This is somewhat of a “stream of consciousness” diary of my EU Flight Trip – 10/25/21-11/8/21. Yes, it’s long (sums up over 40 hours of flying), and veers off the security/hacking/risk content typically here. But it’s a new hobby for me, and I do find it fascinating and teaching – especially how to approach a new topic, establish that you are always learning, and experience things from a different perspective. Some of the terms are likely aviation-specific so apologize in advance (GA is General Aviation, airport codes may seem cryptic but can be easily Googled for, etc…).
Day 1 – Basics
Getting to know OK-MMA was easy – it’s the same type of Cessna 172 I’ve been flying so far for. The engine is brand new with less than 100 hours on it since major overhaul, the aircraft is nicely trimmed (no need for a heavy right leg on the rudder), and practicing a few takeoffs and landings from a grass airfield has proven to be quite easy to handle.
We took off in very clear weather and flew VFR to a few “sightseeing” airstrips to practice some navigation, aviation, and communication. Getting through the airspace is comfortable, with clear communications from the helpful “Praha Information”, and so was getting to our rest stop at Karlovy Vary. Making sure we cleared the Prague TMA, getting clearance to land was a breeze, and the sights along the way were stunning. Fall is in full force, and the colors of the trees and grass are picturesque.
Short break at LKKV, and we headed back to a fairly “low” flight (3,300ft to keep clear of the 3,500 max under the Prague TMA) to LKMB for the final landing before lunch break.
Lunch at the Restaurant (and my hotel) and prep for the night flight lesson which is planned to start at 18:30 as twilight is out.
Taking off from LKMB to Brno, the flight was quiet and beautiful, as most of the navigation is done while keeping the highway at the glide path in case of an emergency. Uneventful landing at Brno with a quick coffee stop before heading off to Ostrava (Mosnov Airport). Same weather (clear and quiet) but as we got to Mosnov we hit quite some turbulence as we started practicing “techniques” for the night VFR rating. Steep turns and stalls in high turbulence were less than optimal, but provided for a great training opportunity, followed by a few traffic patterns with some of the longest finals I’ve experienced (with 15k headwinds it feels like landing in slow-motion). We concluded the night training with almost 4 hours clocked in for the night, and a couple of beers after refueling and parking at the airport.
Day 2 – Cross Country
Headed out from Mosnov (LKMT) towards Oradea (LROD) in Romania. Longer cross-country flight (2.6 hours) with stunning views as we crossed Slovakia and Hungary through the mountains (Tatra mountains). A quick refueling there and headed off to Targu Mures in the Transylvania area of Romania (more mountains). An hour and a half flight time, and we landed, and headed out to a nice local restaurant for some local version of Goulash.
Back to the airport, and we started heading back west to get to our night training in time. From Targu Mures (LRTM) to a quick refueling stop (and customs, always customs/passport when crossing so many borders outside the EU Schengen area) at the Slovakian airport of Poprad-Tatry, and we departed at night towards Ostrava. 2 hours of flight time (including the night training at Ostrava, and it was time for one final flight for my solo night flights. 5 clean takeoffs and landings later, and I was ready to call it a day and crash, especially as the next day called for an early takeoff to get to the airport where my validation examination will be held which is an hour flight away.
Day 3 – Making it official
Early wake-up at Ostrava for a 7am takeoff in marginal VFR (light mist/fog rolling over the valleys in the morning time) and a beautiful flight to Jihlava where my examiner is. Another grass field airport with cool activities in it (firefighting, gliders, and an experimental shop that bolted a crazy turbo-prop engine to a Cessna 172).
The examination flight went well with additional tips from the examiner on navigation in the Czech Republic, and an hour and a half later I was given the all-clear to get my European (EASA) license validation.
At that time the fog/clouds north of us were still around Mlada Boleslav so we waited it out a bit before heading back on the 1-hour trip to “home base”.
