Question from a non-French pilot

[scanavos]

Which is the best way to fly VFR a C172 thru France in mid November?. The plane must fly from Stansted to Brindisi. Most of the flight will be in France and am not familiar with the European VFR.
I'd appreciate any info...

[CirrusF]

Northern France is flat and routing just depends on the weather - but probably easier to stay east of Paris. Then just fly down the Rhone valley until Martigny VOR, turn left to Cannes. From Cannes take the VFR route to Corsica, then cross to Rome and down to Brindisi.

[LSGG]

I have no knowledge about a VOR in Martigny.

Perhaps you meant MOT (montana) or FRI (Fribourg) or GVA (Geneva) ???

[Manflex55]

I have no knowledge about a VOR in Martigny. Et pour cause: il n'y en a pas. En revanche si on suit les indications du monsieur (c'est-à-dire cap au Sud le long du Rhône), on arrive au VOR de Montélimar (MTL 113.65) et de là on peut effectivement "tourner à gauche" et suivre le radial 116 jusqu'au VOR de Nice (NIZ, 112.4).

[mr.cyclopede]

I also agree with the Vallée du Rhône option.

Just keep in mind a second way, west of Paris heading south west of Massif central mountains , in case of strong wings under Lyon that will make you feel the rest of the flight very long with severe turbulences.

Biggest tricky weather areas
Perche: around 100NM west of Paris, south of Normandy region - Very small but sizeable relief that are quickly embedded in every western front

Morvan: Moutains chain around Burgundy: beetween Auxerres and Dijon in the North and joining the Massif Central ( Volcanos chain) in the south. These mount are smaller than massif central, but like Perche quickly blocked in western depressed regime.

Valleys of Rhône (beetween Lyon and Marseille) and Canal du Midi (beetween Toulouse and Beziers) are real venturis, with Mistral and vent d'autan strong and turbulent winds. Theses regimes are oftenly established for several days.

So roughly 2 Options for me:
East : should look like Amiens-Troyes-Dijon-Lyon-Marseille-Cannes-Corsica
West: Rouen-Chartres-Limoges-Toulouse-Beziers-Marseilles-Cannes-Corsica

The second one is longer, but can be usefull in Vs in case of strong southern wind in the Rhône valley. with a C172, it should be taking a long time...

In this season, you can find above the Loire valley the same depressed western weather than in England, so no big issues as the relief can be circled or by-passed. The most delicate situation will be if there is a depression on Golfe de Lyon, in mediterrannea, that generates very active pertubabations wich can block all the South East of France (actually the present situation wich is giving strong inundations in the east center).

[CirrusF]

Sorry I meant Montelimar VOR! After MTL you can turn left to LUC VOR or MUS NDB, then Cannes. Beware that from MTL there are few diversions until you get to Le Luc, and the terrain does not offer many forced landing possibilities.

[Manflex55]

Sorry I meant Montelimar VORAh, j'avais raison. Je gagne quoi? http://getmesmileys.com/smilies/happy0064.gif