Skiathos and other Sporades islands, Greece

[Kyprianos Biris]

Last week I had a chance to fly over the Sporades complex of islands in Northwest Aegean sea of Greece.
http://www.greeceguide.gr/regions/SP011.gif

I've flown many times there but never took any decent pictures from them in the past.

Here's the album for you to check out:
Gallery :: Skiathos LGSK (http://hellasga.com/gallery/v/kyp/lgsk)

http://hellasga.com/gallery/albums/skiathos_airport/Dsc01865s.sized.jpg

http://hellasga.com/gallery/albums/sporades/Dsc01806s.sized.jpg

I still do not have pictures from Skopelos and Skyros islands; they will be added in the future.

[IO540]

Fantastic pics Kyp - thank you for posting them.

But, just one little Q, don't all those boats in the water affect the ILS?

;)

[Kyprianos Biris]

No they don't :) ILS is a three letter word known only by the 3 major airports in Greece; Athens, Thessaloniki and Rhodes :}

[CDH]

Hi Kyp
I was in Skiathos last week too, but unfortunately as SLF.
I did see a blue/white TB20 (or similar) do several approaches into JSI, was it you?
I'd love to do the trip in my AC11 but it's beyond SWMBO's endurance/tolerance range :rolleyes:

ps for info, the last beach pic on your website is "Diamandi" beach.
http://hellasga.com/gallery/skiathos_hotels/DSC01462s
We took a boat out one day & spent a couple of hours there :ok:

[IO540]

Greece is the most fantastic place for flying - all those islands and decent distances, and usually great VFR conditions.

The airports don't make it easy, with poor opening hours, avgas, Customs etc provision. Let's hope this changes.

They had the AOPA world conference there a few weeks ago. I think Phil Boyer was amazed at how (relatively to the USA) few pilots were around.

I was going to fly down there in the TB20 (to Mikonos, 1 fuel stop in Split LDSP) but had to cancel (and take an airline) due to huge areas of IMC to FL250+ with embedded CBs everywhere, all over the Alps and Yugoslavia. Looking at the sferics data, the stormscope would have been lit up like an xmas tree.

Might still pop down later in the year.

[Kyprianos Biris]

CDH
The blue-white TB20 was me
Gallery :: Socata TB20 Trinidad SX-ATK (http://hellasga.com/gallery/v/kyp/sxatk)
but did not do several approaches
We flew 3~4 flights in a 5 days period if that's what you mean and if you saw it flying low(ish) around the island it was the flight where the pic's you saw were taken. I took the Tower controller up for a spin (not actual spin!).
Copied on Diamanti.

IO540
If you come later in the year, you'll enjoy it more.

Speaking of avgas & operations hours.
The week I was in Skiathos I had to come back to Athens for a funeral on a day return. Avgas this time was not issue even though Skiathos does not have because the TB20 holds plenty.
That day Skiathos was closed from 1700 till 2130L
Our base (VFR only) airport in Athens was closing at 1900 (2000 on weekends)
VFR aviation day was ending 2120L
So I went to Athens international LGAV for the day in order to be able to return night/IFR to Skiathos.
Had to kill a couple of hours in the airport waiting to catch up with Skiatho's schedule, and paid some 200 Euro's just to get in and out of this airport.
Excellent experience but expensive.:\

On ILS 03L with a 737 vacating ahead of me and another one on min. appr. speed 8 miles behind me.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a380/oal269/lgav/Dsc01762s.jpg

Final 03L
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a380/oal269/lgav/Dsc01766s.jpg

On the GA apron I was the smallest one actually.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a380/oal269/lgav/Dsc01774s.jpg

Departing behind a 737
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a380/oal269/lgav/Dsc01780s.jpg

Ohh and for Mikonos I called today to preannounce my flying intentions for mid and end August :} , Greece's most GA demanded apron space ...

[A and C]

Skiathos is without doubt my favorate Greek airfield, almost always a visual approach hand flown from about 10,000 ft.

[IO540]

September ................... !!

I still plan to do Corfu in one leg from the UK. 1100nm. Might have to cheat though and start from Lydd ;)

[CDH]

Kyp said "The blue-white TB20 was me,but did not do several approaches
We flew 3~4 flights in a 5 days period if that's what you mean and if you saw it flying low(ish) around the island it was the flight where the pic's you saw were taken. "

Third pic- thats the one.
We were staying Achladies & couldn't see the airport/runway.
Saw you flying towards the airport as though on approach & then away on a downwind leg, assumed you'd done a touch & go.

