Geneva - Best VFR Route in?
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Malmesbury, UK
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Geneva - Best VFR Route in?
Does anybody reading this have experience of flying into Geneva from the West routing via the overhead of Bellegarde LFHN to either the SW or S visual reporting points for Geneva?
I have made two trips there in my 172 using this route; the first time was fine however the second at the beginning of June was not pleasant encountering severe turbulence in the valley where Bellegarde is located. I was expecting it to be rough since the ATIS was giving surface wind at Geneva of 040v060 19G25kts with moderate turbulence on the approach to runway 05 below FL080. However what I experienced was very rough and with ATC restriction of a max altitude of 3500 at Bellegarde there was no escape upwards.
I have considered an alternative approach from the North East but this seems to involve more high ground to get over the Jura from the Neuchatel/Besancon direction so it doesn't look any better to me.
Any recommendations apart from not going there when its windy?
I have made two trips there in my 172 using this route; the first time was fine however the second at the beginning of June was not pleasant encountering severe turbulence in the valley where Bellegarde is located. I was expecting it to be rough since the ATIS was giving surface wind at Geneva of 040v060 19G25kts with moderate turbulence on the approach to runway 05 below FL080. However what I experienced was very rough and with ATC restriction of a max altitude of 3500 at Bellegarde there was no escape upwards.
I have considered an alternative approach from the North East but this seems to involve more high ground to get over the Jura from the Neuchatel/Besancon direction so it doesn't look any better to me.
Any recommendations apart from not going there when its windy?
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: New South Wales
Posts: 1,794
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You can wind up the valleys to Annecy and then Annemasse, but it involves a long detour to the South if coming from the UK.
You can nip through the 1000m pass from Pontarlier, but whichever way you go mountains + wind = bad news.
You can nip through the 1000m pass from Pontarlier, but whichever way you go mountains + wind = bad news.