Pilot Comments by Peter

The Café is now closed but ‘The Innovation Centre’ by the airfield entrance operates a small coffee facility during working hours.

Berlin Strausberg EDAY: Is, in my experience, THE GA field for Berlin.

Although originally in the (old) East, it has had multi € spent on it, so that it has all the needs the GA flyer requires. It has a good and informative Website. https://www.flugplatz-strausberg.de/en/information-on-the-airfield-ppr/

One is exempt the Deutche Flugsicherung for Air Navigation Services Terminal Charges unlike Berlin Tegel or Berlin Schönefeld.

Two new RNP approaches 05/23

Good & Welcoming ATC.

Landing & Parking at very reasonable fees - €51 for landing & 4 days parking for a PA28.

AVGAS available either on a BP card or Credit card. €2.79 per ltr.

Border Control available with 7 days notice.

But above all, very practical infrastructure:
There is an Airport Mini-Hotel https://www.flugplatz-strausberg.de/en/overnight-stay-at-the-air-base/ - right across the road from the main entrance with double rooms at €60 per night;
A good Restaurant Doppeldecker 50 yds down the road. https://www.restaurant-doppeldecker.com/

A further 10 minutes walk gets one to the Strausberg Nord S-Bahn station where you can buy a single ticket (€5), or a Travel Card, which gets you by direct train into the centre of Berlin in 1 hour.

[If a foreign GA pilot wanted to get into and see London: Where could he get such convenient and practical facilities near the metropolis?]

Merville Calonne [LFQT] is a mixed blessing and a sad site/sight (please forgive the pun!) – it even has a Mary Celeste feel to it.
There is a newly refreshed 1840 metres paved runway with ILS and RNP for R22 at one end and RNP for R04 at the other; lighting; but NO Customs; full ATC (but for how long?); Avgas & JetA; a wonderful brand new 'state-of-the-art' club house - one of the best I have ever seen – together with a wonderful new restaurant and ample GA parking.
All at very reasonable fees. But there is no one around! [On the two days I was there, French ATC were on strike and even the firemen had gone – although there was a hot kettle on the stove!]
A couple of years ago the field was the height of activity: The Chinese government and Air France were training their pilots there. All have gone: the Chinese now doing their training 'in house' and Air France has moved to Oxford. The result is what looks, and feels, like a brand new airport, but deserted.
It is though still, an ideal perfect place for IR training & renewals: just 15 minutes flying time south of Calais. (without the complication of the nuclear power station zone).

IFR: As well as ILS and RNP, + NDB procedures for both runways, there are STARS & SIDS. I transited via IBERU both in and out.

Fees and Fuel: For my Piper Arrow I paid €9 for landing and €6 per 24H parking (this was after three days when a sole fireman decided to turn up). He implied that the landing fee covers one's initial Instrument approach and seemed unconcerned as to how many other approaches one had done after that.

Fuel: There is the ubiquitous TOTAL 24H self-service but the fireman operates it during day hours.

The Aeroclub: l'aéroclub de la Lys et de L'Artois https://aeroclublys.org/ has a wonderful brand new modern designed club house with ample GA parking. It is on the south side (opposite the main terminal).
There is a warm welcome, not least by the Président, André Jonghmans – the man who managed to pursuade the french authorities to spend thousands of euros on the club! There is a bar/coffee room, spacious planning rooms with ability to submit flight plans etc. As you can see from the web page, it would make any flying club jealous.
Although usually manned throughout the day, if you need to 'go through' the club house to exit/enter the parking area, the code # to the doors is: the ATIS + * i.e. 1279*
Upstairs, either via the club or from outside with its own entrance is a new and very attractive restaurant: L’Helice. https://www.helice-restaurant.fr/?lang=en it is open every day (except Monday).

Town & Hotels: Regretfully, Merville (2km away) has nothing to attract, having been totally destroyed some 11 times in its history, including during both World Wars! Likewise, the choice of hotels is very limited.
On the terminal side, right by the tower is the basic Hotel Mervill Airport. It has a convenient location (if you are that side of the field) but is very basic.

Gérard Stephan, who did so much to make this field attractive for visiting pilots, has retired. Likewise, Customs has also gone which used to make direct flights from the UK very convenient. One now therefore has to clear Customs somewhere else e.g. Le Touquet.
But despite these two loses, Dieppe remains a convenient airfield to a very picturesque part of Normandy and a vibrant pretty port.
Sadly, ATC closed permanently in 2019.