More paperwork to make sure everything is in order for the CAA to issue my validation, more paperwork on producing the night training certification, and I finally drove (what’s that?) to the Prague airport to handle the CAA paperwork before the weekend as Thursday is a national holiday so they are closed, and Friday there’s no public admittance – which means this was my last chance to get the validation if I wanted to fly through the weekend.
Back to the hotel, catching up on a little work and family facetime, and starting to plan the Friday flights…
Day 4 – Rest, and flight planning/booking.
Had a lot of fun realizing that the Zurich airport is VFR friendly and has allotted slots through the day for VFR arrivals and departures in between the massive amounts of flights they are handling. Took their online training and got certified in the way of working there. Coordinated handling and parking, and set up everything for tomorrow to go through Munich (EDMJ – Jesenwang, right outside of Munich) to Zurich (LSZH).
Day 5 – out for an adventure. The weather conditions in the planned route weren’t optimal but showed signs of clearing up. The main issue is a low dense fog that prohibited VFR flights over it (can’t see the ground = no go). Pushed back my departure a bit to allow for the fog to dissipate a bit more and took off from LKMB westward.
A light mist was still in patches around, but overall visibility was good and the crossing of the Kbely and Prague airspaces went smoothly. Once I reached the planned cruising altitude of 6,500’ however, I saw that the fog “front” is in front of me. Slowing down to let the front dissolve didn’t prove to be very effective, and after circling a couple of times at the front of the fog line, I started looking for an alternate field to land at. The first choice (Horovice) was out as it was also foggy, and someone on the radio heard that I was looking for a clear airfield to land and suggested Pribram (LKPM) which had clear VFR conditions. A neat approach and smooth landing and I was back to planning.
Filed another flight plan to EDMJ for a departure 45 minutes later and was watching the weather reports on the receding fog front line ahead of me to the west. Once things seemed to be trending positive, I took off again and climbed back to cruise altitude (funny how they call it FL65 here where the transition altitude is 5,000’).
Managed to find a way through some of the Czech portions of the fog area and was clear and cruising in German airspace through rolling hills and serene scenery. However, the fog hit again. The mountain range that runs from Passau, through Deggendorf to Regensburg, essentially leaves the plains to the west of it locked in the low and dense fog, with zero visibility even when looking straight down through it. As I was flying along the fog line north-west, looking for either an area that I could cross towards or alternate landing sites, the helpful ATC was making calls on my behalf to see which fields were open. My first attempt was towards Regensburg (EDNR) which seemed to be right along the fog line but on the clear side. I could see ½ of the town next to the airport (Regenstauf), but the other half was covered, and after descending to examine whether these were low clouds or fog, I realized that fog it is, and there’s no way I’m attempting to go in there – not even knowing the airfield is 1km away.
Turned back and headed to the clearer areas in the valley where the national park of Bayerischer Wald is (as the fog didn’t get to it – the ridges to the northeast and southwest provided protection against it…). I remembered that on the way west, I noted there was an airfield just to my right and decided to check it out (EDNB at Arnbruck). Flying over there (all while coordinating with the helpful German ATC and listening to Foo Fighters) and managed to contact someone on the airfield frequency, who gave some hope that they were somewhat operational. He did mention there’s no activity today, so I called in blind for the landing. Turned out – the other person on the radio was in another Cessna and is the head instructor for the local flying club, who also called in for the person that could refuel me. I responded to his “how quickly do you need the fuel, and how long do you need to stay” with a simple “I’m easy – take your time, I am on vacation and might stay here longer”. Turned out to be a great little town here. Daniel, the “money person” of the club (who is also a pilot), was extremely friendly (as luck played it – he was on his way to the field to fuel his car) and provided great tips on flying in the local weather, and where to go next. We then also met up with Rolf – the CFI who congratulated me on the nice landing (and the go-around on my first approach since I was extra careful with the surrounded forested hills).
After fueling and parking my Cessna out of the way, I finished planning my next leg towards Innsbruck, with a scenic route that goes through Passau to take advantage of the geography that’s likely to keep the foggy areas out of my path and then towards the Austrian alps which had consistently clear weather so far (as well as forecasted ahead).
