Spain France Germany

[Wahlhamburger]

I am a fresh pilot with a total of 95 hours. Last week we flew the RV9A I bought this year in Spain from Mallorca in the Mediterranean to the French Atlantic coast and then to southern Germany. I flew as PIC with my instructor as safety pilot (and mostly handling the radio..)
LESB LFMK LFDH LFBS LFOO LFEY LFEV EDTM

70% flying by hand, 30% autopilot.

I’ve landed the plane on different airfields from 600 m gras to 2000 m runways. Only once did I need do a go around due to some turbulence on final.

I can confirm what is generally known about the RV9A: It is super easy to handle in all conditions I’ve encountered: it lands slower than most airplanes and it takes off much quicker. Trimming is super easy. The range of the flaps is just perfect. So it spoils you with ample reserves.

So if anything I think I will need a transition training back to the old metal.

 

[Dugaru]

Great photos! Where did you see the PBY?

 

[Wahlhamburger]

Great photos! Where did you see the PBY?

It was at Biscarrosse, the Seaplane centre

 

[Ian Coates]

Glad to see you had a good trip, we enjoyed our few days in Carcassone.
Have fun with your new 9.

All the best Ian.

 

[Wahlhamburger]

Glad to see you had a good trip, we enjoyed our few days in Carcassone.
Have fun with your new 9.

All the best Ian.

Thanks, Ian. Was nice to see another RV on that trip.

 

[Bavarian911]

Thanks, Ian. Was nice to see another RV on that trip.

Hi Wahlhamburger,
Quick question for you:
When flying in EU, do you need every time a permit to land in EU countries ? I am moving to Portugal wondering how to deal with experimental airplanes in EU.
Thanks,
Stephan
Lisbon-Boston

 

[Wahlhamburger]

As far as I know the experimental class is not harmonized in the EU as opposed to standard Echo class. Therefore you must check AIPs for each country. That said for the countries I checked there was a provision that allowed EU registered experimentals to enter and use without special permission.
In Germany I can stay for 6 months with a non German registered experimental plane.
Other countries may have different rules but didn’t encounter any yet where you can’t fly

 

[rv8ch]

Lots of others on the forum with much more experience than I have, but I've flown my Swiss-registered "homebuilt" aircraft VFR in many European countries, and the only one that required anything done in advance was Spain. All the other flights have the same requirements for an RV8 as they do for a PA28.

 

[Dan 57]

@Wahlhamburger, @rv8ch is correct (as he usually is ), but to be slightly more precise, the homebuilt has to be EASA (or G-) registered (N- are not included!), and can then move freely across all of Europe, but for Spain where you would have to go online to fill an information form should you care to.
This freedom was agreed by an ECAC conference many moons ago, during which, surprise surprise, all countries agreed... more can be read here:

ECAC recommendations on home-built (1980) and historical (2016) aircraft​

 

[penguin]

Portugal also require a request for permission to operate a homebuilt in their airspace, but often no reply is received. There is an email address on the ENAC website , and a list of data required. Apart from Spain and Portugal it is straight forward to fly through the rest of Europe. But in many countries it is not possible to remain there with a foreign registered homebuilt for longer than 28 days.