Vienna – Prague

This leg is another short hop of just 147 miles.

While I never shy away from landing at international airports consideration has to be given to the cost of doing so and any other difficulties.  I had already decided to bin landing at Vienna international.  I was told it was expensive and slow.  I made some initial enquiries and yes, it is expensive. I had contacted someone at Voslau airport outside Vienna who told me to avoid Vienna International and instead to fly into Voslau.  He said that there was a train that could be got quite close by direct to Vienna.  He also advised that I should avoid Prague International and instead fly to Letnany.  As it happens, I had already been considering doing exactly that but hadn’t made up my mind.  Since Prague International requires you to have mode S on you transponder and my plane does not have that ability the decision was more or less made for me.

Letnany seems to be a really good choice.  It is right next to the subway and so provides an excellent airport from which to get into the centre of Prague. Furthermore, there is a bus terminal at the airport also.  Landing fees and parking are great.  According to the airport’s website landing fees for my plane are 12 Euros with parking charged at 8 Euros a day.

The airport is flanked by three other large airports.  This is what it says on the website:

 

“The airport Letnany is one of the oldest airports in the Czech Republic, it was established in 1925.

There were three aircraft factories in 1930s – Letov, Aero and Praga.

Today the airport is surrounded by the build-up area. Our airport is in the MCTR Kbely and is surrounded

by three big airports with international and military traffic. Prepare your flight well, please.

Prague Letňany Airport is characterised as a metropolitan airport, with a dense housing estate in its immediate vicinity.

With respect to good relationship with the airport neighbours, follow the given traffic pattern and all the noise control

procedures please.”

 

It has grass runways and I think it is a perfect choice for those visiting Prague.

THE REALITY

“Golf Alpha X-ray Zulu Delta, you are number two: follow traffic on final to runway 23 Right” came the controller’s voice from the tower of Letnany Airport, Prague……..

Letnany airport is right next to (and I mean right next to) a military airport, Kbely, with exactly the same runway layout.  The difference is that Letnany has two grass runways whereas Kbely is asphalt.  There are plenty of stories of aircraft landing at the wrong airport. I was not going to add to that statistic.

Once again – like the approach to Vienna – Letnany airport was upon us before we knew it.  It didn’t help that after being handed over from Prague Radar to Kbely Control our transponder wouldn’t work.  “Golf Alpha X-ray Zulu Delta, I repeat: squawk (the term used for a transponder code) 7043” instructed Kbely. “7043 but we are having problems with our transponder, Golf Alpha X-ray Zulu Delta” I replied. With no transponder we wouldn’t show up with identification on Kbely’s radar screen.  We busily tried to resolve the problem, recycling the transponder, switching it on and off, recycling again but it wasn’t working.  “Golf Alpha X-ray Zulu Delta: failed radar indentification.  Route direct to Lima Kilo Lima Tango” (the phonetic coding for Letnany Airport) instructed the controller from the military radar facility.

Eventually, the transponder blinked its orange light showing that it was now sending out its signal.  “Golf Alpha X-ray Zulu Delta now radar identified.  Contact Letnany on One-Two-Zero, decimal Three-Two-Five.  Have a nice day sir” announced the Kbely controller.  “Thank you.  Letnany, on One-Two-Zero, decimal Three-Two-Five, Golf Alpha  X-ray Zulu Delta.  Goodbye” I replied.

The landing on the grass runway at Letnany was soft.  I’ve been told that grass runways are beautiful to land upon but I have never landed on one despite my many years of flying.  As we turned off the runway Letnany Tower announced, “Golf Alpha X-ray Zulu Delta, landing time: Fifteen Oh One” (the time in UTC [the ‘old’ GMT] which is two hours behind local time in Prague).  What I thought was a cat turned out to be a huge hare running in front of our plane across the grass.  He was our only greeting party.  How things have changed since our royal receptions at Salerno, Dubrovnik and  Zagreb.

It’s all a blur now.  It’s hard to believe that only a few hours ago we were sitting on the outside balcony area at the airport in Vienna eating lunch and now we were in a new country with lots to explore.

Below: G-AXZD on the stand at Voslau Aiport, Vienna (first two photos) and then, on the grass stand at Letnany Airport, Prague.

Prague:

 

LETNANY AIRPORT: MY OPINION

A grass runway but an airport with a real ‘free feel’ to it.  Again, helpful staff.  The airport is very close to the underground station.  It is a 10 minute walk to the station down a gravel/dirt track. Look, that’s all fine and dandy if you just have a rucksack; it’s not very pleasant with suitcases galore.  But, that’s what we did.  It was a bit of fun.  But, if you want my advice and you are heading for the centre of Prague: get a taxi.  That is what we did when we returned to the airport.  It cost us £14.00.  Yes, £14.000 (about €19.00) for a 25 minute ride.  Take the taxi!!!!!

Prices:

We parked three nights.  The total costs for landing and parking was €41.80.  In my opinion, very good value.

Fuel is provided by the aero club.  The fuel price including taxes was €2.26 per Litre