At that point, I decided that I’m not going to fall to “getthereitis”, and fully embraced the flexibility and the enjoyment from being able to fly anywhere, and everywhere I could (under the weather conditions) as the scenery is absolutely stunning.
Paid the extra 10EUR for parking overnight (cheaper than a couple of hours of parking in TLV or NYC) and booked the closest hotel for the night. The plan is to eat local food, drink local beers, and head out tomorrow morning-ish (10 am) southbound and “where the wind takes us”.
Day 6 – To the Alps!
Started the day slowly as I was waiting for the morning fog in the valley to clear up. Took a while to get the plane ready as I had to scrape off the ice from the windshield, wings, and vertical stabilizer (a first for everything!).
Warmed up the engine and prepped for a short field takeoff to clear the trees and houses at the end of the runway (best direction as the mist was still around). The scenery was beautiful again this morning, and the patches of fog across the hill ridges made it for a fantastic area to fly by. Uneventful flight southbound towards Passau, Austria – a city that lies in the connection of three rivers, and the detour was definitely worth it. One of the rivers was still filled with fog, while everything around it was clear. Amazing views, and pictures probably don’t do justice to it.
Had to maneuver around some more fog but the way towards the alps passing and into the Innsbruck valley was fine, and as I was getting close to the alps the raw beauty of the mountains really pops up from the altitude I was flying at (6,500’).
Going through the Alps in the valley between the mountains is an amazing experience, and so was the response from Innsbruck tower when I first made contact. “We were waiting for you…” Uh, that didn’t sound too great. Apparently, as luck had it, the Foehn kicked in – a nasty wind coming in from the south and generating wind speeds in excess of 60kt at the top of the ridges. The tower reported highly turbulent winds measuring 44kt, with a crosswind component of 22kt on the runway, and asked what I’d like to do. After the fact I picked the METAR (Meteorological Aerodrome Report) for that time – which the forecast didn’t predict…
METAR LOWI 301020Z 12026G46KT 090V180 CAVOK 18/M06 Q1011 WS ALL RWY NOSIG=I checked with a small airfield I spotted earlier in the valley whether they had fuel (AVGAS) and would welcome an unannounced visitor, and of course, they were happy to host guests. Called back to Innsbruck and told them I’d like to do a pass around the airport and then head back and land at Langkampfen (LOIK). As I was getting close, I realized that the winds are pretty vicious at that altitude (6,000) and were getting worse. I was barely making 80kt ground speed and inching forward through the valley. I only managed to get a good look at the Innsbruck airport but decided to turn back after a nasty turbulence hit me. Everything in the plane jumped up and hit the ceiling – me included. I was thankful for being a little stricter with the seatbelt than the locals in the Czech Republic (who secured the shoulder strap in the back seat so they can just wear the waist strap). I was more thankful that as I was going into the turbulence, I tightened the shoulder strap closer – to a point where I couldn’t lean forward. The jolt threw everything around the cabin, and my headset was the only thing separating me from a nasty bump to my head. We bounced so hard, that the plastic housing that connects the yoke to the instrument plane broke off…
I immediately turned back after making sure everything is still working and in one piece and informed the tower that I’m heading back.
Langkampfen was a short grass strip nestled in the valley between the mountains and has an active glider and GA activity. A go-around – realizing the wind speed difference between up in the valley – around 30-40kt, and down on the ground at 2kt made my final too fast and too high, and the second circuit resulted in a smooth landing on the grass.
Another highly welcoming group of people (who don’t take credit for refueling – which meant another trip to the bank with one of the locals), and I was back and getting my bearings after the nasty jolt in the turbulence.
Planning my next hop, I was aiming for north-east Austria, but after chatting up with the volunteer controller he mentioned Vilshofen in Germany which has a nice airport, a great restaurant, and a small town right across the river. I remembered that other pilots were talking about it, and it is just an hour away from my home base in CZ, so I quickly filed a flight plan and prepped the route over.
