Hey Whirlie: want a laugh? This is what happened when I planned a trip to Russia:
Ref your flight to UMKK with Cessna 150.
Please be informed that according to Russian rules navigator escort is requierd for VFR flights. Navagator offices are located in Moscow and St.Petersburg only. So flight should land in Moscow or St.Petersburg to pick up the navigator or the navigator will wait for you at Gdansk.
Prices for the navigator svcs are the following (according to Russian
AIP):
- salary - $180 per day
- allowance - $65 per day
- hotel accom - $120 per day
- ticket (1st class) from navigator office to starting point of
escorting
- ticket (1st class) from ending point of escorting to the navigator
office.
Prices at UMKK are the following:
1) AIRNAVIGATION FEES - 3.9 USD PER MT OF MTOW
2) LANDINGS FEE - 9.1 USD PER MT OF MTOW
3) PARKING - 20 PER CENT OF LANDING FEE PER 24 HRS
4) SECURITY - 0.9 USD PER TON OF MTOW
5) PAX TAX - 5.1 USD PER TAX
6) G.HANDLING FOR ACFT WITH MTOW:
- UP TO 10 TONS - 50 USD
7) CLEANING FOR ACFT WITH MTOW:
- UP TO 25 TONS - 10 USD
8) GPU - 1 USD PER MINUTE
9) ASU - 30 USD
-----------------------------
HOTEL, ****, DAILY RATE - 70-113 USD INCL VAT AND BREAKFAST"
Since this suggested you could fly to St. Pete's or Moscow without the navigator, I questioned this apparent anomaly. Needless to say this isn't allowed VFR either. So you'd need to fly IFR to Moscow to pick him up to fly VFR to destination!
I declined the invitation, obviously. Will it ever change there?
Now aren't you glad you've got Nathalie sorting it all out for you?