UK to Belgium in PA28?

[Airforcejunior]

Hey Guys,

Can anyone shed some light on the pros and cons of flying a PA28 to Belgium, Rough estimate on cost to rent the plane for a couple of days, additional details on flight plan and any other useful information or routes to fly any hely would be greatly appreciated.

AFJ

[BackPacker]

pros and cons of flying a PA28 to Belgium

pros and cons vs. what? Vs. driving? Vs. a C172? Vs. a commercial flight?

Rough estimate on cost to rent the plane for a couple of days

Do you have a pilots license? If so you'll probably have a rough idea already. If not, you'd better ask Ryanair or another low-cost carrier to take you.

additional details on flight plan and any other useful information or routes to fly

DCT DVR DCT KOK DCT will do just fine, unless you give us more info on where in the UK you're flying from, and where in Belgium you're going to.

[Airforcejunior]

Yes I have a PPL and I'm looking at flying from Blackbushe - Baisy-thy (It's a small grass strip) about 30 miles south of Brussels. Which route would you advise being as refuelling is not a requirement?

[Jan Olieslagers]

EBBY Baisy-Thy only accepts ultralights. On top of that it is very busy and NO radio is used. Then again, I don't believe 300-odd meters is really sufficient for a PA-28, but I don't know your piloting skills.

http://www.fed-ulm.be/gegevens/prak/ulip/pdf/EBBY.nl.pdf

Do not forget, your splendid isolation kept you outside the Schengen club so you need to call at a customs A/D first. LFAC Calais-Duinkerke is often used for this, otherwise you'd have to use one of the few in Belgium: EBOS, EBAW, EBCI. EBBR is an option too but the landing fee is said to be horrible.

[Airforcejunior]

So you don't think it's a good idea flying into Baisy-Thy in a PA28? I have a 150 hours and a night rating, do you know any other airports in the vicinity of Waterloo in Belgium? I just cannot afford the landing fees/ramp fees at Brussels or Charleroi. Also what route would you take and would you be able to establish radar contact?

Many thanks
AFJ

[Jan Olieslagers]

Landing a PA28 at Baisy-Thy is illegal - and might land you in some fun with the a/d operators, on top. And again, I really can't imagine a PA28 can be safely operated on a 300-odd meters runway; but then, I am only a newbie microlight pilot.

There's not many alternatives: there are several other ultralight terrains about, EBBZ, EBLN, EBAV are not too far, but just like EBBY they have neither the required runway length nor the authorisation for a PA28.

Your best options might be Grimbergen EBGB, just to the North-West of Brussels, or EBNM Namur. Both are very nice club aerodromes. Namur is busy with gliders and paradrop, and do most of their radio in French. Grimbergen OTOH is plagued by nimby's worse than any other a/d, so their procedures are VERY strict and you really MUST respect them.

Also see my remarks about clearing customs - I think our messages crossed each other. You will have to pass by a more or less expensive a/d anyway!

As for radar coverage: controlled airspace is closed to me, so I can only speak for Brussels Information @ 126.900 MHZ, who are in charge of uncontrolled Belgian airspace. This is a great crew, who will cheerfully inform you of other traffic at your altitude, activate flight plans or even file them if you pretend to have forgotten, get you cleared for going higher up &C. The frequency tends to get busy on sunny weekends, though.

[Cusco]

Troll........

[geertvds]

if you prefer to land a P28A on a 300 meters strip instead of paying the 20€ landing fees of Charleroi, maybe you should reconsider your flight...

[Jan Olieslagers]

Whether you were right or not, you do seem to have scared him off...

[nomorecatering]

I have 2000 odd hrs in PA-28 161's.

If its short dry grass and have clear approaches, But, your technique has to be on the money.

[cavortingcheetah]

But what goes into the short dry grass must also come out of undergrowth?

[Katamarino]

I would suggest Grimbergen, because its code is great fun to say (and, it was nice when I went there).

Eee-Bee-Gee-Bee!