Oostende
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Oostende
Hi everyone,
I am planning a morning trip to Oostende from the Southeast (UK) in the near future and I was just after some tips! Planning to return the following morning so that I stay fresh for my return leg. My provisional plan is to route via Stapleford, Rochester, Dover, Dunky, Oostende, crossing the channel at 6000'. I have around 150 hours total time, and IMC rated. Have done a channel crossing once before to Le Touquet with another pilot, seemed pretty straightforward. Intending to take life jacket, PLB, raft. Wondering if anyone has any tips or relevant experience they wish to share!
Thanks!
I am planning a morning trip to Oostende from the Southeast (UK) in the near future and I was just after some tips! Planning to return the following morning so that I stay fresh for my return leg. My provisional plan is to route via Stapleford, Rochester, Dover, Dunky, Oostende, crossing the channel at 6000'. I have around 150 hours total time, and IMC rated. Have done a channel crossing once before to Le Touquet with another pilot, seemed pretty straightforward. Intending to take life jacket, PLB, raft. Wondering if anyone has any tips or relevant experience they wish to share!
Thanks!
Nothing wrong with carrying all the emergency equipment, if you know how to use it. As a prime safety measure, though, I would recommend flying as high as possible (I think the UK has class A above 6500' over the English Channel?) which has the added advantage of getting you into controlled airspace once in the EBBU FIR.
I understand from the www, without personal experience, that the KONAN waypoint is almost mandatory. That might however depend on your flight rules being VFR or IFR.
If using the DUNKY waypoint (city of Duinkerke aka Dunkerque, it is a VRP for EBOS), make sure to be high enough, there is one of those nasty power plants nearby with its associated Prohibited area - and the French are known to keep to those very strictly.
On weekdays, be aware of the military EBFN Koksijde, with several bits of airspace associated. They are not always active, in fact I think they are only active per NOTAM, but do make sure to have the info. Any Belgian service will tell you.
Think of your alternate: as you want a point of entry (also known, inaccurately, as a "customs field") your nearest choices are LFAC (equally prone to sea fog), EBAW (quite a long way off, but an interesting destination in itself), EBKT. Avoid EBFN as an alternate: the field is open to civilian traffic in the weekend, but requires a one-year membership instead of a landing fee - a bit on the expensive side.
Culinary tip: especially in hot weather, nothing beats "tomate crevette" - invented in Ostend when it was still an upper class hence Francophile resort - a salad basing on tomato, shrimps, and cocktail sauce. Goes with fries - Belgium has the world's best! - and, subject to pilotage regulations, a glass of Rodenbach beer.
Hoping this helps,
I understand from the www, without personal experience, that the KONAN waypoint is almost mandatory. That might however depend on your flight rules being VFR or IFR.
If using the DUNKY waypoint (city of Duinkerke aka Dunkerque, it is a VRP for EBOS), make sure to be high enough, there is one of those nasty power plants nearby with its associated Prohibited area - and the French are known to keep to those very strictly.
On weekdays, be aware of the military EBFN Koksijde, with several bits of airspace associated. They are not always active, in fact I think they are only active per NOTAM, but do make sure to have the info. Any Belgian service will tell you.
Think of your alternate: as you want a point of entry (also known, inaccurately, as a "customs field") your nearest choices are LFAC (equally prone to sea fog), EBAW (quite a long way off, but an interesting destination in itself), EBKT. Avoid EBFN as an alternate: the field is open to civilian traffic in the weekend, but requires a one-year membership instead of a landing fee - a bit on the expensive side.
Culinary tip: especially in hot weather, nothing beats "tomate crevette" - invented in Ostend when it was still an upper class hence Francophile resort - a salad basing on tomato, shrimps, and cocktail sauce. Goes with fries - Belgium has the world's best! - and, subject to pilotage regulations, a glass of Rodenbach beer.
Hoping this helps,
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Wonderful! Thanks 
Couple of other questions if I may!
Regarding ATC, would I be best served by switching from Manston to Oostende approach mid-channel, or to Lille first? Prefer to be on radar obviously, with minimum frequency changes, so the former makes more sense to me.
Also, would I be correct to assume that Oostende approach would provide any clearances through Koksijde CTR en route from Dunky?
Thanks!
Couple of other questions if I may!
Regarding ATC, would I be best served by switching from Manston to Oostende approach mid-channel, or to Lille first? Prefer to be on radar obviously, with minimum frequency changes, so the former makes more sense to me.
Also, would I be correct to assume that Oostende approach would provide any clearances through Koksijde CTR en route from Dunky?
Thanks!
As a Brit, you may be surprised to learn that in the rest of Europe there is (mostly, to my knowledge, but perhaps not always and everywhere) a 1:1 relation between one's coordinates in space and the service to talk to.
That is to say, for every bit of airspace there is one and exactly one service in charge. And they'll hand you over to the next one as you fly.
If in controlled airspace, you talk to the owner (CTR => Tower, TMA => DEP or ARR, upper airspace => CONTROL), all of these are indicated on the maps.
In uncontrolled airspace, you can talk to the relevant FIS - for France that will be Lille, I suppose, for the Belgian Airspace it is Brussels info at 126,900 MHz.
For Belgian airspace, everything above 4500' is controlled, which is why I recommend flying there: you will get good service. You may count on being told what frequency to tune into next, often well before crossing the formal airspace boundary.
Regarding Koksijde airspace: I am too lazy to look it up now, but ISTR their CTR becomes class G when inactive, wheras their TMA is indeed taken over by Ostend approach when not active. Check the AIP to make sure, it is freely accessible at wwww.belgocontrol.be
That is to say, for every bit of airspace there is one and exactly one service in charge. And they'll hand you over to the next one as you fly.
If in controlled airspace, you talk to the owner (CTR => Tower, TMA => DEP or ARR, upper airspace => CONTROL), all of these are indicated on the maps.
In uncontrolled airspace, you can talk to the relevant FIS - for France that will be Lille, I suppose, for the Belgian Airspace it is Brussels info at 126,900 MHz.
For Belgian airspace, everything above 4500' is controlled, which is why I recommend flying there: you will get good service. You may count on being told what frequency to tune into next, often well before crossing the formal airspace boundary.
Regarding Koksijde airspace: I am too lazy to look it up now, but ISTR their CTR becomes class G when inactive, wheras their TMA is indeed taken over by Ostend approach when not active. Check the AIP to make sure, it is freely accessible at wwww.belgocontrol.be
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I would suggest you route via DVR-KONAN-KOK; KONAN is the border and the limit of the Ostend TMA. You need to call a few minutes before entering and be given clearance to enter the controlled airspace. Ostend APP on 120.60 will take good care of you.
No need to call Lille if you take this route. Koksijde have active SAR military helicopters standing by day and night.
No need to call Lille if you take this route. Koksijde have active SAR military helicopters standing by day and night.
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Going to Lille I went Clacton - Calais and spoke to Southend who gave a traffic service half way accross the water, once beyond radar cover it was a basic service with London Info before calling Lille (though you would probably call Brussels)
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