LewisPilot2013: Well I won't need to finish up, i'll be finishing up my private in the next couple weeks, I'll hopefully even have my instrument rating by the time I get to Poland. How is the weather to fly in January? ...and is there anything special I need to do having an FAA rating and flying in Poland?
In a word, the weather sucks in the winter if you depend on the plane for business. I ordered a preheat kit last winter because it just wouldn't turn over, no matter how much time I spent blasting it with the heater. Unless you're in something turbocharged, you probably won't live very long flying IFR here in the winter. Over half of the days are overcast with really low ceilings...dreamy. The summer is almost as much fun, lots of embedded thunderstorms (I'm actually waiting out the weather right now in Dresden because I haven't yet invested in a strikefinder...). Side note, there are drunk Poles in the next room destroying the room and screaming Kurwa, good times. If you're coming from the states, the biggest difference will be the cost, landing, handling, fuel... After you decide to eat rice and beans to fly, the second thing that is disgusting is access to weather information. No XM weather, no 1800WXBRIEF, DUATS, etc. I had a satellite phone setup for a while to pull weather, but it wasn't reliable or very cost effective. ATC is helpful, but they're often to busy to assist.
About Poland specifically:
Only international airports are allowed to sell avgas (clubs can go in on a tank, but they can't legally sell it, nor do they to non club members).
You have to file a flight plan at least an hour prior to taking off in order to fly into controlled airspace (over the phone, no filing over the internet).
International airports have mandatory handling here (read, something else to pay, sometimes obscene amounts, EPWR was charging €100 flat handling fee plus €20 landing fee earlier this year...).
They're pretty relaxed about where and when you can fly (uncontrolled fields, offsite landings with PPR, etc), especially when compared to Germany.
There aren't many airports period.
The only airports with instrument approaches are the big ones, good news is, they've all got an ILS.
After the sun goes down, you have to land at an international airport as the concept of pilot controlled lighting doesn't exist.
No GPS approaches.
You legally need a DME, GPS can't be substituted for a DME (I've never been called out on it).
Cheap fuel compared to the rest of Europe.
Terrible, expensive, lazy, worthless maintenance shops (if you can find one).
There are some great pilots here, and lots of people fly aerobatics and STOL (the zlins and the wilgas).
Most of private aviation consists of ultralights (think LSA, not trikes) and gliders.
al111: Seems like the posts are being deleted for sure. Just wanted to say me and the missus are very much interested. How do we get intouch with you? Do you have a website with more details??
If after all that you're still interested, I'll pop you message. It's just a private* plane, not trying to rent it out or take people on flights to make money or anything like that. I just enjoy flying, and want to share my addiction :)
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