VFR through Belgium
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VFR through Belgium
I am planning to fly from west to east and east to west (on the way back) of Belgium to get to Frankfurt in April. I have looked at the chart and there is a lot of restricted airspace and class B airspace through the whole country, and finding a route through it all seems very hard. Has anyone got any ideas or past experience on how to transit across Belgium?
Last edited by edymonster; 25th Feb 2007 at 18:31.
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Dont worry, its really relaxed there. I landed at Oostende, cleared customs(they scibbled something on a scap of pape in pencil!) had a nice meal overlooking the long unway. Then flew VFR to Theux,10 miles north of Spa, with a squawk all the way and great ATC all the way. Enjoy the flight and you will see the Belgians are very accomodating of GA traffic.
I would recomend a night stop in Oostende, the food is good, sea food especially, and the beer is well, Belgian
The menu for beer is more comprehensive than the food!
I would recomend a night stop in Oostende, the food is good, sea food especially, and the beer is well, Belgian
The menu for beer is more comprehensive than the food!
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edymonster,
From experience, I've crossed Belgium several times, expect to use IFR levels within class B. Also FL90 works well for the conrollers as it gives them some airspace underneath you to work with. Enjoy the trip!
From experience, I've crossed Belgium several times, expect to use IFR levels within class B. Also FL90 works well for the conrollers as it gives them some airspace underneath you to work with. Enjoy the trip!
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Belgium is not anally retentive about Class C like the UK is about everything above G.
On the UK .... KOK routing just give them your desired route (radio nav please, none of this business of a list of little village names; to ATC that is just a give-away of a pilot "likely to get lost") and ask for FL055 or whatever, and they will give it to you.
Lux seems to not exist when you are flying; on VFR flights I've not even bothered to put the EET to the Belgium/Luxembourg border on the flight plan. That's probably wrong though.
Note that a decent route through Belgium, or indeed much of Europe, is doable VFR only as VMC on top, unless it's totally CAVOK.
One can work out a route OCAS (and for VFR you must always plan one because a CAS transit could always be denied) but it would be at a low level; typically 1000ft or so.
On the UK .... KOK routing just give them your desired route (radio nav please, none of this business of a list of little village names; to ATC that is just a give-away of a pilot "likely to get lost") and ask for FL055 or whatever, and they will give it to you.
Lux seems to not exist when you are flying; on VFR flights I've not even bothered to put the EET to the Belgium/Luxembourg border on the flight plan. That's probably wrong though.
Note that a decent route through Belgium, or indeed much of Europe, is doable VFR only as VMC on top, unless it's totally CAVOK.
One can work out a route OCAS (and for VFR you must always plan one because a CAS transit could always be denied) but it would be at a low level; typically 1000ft or so.
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"Lux seems to not exist when you are flying"
Luxembourg authorities do, however, require a flight plan to fly from Luxembourg into Belgium, because they regard this as an international flight ......... so it must exist!
Luxembourg authorities do, however, require a flight plan to fly from Luxembourg into Belgium, because they regard this as an international flight ......... so it must exist!
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I fly most of my flights in Belgium, a west-east VFR trip with as many uncontrolled airspace as possible is done like this:
EBOS, CTR class C up to 1500ft. Once out of tower control, stay below 1500ft for the TMA till passing TORHOUT reporting point. After this point everything up to 4500ft is uncontrolled till Aalter. At Aalter, descent below 3500ft (BRU TMA) and follow the big road E40. Before Wetteren you have to descent below 2400ft (again BRU TMA). Then fly to Dendermonde while descending below 1500ft. From Dendermonde, fly direct to BUN VOR (brings you inbetween EBAW and EBBR CTR's uncontrolled). From BUN to FLO VOR can be done uncontrolled when you stay at 1500ft. Fly to SPI while asking crossing clearance to EBLG tower (up to 2500ft). Then all the rest till Frankfurt airspace border is uncontrolled ardennes. (where Theux ans Spa is situated)
This trip brings you around EBBR CTR on northern side, a trip back can be planned on the southern side, where you have Napoleon's Waterloo WATERLOO also being a reporting point).
All radio contact you had was EBOS tower and EBLG tower (and maybe Brussels info on 126.9)
Of course, this is going around EBBR at low level, if flying high suits better or traffic control is wanted, this trip is not good.
FL70 or 90 will be given without problems (I've done this even without flight plan, just ask to BRU APP or DEP). And for Luxembourg, aviation wise Belgium and Luxembourg is one. You'll find ELLX in the Belgian AIP.
EBOS, CTR class C up to 1500ft. Once out of tower control, stay below 1500ft for the TMA till passing TORHOUT reporting point. After this point everything up to 4500ft is uncontrolled till Aalter. At Aalter, descent below 3500ft (BRU TMA) and follow the big road E40. Before Wetteren you have to descent below 2400ft (again BRU TMA). Then fly to Dendermonde while descending below 1500ft. From Dendermonde, fly direct to BUN VOR (brings you inbetween EBAW and EBBR CTR's uncontrolled). From BUN to FLO VOR can be done uncontrolled when you stay at 1500ft. Fly to SPI while asking crossing clearance to EBLG tower (up to 2500ft). Then all the rest till Frankfurt airspace border is uncontrolled ardennes. (where Theux ans Spa is situated)
This trip brings you around EBBR CTR on northern side, a trip back can be planned on the southern side, where you have Napoleon's Waterloo WATERLOO also being a reporting point).
All radio contact you had was EBOS tower and EBLG tower (and maybe Brussels info on 126.9)
Of course, this is going around EBBR at low level, if flying high suits better or traffic control is wanted, this trip is not good.
FL70 or 90 will be given without problems (I've done this even without flight plan, just ask to BRU APP or DEP). And for Luxembourg, aviation wise Belgium and Luxembourg is one. You'll find ELLX in the Belgian AIP.
Last edited by Piper19; 25th Feb 2007 at 18:29.
