New to Ireland, advice please.
 

Hi, i`m planning a trip to Ireland in the near future, most likely Dublin area. I have NEVER flown in Irish airspace!!
Just wondered if there is any big differences in operating in Irish airspace compared to main land UK? Various services ATC provide for both VFR/IFR ect
Understand they use class C airspace for example.
Or if anyone has a good link to a website.
Thanks :)

Hi Pipertommy,

Try this website. FlyingInIreland Magazine

I think you will find flying in Ireland easy. Air traffic very relaxed in comparison to UK. There are lots of private airstrips to visit. Kevin Glynn has published a VFR flight guide of all the airfields with detailed information.

Brian

Brilliant thanks:ok:

Hi Tommy,

You might find this website useful ;)

Guide to Flying in Ireland

dp

Hi Tommy

I'm just down the road from you at EGFE and make the trip to Ireland on e regular basis. The pigeon chimneys, up the liffey over Pheonix park to the toll bridge and just look for the lake Weston is close by. Parking is now on the North side with a first class restaurant. If you dont like going over the city you can request to follow the M50 motorway to the toll bridge.

In Ireland any entry into controlled airspace requires a flight plan--no flight plan is required between airfields with no CTR as long as you stay out of controlled airspace enroute.

Be prepared to have communication problems since at low level below 5000 you will get blanking by the Wicklow hills into Dublin

There is a new quarter mil chart available--not brilliant--Kevin Glynns book is first class.

There is NO VFR at night in Ireland

You can PM me if you need information about other airfields in Ireland

Fantastic!!! Thanks for the advice:ok: And for the link.

Since last week there is also a new 500K VFR chart available ;)

We're thinking of talking a trip from Scotland, down the west coast of Ireland and round the south before crossing over to south Wales and then back up the Welsh coast.

Initial thoughts include stops in Sligo, Galway & Arran Islands.

Can anyone recommend any other places as good stop overs ?

cheers
140k

Be carefull of Galway--check costs including nav fees see Irish aviation site for up date

Don't miss out on Inniskillen, an area full of lakes--You make like to try Waterford very friendly, Kilkenny similar, both a taxi ride into town

There are many very friendly strips in Ireland see Kevin Glynns guide be careful some are really only for microlights

On west coast; favourites

Belmullet - Great food, always dry, always windy
Achill Island - Great in August (Not in Book)
Spanish Point - Not always dry, great hospitality
Ardfert - 360m 15/33, great spot (Not in Book)
Bantry - Make sure to PPR

Irish

Check fuel availability, even at the big places. Just because there isn't a NOTAM, doesn't mean they have fuel. :eek:
Apart from that, enjoy fantastic scenery and a very warm welcome.

Can anyone tell me where I can buy Kevin Glynn's book - Ive found lots of mentions on the internet but no one willing to sell me a copy.

cheers
140k

Try Irelands Largest Pilot Supply Store - Headsets, Avionics, Books, Scanners, David Clark ...

About bloody time. Where can you buy it??

Well, I got mine direct from the Ordance Survey office in the Pheonix Park. They have an online shop too. Ordnance Survey Ireland

Presumably the usual pilot shops will do them too.

Paper work
 

Thanks for the help so far!!
So for the paper work side of things flying from a GAA aerodrome.
Obviously I file a flight plan.

I then fill out a GAR form a email this to Customs&Excise.
I will be doing this via email 4hours before arrival time, [email protected] so thats straight forward enough.
Do I have to get a response/confirmation from them?

Now Special Branch, do they have a listing of contact email addresses anywhere?
I will be going from Swansea airport.

Thanks folks for any help again.Merry Christmas all:)

Special Branch do not publish a centralised list of email addresses. Some forces public an email address on their own website, but this is hit and miss.

The way they want you to contact them is by fax. They publish a list of fax numbers on page 2 of the GAR form, but often these don't work! If you don't have access to a fax machine, then I suggest that you call them on the number published on the GAR and see if they can give you an email address or take your details over the phone. You need to give them 12 hours notice by law, but often they request 24 hours notice.

Customs will not acknowledge your email, or at least they never have for me.
Some special branch forces expect you to ring them up for a "confirmation number" but this is not law. How you are supposed to know which ones want you to I have no idea. I just keep a copy of the fax confirmation page and bring it with my on the flight. (Very useful recently on a flight to Oban when the SB claimed that I never faxed them. They calmed down very quickly when I showed them the fax confirmation page and suddendly what was a very serious problem was just a minor issue and no probem at all ;) )

The position within Ireland has changed a lot recently. The position with Customs seems to be that you don't have to notify customs of your flight but you do have to notify the airfield operator. The airfield operator may impose conditions on you before they will allow you to arrive/depart internationally from their airfield. The only two that I'm aware of at present is Weston which requires 24 hours notice to the Airfield, and Kilrush which require you to give 3 hours notice directly to Customs.

The immigration position in Ireland is a total mess, and I can't get a straight (official) answer from anyone in immigration. I've a friend who works in Immigration and asked him informally, and was told "Oh, we've (as in immigration) nothing to do with small aircraft!"

As best as I can tell, if your a UK or Irish citizen then you don't need to do anything for immigration. If your a non-UK/Irish citizen then you need to go through a port of entry, but that's only my very confused understanding ;) Suffice to say that because immigration don't seem to know what they are doing here, noone pays any attention to them ;) Don't sumuggle any refugees in, and comply with any requirements your airfield operator puts on you with regards to Customs, and you don't get into trouble on this side of the water ;)

I hope that helps!

dp

ps. When you're leaving the Republic, tell the refuller that you're leaving the country and you'll get your fuel duty free ;)

Something strange with pprune's clock! It's 13:42 and my previous posting says I posted it at 05:40, yet it was only 2 mintues ago!

Thank you dp. It does seem slightly confusing:confused: I`ll give SB a ring for a chat and find the best way to contact them.
Thanks again.

ps the clock is still playing up??