PIREPs by Johannes

We landed there on 30.12.25, just before New Year’s, in a Pioneer 400. The online briefing seems excessive at first glance, but on site it turns out to be well justified, especially in summer. The approach from the north is beautiful, through narrow valleys. Traffic-wise it was very busy that day: everything from a C152 to a Global 6000, yet arrivals and departures were very relaxed. Quick and friendly handling on the ground. Landing and 2 h parking for 80 CHF - MTOW 850 kg. Caution: for the return flight a flight plan must already be in the system; only after that are you allowed to pay. No customs control was required. Food at the airfield restaurant with salad bar was tasty and, by Swiss standards, downright inexpensive. One more point: after the first landing, you must complete a training flight with an instructor to finish the local checkout; only then may you depart again (unless you are flying with an FI or are one yourself). Regarding FI availability, we were assured by phone that one would be available, but without a fixed slot. Be sure to book an appointment, because on our arrival day none was actually available for us! Since we had an FI on board, that was a minor issue. Happy to return.

We were in Lognes on 27.12.25 for a short visit. For German pilots it is a bit unusual to have a controlled aerodrome with uncontrolled airspace around it. Whether GND and TWR are really needed for a field with a 700 m asphalt runway is debatable. In my view that rather increases workload; traffic there is relatively dense. Watch out for the Paris TMA (Class A from 1500 ft MSL) and the LF-R around the city center. Fuel and handling were quick and friendly. The aerodrome restaurant was unfortunately closed, but there is a very good Italian place about a 10-minute walk from the field, somewhat hidden between Burger King and McDonalds. To pay the landing fee there is now a banner with a huge QR code on the fence; it links to an online form with Aerops. Just fill it in and pay, for example, with Apple Pay. About €21 for a landing at 850 kg MTOW.

Today with the UL (472.5 kg) coming from Slovenia, made a brief stop in Pula. The airport sees little scheduled airline traffic, so everything is very relaxed and handled with a streamlined process—Direct to. Staff very accommodating and friendly. Landing fee of €11.88 is more than OK for an airport of this size. I did not request PPR, as all the phone numbers listed on the website were unreachable. Deducting one star for the small uncertainty factor and the lack of coffee in the GAT and the terminal :)

Visit in June 2025 with a P2002. Flew in on a VFR flight plan and requested a practice ILS in VMC. Complete freedom for routing and LOC intercept. No issue even with scheduled traffic present. 1 touch-and-go and 1 full-stop landing; handling €26.25. Staff friendly and competent; processing very quick.