Route: Whatever route you take, do ensure that you fly well inland past Le Tréport and track very accurately, or well south, of the Dieppe VOR: there is a ‘Prohibited area’ LFP 33 (up to 3700’) around the Nuclear Power station just NE of the field. (The French are very keen on collecting fines of €2,500 for any infringement – which makes that lunch rather expensive!)

Runways: There is a good 820 metre hard runway 13/31; but both the RNP LPV and NDB to Rwy 13 were withdrawn in Jan 2023.
There is plenty of parking both on the apron and on the grass.
Usually, one can leave/enter the field via the café or the open security gate; but both are often closed during mid-week or winter. Then one must use the code on the security gate. It is displayed in the notice board at the base of the ATC tower.

This notice board also gives taxi numbers etc. and nearby is a public telephone (if you don’t have a mobile).

Wi-fi: The ULM club next to the aero club is often more active and has Wi-fi in its club room which it has let me use. It has a strong signal and so if used once, you can use it again outside its windows even when it is closed! Login: Bbox-311696. Password: Gallot2016

Avgas: As the tower is now permanently closed it is only available on 2 hour PPR. As it is not Total or any longer BP it must be either cash or credit card.

Fees: Without ATC there are NO FEES for landing or parking.

Taxi: Radio Taxi Dieppe: 02 35 84 20 05. Get the taxi to drop you off at the Tourist Office, which is in the centre of the port, where there are plenty of “freebies”. This is also the place where there are nearly always taxis waiting to bring you back.

Restaurants: You are now almost on Quai Henri IV – a wonderful area with views over the harbour, full of restaurants specialising in fish courses etc. Among them, I would recommend Le New Haven at #53. http://www.restaurantdieppe.fr/ If, though, fresh fish is your thing then it doesn’t get any fresher or more wonderfully cooked than at Le Turbot https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g207347-d2702916-Reviews-Le_Turbot-Dieppe_Seine_Maritime_Haute_Normandie_Normandy.html just up from the Tourist Office at 14 Quai de la Cale.
If you have never tried it, do experience ‘La Marmite Dieppois’ - a wonderful fish stew in its own special pot made with cream etc. The best in Dieppe is at the eponymous La Marmite Dieppois, http://marmitedieppoise.fr/restaurant-dieppe-fishes-uk/ 8 rue Saint Jean, 76200 Dieppe: +33 2 35 84 24 26. Not cheap, but very good.

The town: Stroll down The Grande Rue (now pedestrianised), where on Saturday morning there is a wonderful Farmers’ Market (three times voted ‘France’s finest’): an abundance of stalls offering farm fresh butter, pâte, sausages, cheeses etc – none of which have seen a ‘freezer’ in their life!
At the end of The Grande Rue is the Le Café des Tribunauux, still packed and chaotic as it was when Monet, Renoir, Gauguin, Pissarro and Whistler used to sit there and discuss art and, a little later, Oscar Wilde composing The Ballad of Reading Gaol. A wonderful place to enjoy the late afternoon sunshine and watch the world go by.

Hotels: On the eastern edge of town, there is the delightful Auberge du Vieux Puits https://www.puys.fr/en/ which has its own good restaurant. In the past, I have stayed on the sea front at Hotel Windsor *** https://www.hotelwindsor.fr/ which I have found very good. It has an attractive panoramic restaurant on the first floor overlooking the sea.
If you want to save the €uros, and/or stay up near the airfield, there is a Hotel Kyriad https://www.kyriad.com/en-us/our-hotels/france/normandy/hotels-dieppe/ within reasonable walking distance.
Dieppe airfield is also one of the few where you can camp free on the field with the use of the club house shower and wash room (provided it is that time of the year when it is open!) .

