First time flying abroad Help!

[pycroft]

Hi everyone.

I passed my PPL last year and have access to a PA28 based at Breighton, Yorkshire. A friend has asked if I can fly him to Ostend Airport, Belgium. I have contacted the airport who were very helpful indeed and seem to want GA traffic (makes a change from some UK airports). The plan at the moment is to go on Monday (using the weekend for planning)

Can anyone recommend routings for this trip. I am not too confident with regard to filing a flight plan (what to put on it, where to send it etc) are their any good websites out there that help with this. Are there any special rules that I need to be aware of? I will be faxing my local force with the GAR form.

Any help will be gratefully received.


Thanks

[Zulu Alpha]

You can fly direct if you are happy with 75nm across water.
Otherwise I suggest flying Wickenby, Fenland, Earls Colne, Southend, Dover Calais and then up the coast to Ostende. This is ~50nm further but only 20nm over water.

Most of the route I have suggested is uncontrolled. I generally prefer to route from one airfield to another. Then if the weather turns bad you only have a short retracing of your route.

Many airfields will do all the GAR and flight plan filing for you for a small fee I'm sure Sherburn will do it, and even if you want to do it yourself, I would suggest giving them a call. You could always use Earles Colne or somewhere else en route. Southend can do it but they charge a lot.
If you decide where you'd like to stop then give them a call. Generally they need at least 24 hrs notice and the names and passport numbers.

Also stopping somewhere down south will mean you can refuel and then not have to pay the much higher price for Avgas in Ostende.

Its a nice easy flight. about 200nm direct or 250nm via Dover.

[pycroft]

Thank you for this

[Whiskey Kilo Wanderer]

If you are uncomfortable with the direct routing (say via Fenland to avoid the ranges in the Wash), you could route via Headcorn. They are experts at flight plans and the routing from Headcorn to Oostende is very simple. It also means that you only have to sit in your lifejacket / survival suit for less than an hour.

This site by Dave W might be of some help:
Going Foreign (http://www.atsx91.dsl.pipex.com/Going_Foreign.htm)

Safe Flying,
Richard W.

[140KIAS]

I did my first trip abroad (to Berlin) a couple of years ago and was very apprehensive. My advice would be to go for it, its no where near as difficult as you might think. We likened it to having a red carpet rolled out in front of us.

We started further north than Breighton and we went further into Europe, however our route was very similar to that suggested by Zulu Alpha - in fact we flew directly OH Ostende after an overnight stop in Calais.

My suggested route would be Breighton - Wickenby - Conningsby - Mildenhall - Earls Colne - Southend - DVR -KOK - Ostende.

If you want to stop for GAR and fuel before crossing FIR boundary Lydd or Headcorn are good choices.

If you want to minimise time over the Channel you could route DVR to Calais. Just be sure to route around the Gravelines prohibited area to the east of Calais.

Our biggest challenge of the whole trip was coasting in at Calais where we were told to report at Papa Charlie. We were still using the UK Southern Chart at that point and could find no reference to PC. However we eventually managed to get Calais ATC to explain that PC was Port de Calais - which just happened to be where we were orbitting whilst frantically trying to dig the French charts out from the back of the aircraft.

The second challenge was who to talk to enroute from Calais to Berlin. We had bought Jeppensen 1;500,000 charts are we were struggling until we realised that each section of airspace had a reference number printed beside it, and there was a table on the back listed the agencies and frequencies.

If I was doing it again I would use Skydemon for the planning. This will give you a list of all the frequencies as part of its PLOG. Drop me a PM with your email details and I can email you a PDF copy of the Skydemon plog.

[Sir Niall Dementia]

A serious note of caution. A friend wants you to fly him to Ostend. Is he going for business or pleasure? How vital is it he gets there? You are rightly cautious about the trip and have started asking good questions. If on the day you are not happy due to the weather or the aircraft is he going to start pressuring you to go no matter what? I earn my living as a corporate helicopter/aeroplane pilot and believe me when you tell a customer its a no go the pressure really can come on, I'm lucky I have a P2, ops department and company backing up my decisions.

Also are you sharing costs, or is he paying the full whack? If the latter then you will probably find you are not insured, and the flight is illegal anyway.

A first trip like this is best done in your own time with no pressure from anyone else, believe me,if things start going wrong the extra pressure from a passenger ignorant of your workload is horrendous. Make him fully aware from now that in the event of the weather or anything else being a bust then you won't be going.

Other than that Ostend is a lovely place and a favourite nightstop amongst our pilots and cabin crew.

SND

[Pace]

Pycroft

You have had some excellent advice and info in this thread. I would echo what Sir Niall Demented cautions you about.

It is rare on any long trip in this part of the world to get consistant CAVOK all the way. I presume you have little or no instrument training other than the appreciation bit you got in the PPL.

I have flown trips where it has been beautiful weather only to find thick fog lying over the channel infact I took some unusual pictures of ships funnels carving a line in the fog tops ;)

Route close to airfields and dont be afraid to divert if your not happy.
As Sir Niall said dont allow yourself to be put under any pressure and explain this to your passenger.

Having said all that I remember being in your boat many moons ago when I too flew my first solo into Europe.

I had relied on the watchful eye of an experienced friend pilot for previous trips until this one day the two Pax turned up to be followed by a phone call from the friend to say he had crashed his car on the way to the airport.

The two PAX where keen to go leaving me on my own with a lot of trepidation. it was the best thing I did :D

So have fun but do watch the weather and if at all doubtful dont go.

Pace

[neilgeddes]

Ostend is a great airport to fly into, with friendly English speaking staff. Big, wide runway too. I think they charge you a per passenger fee as well as to land but it's not too much. Yes, do watch out for coastal fog and low cloud. Phone ahead for the weather. Enjoy!

PS. Take a PLB in case you pass through French airspace.

[hatzflyer]

If flying up the coast from Calais to Ostend beware of the power station at Dunkirk. You need to be 3500ft or 6 miles iether side .The French WILL procecute if you overfly .:ok:

[Whopity]

A friend has asked if I can fly him to Ostend Airport, Belgium.And ensure you know what is in his bag (http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/383451-top-pilot-accused-500k-cocaine-drug-smuggling.html) on the return journey!

[rocco16]

As wellas the coastal fog mentioned by others, flying over water can make it hard to see the horizon even on a clear sunny day.

Oh and don't forget about drawback, I believe the site referred to has details but make sure you have the up to date rate.

[neilgeddes]

Oh and don't forget about drawback


HM Revenue & Customs (http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageExcise_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000203&propertyType=document)

HM Revenue & Customs (http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageExcise_Forms&propertyType=document&id=HMCE_PROD1_030247)

[1800ed]

I flew to Kortrijk several weeks ago. I routed around the northern edge of London and coasted out at DVR direct to LFAC. While en-route I asked to go direct to EBKT as there is a bit of airspace in the way.

I went to Oostend the week after as a passenger, though we went direct to EBOS from DVR. You could go via LFAC though, depending on your preferences when flying over water.

[pycroft]

Hi

just wanted to say a huge thank you for the posts. Whilst I am still a little nervous over the flight, I am at the same time looking forward to it.

I have told my passenger that it is subject to weather and will be my decision if we go.


Thanks again

[1800ed]

Good luck with it, I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

[Zulu Alpha]

Don't forget to let us know how you get on.

ZA

[liam548]

good luck with this, all credit to you. I'm fretting about flying to places here in the UK never mind abroad yet! Probably shouldnt be to be honest, its no different to any flight really is it, just a little longer I suppose.

Let us know how you get on.