The flight from the Alps back to Germany was beautiful, with the clearest weather yet. Coming in for a landing at Vilshofen is an experience, as I circled the small town, and lined up for final while crossing the bridge just before touching down. Closing up the day in the town after checking into a local hotel (15-minute walk from the airport), and the plan is to (again) have great local Bavarian food and beers before heading back to Mlada Boleslav tomorrow.
Day 7 – Back to LKMB and for a few days with Dorit (alone!)
Woke up to a beautiful day at Vilshofen, and to my surprise – completely clear of fog/mist around the river. After a quick breakfast (eating soft boiled egg “old school” is an underappreciated skill), headed back to the airport to prep the plane and amend the flight plan which I filed for a 12:00 noon departure. The flight over was great – cursing at 7,500’ until I got close to the Prague TMA and couldn’t get a clearance to cross the class C as Ruzyne was using the runway that covered my path, and then a 3,000’ with more up-close scenery until getting to Mlada Boleslav. Out of all the approaches and landings over the past week, somehow this was the weirdest, as there was definitely activity in the airspace, but I never expected to execute a parallel landing on the runway (16L and 16R) with another plane. As I was in the pattern (from base to final) someone just came in straight for the final and fortunately, I spotted him as I was completing the right turn. Apparently, he was ignoring my callouts from downwind and base and was aiming at the left runway which I was going for. I quickly sidestepped to the right runway, called it out, and fortunately was ahead of him but still made sure to touch down a bit further down the runway just in case. Guess there’s a first for everything – even for almost parallel landings on a grass airfield ;-). I was too busy trying to keep things safe, otherwise, I would have definitely taken a picture of this.
Locked down the plane and headed to Prague to check-in to the hotel and wait for Dorit.
Day 10 – Quick Dresden trip
The weather was looking up, so we drove to MB from Prague to take the plane for a quick trip to Dresden. The flight over was quiet and quick, with a smooth landing at the Dresden international airport. Dorit was impressed with the follow-me and handling process for our little Cessna. We spent a couple of hours walking around the old town of Dresden, shopping, and admiring the architecture and restoration of the old buildings that were partially destroyed in the fire bombings.
Heading back to make it before sundown, we hit some clouds on the way back and managed to duck quickly below them, had a nice view of the castle and a smooth landing back on the grass strip at Mlada Boleslav.
Day 12 – Back at it
After spending a day “grounded” as the weather wasn’t playing nicely, I was headed back towards the Austrian valleys that are fairly unaffected by the low cloud coverage sweeping through the main plains of southeast Germany. Hence – Graz. With a route that takes me through Wien, and the areas surrounding the mountains I had all-clear weather to (not) deal with. A beautiful ride there, with a few altitude changes as the Wien class C/D airspace wouldn’t accommodate VFR flights with the busy weekend schedule, showed how the Wien FIS worked relentlessly to separate and warn VFR flights in the area. Considering the volume of airplanes that were around, and the fact that these were all flying “full VFR” it’s interesting to note how the Israeli controller is so busy over the weekends with flights going through prescribed routes and altitudes…
Getting to Graz was another nice experience where VFR flights are “first-class citizens” among the IFR and airliners, and through the approach’s directions, it was another smooth landing and a quick stop at the crew lounge to plan the next leg. Skipped refueling (cash only? No way…) and filed a plan for Krems after finding the small asphalt field north of the ridges that lead to the Alps. The tower controllers there seemed very welcoming (and accepting credit cards for landing and fueling). And it also made up for a good leg to cover the commercial license XC requirement.
An hour of flight time across the Alps and its stunning valleys nestling small towns (and airstrips), and Krems was sighted. A small town next to the Danube River, with an extremely active airfield packed with gliders and GA activity. After some small talk with the locals, I realized that it’d be a shame to waste the great weather and headed out for another quick flight and a touch-n-go at St. Georgen which is located further down the river. ½ an hour back and forth for the great views of navigating with the river path, and I was ready to call it a day at Krems.