Although it is VFR only, without CUSTOMS, and GRASS, I find Saint Cyr L'ecole LFPZ a most attractive field and the best for staying/visiting Paris.
As all the GA fields for Paris now no longer have Customs, whichever one you use, you are required to clear them 'en route'. From the South-East of UK, I use either Le Touquet or Calais.
Approach: From the North, one has to be below the Paris TMA of 1500', usually reporting the Serres Greenhouses for integration into the 800' circuit for L or R 890 metre parallel runways.
On Right Base for R29, or final for R11, one gets a stupendous view of The Palace of Versailles.
For first time visitors, it is essential that you read carefully the text from the AIP France for the airfield (appended to the plates in Skydemon).
Fuel: Is strictly for BP Cards only, unless requested with Air BP 24 hrs PPR on +33 1 74 25 49 58. Hi-Viz required for the person doing the refueling. Even if you have a BP Card, because it is a popular GA field, ascertaining in advance that Avgas is available either from BP direct or the Tower (+33 1 30 58 12 60) is often wise.
Restaurant on the field: There is an attractive, and good restaurant close to the tower: Les Ailes Volantes. https://www.facebook.com/Les-Ailles-Volantes-195581707319836/ A sign of its quality is that it is often full of 'outsiders'.
Accommodation: Right by the entrance to the airfield are two places of accommodation: one behind the other!
The first you will see - and by its architectural style you can see that it has accommodated/fed aviators since 1909! - is Le Pavillon de L'Aero*. https://www.facebook.com/pavillondelaero/ Behind it is the Motel B & B Hotel Aérotel**. http://www.aerotel.fr/ I have stayed in both and find them perfectly acceptable as one's base if exploring Paris or Versailles. Although Le Pavillion de L'Aero is the more historic. and therefore perhaps more nostalgic, I found it was a little 'tired' (Change of owners?) compared to the Hotel Aérotel.
Being very close to the former Saint Cyr L'ecole Military Academy there are many eating establishments within easy walking distance, if needed e.g. La Tanière. https://lataniere.eatbu.com/?lang=fr#menu [Some others are shown on the next link for the RER station]
Saint Cyr RER: What makes Saint Cyr L'ecole airfield so attractive is that the local RER https://www.france-voyage.com/cities-towns/versailles-31505/rer-station-saint-cyr-23464.htm is only 5 minutes walk away; making getting to Versailles or to the centre of Paris so convenient and cheap (in contrast to the complicated/expensive process required from the other airfields around Paris).
For only €5.20 one can take the half-hour journey (which runs twice each hour till midnight each way) to Gare Montparnasse. Remember that this ticket also includes any journey via the Metro within Paris (provided one doesn't 'surface' from the journey en route.)
Likewise, for €1.10 one can go just the two stops to Versailles-Rive Gauche which is right outside the Palace itself. I would allow two days to see this wonderful world-famous site: One, for the Palace itself; and another, for the Gardens (best seen by bicycle - a lot cheaper if you bring your own, as I try to do, in the plane!).

The airfield continues to be a useful ‘stopover’ for those wanting Customs/Fuel/Overnight and/or accessible accommodation.
Landing: Although there are/were a variety of Approach procedures some have been curtailed (permanently?).
TRO VOR is out of commission; and the NDB TY is threatened with withdrawal which would eliminate the NDB Approach.
However there are two good LVP RNP Approaches 17/35 with STARS.
PA28: €8 Landing; €12 per 24hr Parking (€0.5 per hour)
Customs & Administration: There were helpful staff and Customs provided that you conform to their scheduled arrangements I.e. 24 hr PN for Customs and recognise that both ATC & airfield close promptly. [We had difficulty extracting someone after they landed in-hours but tried to leave the field only a few minutes later!]
The CouCou Restaurant https://le-coucou.fr/ is open and functioning and is a popular airfield restaurant but only at the specified lunch times.
Fuel: Conveniently, there is a 24/7 Self Service Avgas pump which takes ordinary Credit Cards. Avgas: €2.71 pl
Hotel: For convenience we stayed at The Golden Tulip**** https://troyes-nord.campanile.com/en-us/ which is within easy walking distance.
It produced a good breakfast and an adequate evening menu provided one was not staying for too many days. It has an Outdoor pool.
The hotel is ideal for Overnighter’s or those who want to be by the airport (like ourselves); but, as it is 7km from Troyes centre, for those spending a few days and/or wishing to explore Troyes itself (which is very beautiful) I would suggest staying in town.
Taxi to the centre is about €20; but allow plenty of time for it to arrive because it has to come from the town. About 10 minutes from the hotel, at Barberey-Saint Sulpice (the Commercial Supermarche area), Bus #3 https://tcat.fr/se-deplacer/le-reseau-tcat/horaires-et-plans/ goes to the centre of Troyes twice an hour from 07.00-20.00 (journey time 20 mins).