam info 124.3 or Dutch Mil info 132.35. If you do anything wrong, transponder-wise, they will inform you.

The other item you might want to check out is whether for your intended flight an ELT or PLB is required.

As for A'dam, I'm pretty sure BackPacker and/or VanHorck will be along any second....

Finding the proper links took a while... :)

[Bottlehead]

For what its worth, I keep a D reg Rheims Rocket here in EGSN, Go back to EDLN every year for annual.

So route via Southend Ramsgate to Konan (intersect point of 3 boundries) the FIR boundry to Brussels FIR to Kokside EBFN (talk to Ostende Approach 120.6) then decend to 2000' to Ursel EBUL (talk to Brussels info 126.9 and request transit EBUL) to route between Antwerp and Brussels at 1200' over Mechelen (Heliport EBMW)as a marker to BUN vor then request from Dutch Milatery for climb to 2500' on up past the north eastern side of Kleine-Brogel zone round the top of EHBD Budel zone on into Germany switching to Lagen Radar 128.5)

This is only my normal routing but I do not say in a definitive sense (legalese. Only a serving suggestion)

[Brooklands]

Oliver,

I think that, as others have said, you're OK in Holland without mode S if you stay below 1200'. There's anectodal evidence on various fora that ATC may, on request, allow you above this altitude even if you only have mode c. Thge bigger problem with Holland is that it appears the Dutch require you to have a fixed ELT. A PLB is apparantly not an acceptable substitute.

In Germany if you stay below 5000' then you don't need mode s

[Bottlehead]

I think that, as others have said, you're OK in Holland without mode S if you stay below 1200'. There's anectodal evidence on various fora that ATC may, on request, allow you above this altitude even if you only have mode c. Thge bigger problem with Holland is that it appears the Dutch require you to have a fixed ELT. A PLB is apparantly not an acceptable substitute.

In Germany if you stay below 5000' then you don't need mode s


Having just come back from EDLN on monday, The Avionics people advised me under EASA that ELT will be manditory from 2010 and so is also mode 'S'. Their only comment was Canada already manditory with ballons and other ultralites and gliders exempted. They have been fitting several a month and will fit mine next annual.

The Dutch don't appear to be able to read mode 'S' as they always give me a squawk number or let me continue with a squawk asigned by Brussel info or Langen. As I have said before apart from the Antwerp/Brussels corridor have when I request altitude climb obliged.

Even the French or should I say Calais LFAC have not refused me for not having an ELT. As EASA mandate appears to be 2010.

After all, we are supposed to be JAA EASA for the whole of Europe? Meaning we are all supposed to sing from the same sheet!

[BackPacker]

The Dutch don't appear to be able to read mode 'S' as they always give me a squawk number or let me continue with a squawk asigned by Brussel info or Langen.

Dangerous statement. Mode-S coverage is 100% in the Netherlands.

A squawk is not just for identifying you on the controllers screen of the unit you are talking to. It's also for letting others know who controls you, or not.

In any case, you'll find that if you stay outside controlled airspace, you'll be requested to squawk 7000 in any case. Only if you transit controlled airspace, you might be asked to squawk a discrete code, but that depends on the mood of the controller.

[Bottlehead]

Dangerous statement. Mode-S coverage is 100% in the Netherlands.

Then, why ask for call sign if they should read my mode S giving them this
information?


A squawk is not just for identifying you on the controllers screen of the unit you are talking to. It's also for letting others know who controls you, or not.

Sometimes they do give me a squawk, and request I press ident, sometimes not.


In any case, you'll find that if you stay outside controlled airspace, you'll be requested to squawk 7000 in any case. Only if you transit controlled airspace, you might be asked to squawk a discrete code, but that depends on the mood of the controller.

Yes, the mood of the controler! sometimes helpfull, other times quite sharp sounding. Like handing me over to Langen 20 nm before border, other times I have to initiate request. Even asked to change to Antwerp Approach, who have let me by their zone at 2500' and been very nice about it.

I have heard Ostende Approach give another aircraft a very hard time just before entering zone at 10 NM.

Life has its ups and downs. I just get on with it. I am far from perfect but enjoy a challenge.

On another matter, Some airfields in the Netherlands are fussy about Noise Certificates, otherwise, they charge dearly for the landing. EHBD is very good and friendly.

[BackPacker]

Well, I'm not going to defend the actions and moods of Dutch ATC controllers here. I generally find them very accommodating, provided that you come across over the radio as someone who knows what he's doing and knows what he wants. (And yes, I have flown straight through the Schiphol CTR on a number of occasions, routing and orbiting exactly where I wanted to.)

I'm just saying that if you conclude that the Dutch ATC doesn't have/use mode-S simply because they, on occasion, give you a discrete squawk, you're wrong.

And there's something else that I learned from discussions elsewhere. A mode-S data block on the controllers screen occupies a lot of screen real estate. Callsign, squawk, level and some other bits and pieces lead to a lot of clutter. Apparently one of the filters that a controller can apply is a filter that reduces the data block for each 7000 squawk into the pre-mode-S squawk and FL only. Maybe that's the reason for asking you to ident. Or it's just old habits dying hard, who knows.

Like handing me over to Langen 20 nm before border, other times I have to initiate request.

Well, legally speaking whether they should hand you over or not depends on the level of service you requested. If it's an ICAO Flight Information Service (like Basic Service in the UK), you cannot expect them to have radar and you cannot expect handovers. So it's up to you to announce that you're leaving the frequency, usually combined with a position report ("approaching the FIR boundary north of Nijmegen, two thousand, switching to Langen"). If the controller is not that busy and has radar, sees that there's not more relevant traffic for you and decides to arrange a handover to Langen, well, lucky you.

That's the fun about flying VFR in controlled airspace - roll with the punches.

Some airfields in the Netherlands are fussy about Noise Certificates, otherwise, they charge dearly for the landing.

They have to. It's in their planning permission ("gebruiksvergunning").

[Sam Rutherford]

I would like to stress Backpackers first bit of advice - pick up the phone and talk to them! This is a 'problem' they solve many time every single day. I rang them up, told them what I wanted to do (transit Germany-Belgium) and they told me what they would prefer I did. Everybody happy, very easy...

Safe flights, Sam.