David,
Originally Posted by QDMQDMQDM
Couple more questions if I may. I now have the Jepp maps and the avioportolano charts and book. Boy, Italy is mountainous! And those mountains rise straight out of the sea in many places.
yes, we call them islands over here...
1. What is a good small customs airfield in Northern Italy if I come down through the Alps via Domodossola? Or alternatively one if I take the coastal route via Monaco.
if you fly a General Aviation plane within the Schengen area, you don't need to fly to customs airfield any longer. I trust that you will enter the Schengen area somewhere in France, but after that no customs check are needed.
2. Following the coasts South am I likely to get easy clearances through the many Class D airspaces I will have to cross? I am Mode C transponder equipped.
yes, mode C is all you need to cross Class C and D airspace. Try to stick to the published VFR routes if possible, but ATC is usually flexible, if there is little IFR traffic. And speak english slowly, sometimes out ATCs here can have issues with the language...
3. Is there a glossary of Italian aviation terms somewhere online: 'downwind', 'final' etc etc
hmmm... found something but it does only have aircraft-related terms, not ATC/ATS terms:
http://www.ulm.it/info/glossario/
If you need more, shoot some terms here and we'll try to help!
4. What is July visibility in Italy, esp Southern, like? Does it tend to be clear or hazy?
depends on the winds, obviusly. Northwesterly winds bring clear days, southwesterly winds carry moisture and thus visibility is normally poor. Overall the biggest issues you might have with the weather are thunderstorms, really.
Thanks a lot,
David
cheers, Luca