Belgian Grand Prix

[Justiciar]

Has anyone been by air? If so, where did you fly to? Any recommendations or tips would be greatly appreciated.

[Daysleeper]

Did it, (admittedly about 10 years ago, darn how time flies)

There is a small airfield at Spa, about 800m of tarmac at about 1,500 ft amsl. However the famously good Belgian summer weather intervened and it was in the rain and low viz. Liege is H24 with full approach aids so went there.
geo hack link (http://toolserver.org/~geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Spa-La_Sauvenière_Airport&params=50_29_0_N_5_55_0_E_type:airport_region:BE)

As with all the small rural airfields around F1 time they book up early and the charges can become quite extreme. I recall Nevers (near Magny Cours) went from about £10 normally and park as long as you like to about £200 plus about £100 an hour for parking!

[Zulu Alpha]

The airfield at Spa is a short taxi ride from the circuit (~4 miles NW). I went to watch some racing but haven't been at GP time when I assume it is very busy so may have limited movements available.

Why don't you contact them. If you can get in there then its only a few miles to the circuit. Probably best to walk as the roads are very small and traffic will be horrendous.

[bookworm]

I've been to Spa for the GP several times.

The problem, if you're going for the w/e is accommodation. Spa airfield itself is perfect for its proximity to the track (it's about a 45 min walk), and the last time I did it the charges were normal -- I think about EUR 10. But then the accommodation is booked up for 10s of miles around, and you either have to fly in each morning and out each evening, or you need ground transport. More recently, there's the added frustration that Spa does not accept non-Schengen arrivals, though they might make exceptions for the GP w/e.

In more recent years, we've flown to Maastricht, stayed in a hotel there and hired a car. It's a beautiful city to be in in the evenings. Liege is also possible -- I haven't tried it. If you're going for the weekend, you could fly in and out of Spa on the Friday -- just to say you have -- but park at Liege or Maastricht overnight.

[Daysleeper]

Ah should say Liege was never a nice place to stay. Had plenty of nights (and days) there in my freight life and it was a dump, Maastricht is a fair drive but much much nicer. If your into history there are some stunning WWII era forts around those parts which are worth a visit on the ground and a fly over for a different perspective.

[Jan Olieslagers]

Never flown there, it's not that far - even if I were into fast cars as I am not at all. But some thoughts come to mind:
-) ISTR the Spa aerodrome was reserved for helicopters related to the event (VIP's, teams, management...) at earlier occasions
-) there is Verviers-Theux EBTX not too far away, but it's a club field with a grass runway (tricky, according to some) and little accommodation apart from the (in Belgium) ubiquitous bar
-) German aerodromes not too far away are EDKA Aachen-Merzbrück and EDKV Dahlemer Binz - the last has some kind of hotel at the aerodrome, and facilities for mobilhomes too. And a nice hard 1070-metre runway.

Or if you fly microlight, there's a good strip at Büllingen - with a good bar, too.

[pistongone]

Theux is a great field and the one time i flew there i was looked after very well by the club chairman. He organized a hotel in Verviere and drove me there, collected in the morning with the latest weather on a clip board! I took on some fuel and there was no landing fee! Also when i flew in there was a few competitions in progress. They were releasing balloons up infront of the planes and they had to burst them with the prop:ok: Some skill full flying indeed, cant say i have seen such events here in blighty! Its about 12 miles from Verviere to the track, so not far at all really. Folding bikes would be handy!

[Acid-drop]

Most F1 pilots fly to Liège, then heli to Spa.
Liège city has plenty of hotels and shopping and all that, it's the 3rd biggest city of belgium so you know what to expect.