Nice pics :ok:

[stue]

Skiathos is without doubt my favorate Greek airfield

Seconded!:ok:

Going in there in a 737, now that’s fun! Unfortunately in my company it’s a captains only landing, still good fun as the FO though! AP comes out at 20,000ft, flight directors come off at 10, 000ft, enter the downwind leg, turn finals over the island on the centre line at about 850ft, such good fun. Id love to fly round there in a GA aircraft, that would be cool!

Samos, now that’s fun…………:E

[CDH]

Group fly-in next year???
Pprune does the Aegean???

Oh I wish.

[scooter boy]

Great pics Kyprianos.
I plan to fly my Mooney to Skiathos and base it there between 12-20th August this year.
Do they have avgas/customs?

IO, I was considering doing the trip IFR as follows:

Plymouth-Jersey (cheap fuel)
Jersey-Losinj (cheap Fuel)
Losinj-Skiathos (may not need to refuel in Skiathos if it is pricey)
Skiathos-Losinj (cheap fuel)
Losinj-Jersey (cheap fuel)
Jersey-Plymouth

I have approx 2000nm range with the Monroy tanks at economy cruise.

Anyone been to Losinj recently?

Thanks for info,
SB

[IO540]

SB

I too would route via Losinj. Went there last year, avgas 50p/litre. The island is very nice. Next time I was going to go via Split - just for a change. Losinj also has early closing, about 2pm, and last time I had to re-plan to Trieste due to a Eurocontrol slot delaying me by an hour. Bad decision since that slot nearly vanished by the original EOBT!

I haven't got quite your range :) About 1100nm to zero fuel. So Split back to the UK, against the wind usually, would perhaps need 1 fuel stop. Pula back to UK is easier while still benefitting from cheap fuel.

Not many Greek airports have Customs, never mind avgas as well. I would always consult Kyp on the latest.

[Cusco]

I flew into Skiathos on Thomson (IIRC) flight in an Airbus.

Much juddering of brakes on the last bit of the (high speed) landing run: I was staggered to see we had actually halted on the turning circle at the very end of the runway to backtrack for the terminal.

On the way home we had to stop off after about 30 mins flight at a Greek airfield for fuel:

Apparently perf figures won't allow for take-off with full pax load and sufficient fuel for trip back.

No wonder it's a 'Captains only' landing: a bit like Madeira.

Cusco:rolleyes:

[fireflybob]

Flew into Skiathos many times in B737-200 and -300 and it was always very straightforward - ok the runway is relatively short but is quite adequate so long as you are in compliance with performance A and you fly the a/c correctly!

Madeira is however quite different - potential windshear and curved approach to the north easterly runway. Ok yes I know they have extended the runway which helps. Have flown the B 737-200 in there when the runway was circa 4,500 ft before the first extension and I can tell you that was fun!

But yes i agree flying to the Greek Islands especially when the weather is gin clear is fun in any a/c. Been a while since I have been down to that part of the world but in the early 1980s it was quite common to be held high on descent as ATC was all procedural. My record was FL 270 overhead Rhodes and cleared for approach - Gear Down plus Speedbrake one orbit and then the umbrella approach (all the way to flaps 40) in the B 737-200 and you could descend 1,000 ft for one (yes thats ONE) nautical mile. That sort of flying teaches you a lot about your a/c and how to manage the approach. It's more common these days for people to look at you sideways if you mention the idea of doing a visual approach!

Fly Safe and enjoy Greece!

PS If you want another interesting one try Mykonos - we had to land there with enough fuel to get back to Athens as there was no high pressure refuelling there in those days! The runway was about 4,500 ft so you wanted the weight as low as possible for landing performance but needed to get in with about 5 tons to make it to Athens - my sort of operation, what flying is all about!

[Kyprianos Biris]

scooter boy there is no avgas there but in another private field 20 flying minutes south.

Customs can be arranged with prior notice but will have to check this and get back to you.

I'll reply to your PM.

IO540 Greece will once again be waiting for you :O

To our airliners friends, some more pic's :
Mikonos : Gallery :: Mikonos LGMK (http://hellasga.com/gallery/v/kyp/lgmk)
Samos : Gallery :: Samos LGSM, Greece's most dangerous airport (http://hellasga.com/gallery/v/kyp/lgsm)
Certainly stick n'rudder stuff :ok:

[Kyprianos Biris]

Scooter Boy and dad at Ikaros field, south of Skiathos, where we met yesterday for a $100 coffee :)

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a380/oal269/misc/Dsc00424s.jpg

[fireflybob]

Kyprianos Biris, the links don't appear to be working.

[Kyprianos Biris]

Indeed, apologies, the gallery was moved to another server recently; I updated them.