Day 13 – Slovenia and back to the Czech Republic
The morning started with filing a plan to land at Maribor in Slovenia, which seemed to have the best weather options (between Zagreb and Bratislava) and a very friendly handling crew. The flight over there was (again) postcard perfect as the Alps crossing has become a feature of these flights (yet never gets old).
And just as the clouds were starting to show up, I timed my descent towards the airport to make it to a straight-in approach via the visual approach routes. As promised – the handling crew was highly friendly, fueled up within 5 minutes of landing (and paid with “regular” credit, even ApplePay…), and a quick break to plan the next leg. Initially, I was considering heading straight west towards the Italian coast and landing at Trieste, but watching the weather develop over eastern Germany and Czech, I decided not to risk getting stranded outside of the home-base in the last day of flying and filed for a straight shot from Maribor to Mlada Boleslav.
After a lengthy goodbye from Boris the handler at Maribor, I started up and took off on a straight line through the Alps towards home base. With a clear weather and a smooth cruise at 9,500’, I managed to bypass the low-laying fog of the Bavarian valley, and cross over to the Czech Republic. Halfway through the CZ as the cloud base started forming in lower altitudes, I switched from FL95 to FL75, then to 60, and eventually to 4,500’ while maintaining VFR conditions (with a quick pass through two layers of clouds on my left that would have been a VFR over the top with a close ceiling above – cool picture!). However, as I was getting closer to the hilly area separating the northern and southern parts to the east of Prague, the clouds were getting lower, and up to a point where visibility of the hills was getting beyond my personal safety limits, and I started circling for an alternate landing site at least until the weather clears up.
My first alternate was close, but the clouds were closing in faster, and although I was just a mile short of the field, I could not visually identify it and decided to turn around. A second alternate proved to be much more visible, however with a strong crosswind it proved to be a good reminder to my training (and ended up being on my personal top-5 landings). Grass strip, and nobody on the radio to acknowledge I was even there, I landed at LKZB – Zbraslavice.
Completely alone, and in a field that didn’t have a single soul on it, I parked alongside an old, decommissioned jet fighter to let the weather calm down a bit.
After watching the worst part of the rain and strong winds die down, I started up again and lined up for a tricky takeoff – mostly crosswind component (I’d estimate around 15-18kt), a slight backwind, and a damp/wet grass field.
A bumpy takeoff run, with a typical grass field hump that bounces the plane up for a “faux-wheels-up”, but I let it slide back down to pick up enough speed for a proper takeoff, and easily cleared the trees and small houses that lined the field. Vicious winds welcomed my takeoff, and I banked right into them to make sure I’m getting the most lift I could (compromising on groundspeed) and got to a safe altitude from which I started navigating the low ceiling, strong winds, occasional rain shower, and obviously the terrain itself. After so many hours of flying across mountains and valleys at high altitude, the bumpy ride and constant wind calculations were less than fun, but definitely a good training for wind corrections and navigation. Finding a good VFR path without compromising on my personal limits probably made this leg a bit longer, but overall, it was a good experience, with a safe approach back to MB, and slightly calmer weather on the final. By now a short and effective landing was the norm, and I parked trusty old OK-MMA back at the hangar for the day (possibly for the trip – pending tomorrow’s weather).
Day 14 – That’s a wrap
Given the limiting weather (Overcast with a ceiling ranging from 3,500’ to 3,000’) I opted to go out for a quick round trip to the first airport that “saved” me – Pribram. Located southwest of Prague in an area that typically doesn’t get the low mist/clouds. Used the opportunity of the low flight (2,000’-3,000’) to practice accurate altitude and heading and area navigation. Total back-n-forth with a full stop landing at Pribram and another smooth landing on the Mlada Boleslav grass strip marked the end of the trip (flying-wise).
That totals 41.6 hours of flights on OK-MMA in 30 flights and 51 landings. Including the night VFR training and the license validation-related flights.
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