I usually fly in the US but I'm looking for some great smaller to medium size cities to fly to and from into some mountain and bush airports. 

 

Any areas for recommendation that will give some good scenery and performance.  I want to stay away from huge cities. 

Have a look at the clip in this post - the Norwegian fjords offer a pretty breathtaking place to fly... No large cities at all. Takeoff from Floro (ENFL)?

Northern Norway is great as well - take off from Svolvær Helle Airport (ENSH) and have a look! Maybe plot a flight from there over the mountain range into Sweden in Kiruna (ESNQ) passing the highest mountian in Sweden, Kebnekaise.

Further south - I am pretty sure that flying around the Lac Leman in Switzerland is going to be awsome as well (it is IRL) - why not dial in to the Gruyères airport and start there (code LSGT) - maybe plot a flight to the Aosta Airport (LIMW) in the Italian alps and pass the Mont Blanc on route?

https://goo.gl/maps/szL1w9YGuuwRgxZA9

 

Edited August 16, 20205 yr by mazex

There are two regions that I don't tire to fly in Europe : mainland Greece and the Aegean sea islands and the Alps. Some large airports but plenty of mid- and small sized ones.  The Alps are of course more challenging in general. Greece and the Agean airports are sometimes tricky too though. 

1 hour ago, atlflyer said:

I usually fly in the US but I'm looking for some great smaller to medium size cities to fly to and from into some mountain and bush airports. 

Any areas for recommendation that will give some good scenery and performance.  I want to stay away from huge cities. 

Two flights I've done over the past few weeks, both starting from southern Germany, both along beautiful and diverse terrain and interesting towns and cities:

• Crossing the Alps to the Mediterranean Sea - Start at EDNY (Friedrichshafen), cross Lake Constance heading ESE, turn south over Bregenz, into Liechtenstein, follow the Hinterrhein valley and then the Ticino river valley until you pass over Lago Maggiore, then head roughly east, passing Milano, Verona, Padua, and then Venice (all in beautiful photogrammetry). Continue east across the sea to LJPZ (Portorož in Slovenia). Before landing and refueling there (depending on aircraft, I was using a C172), check out the beautiful fishing village of Piran slighty north of LJPZ. If you want to continue, you can then head south along the Istrian coast, checking out a number of nice towns along the coast until you reach the larger port city of Pula in Croatia. Then head directly south, all the way across the Adriatic sea and the Italian peninsula to Naples (photogrammetry), check out Mt. Vesuvius, continue along the beautiful Amalfi coast, refuel again at LIRI (Salerno Costa d'Amalfi), then simply head further south following the Italian coast, cross the Strait of Messina, passing Mt. Etna and Catania on Sicily, continue SSW over the sea, finally landing at LMML on the island of Malta to enjoy your virtual vacation there.
• Following the Rhine to the North Sea - Again start at EDNY (Friedrichshafen), then over Lake Constance, simply fly towards the West instead of east and follow the river Rhine all the way to the sea. Sights and Cities along the way: Konstanz, the Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen, Basel, Strasbourg with its Cathedral, Mannheim, the Rhine Gorge with its famous Loreley rock/cliff, Koblenz, Cologne with its Cathedral, Arnhem, Rotterdam. When you have reached the North Sea, you can continue east, checking out the various Frisian islands along the coast.

Edited August 16, 20205 yr by Der Zeitgeist

I'm anxious to see how they've treated Leysin, Suisse and particularly my old high school there: Leysin-American School. 

I was just looking at the Google satellite/car images and cannot believe just how much the area around the Berneuse has grown. 😉

23 minutes ago, Dominique_K said:

There are two regions that I don't tire to fly in Europe : mainland Greece and the Aegean sea islands and the Alps. Some large airports but plenty of mid- and small sized ones.  The Alps are of course more challenging in general. Greece and the Agean airports are sometimes tricky too though. 

I completely second this. Every summer I just flight around the greek islands with some jumps to Athens (flytampa, please!), istambul and the turkish coast. The rest of the year Switzerland is my main hub I love the approach to Sion surrounded by huge mountains. I fly to many places of course, but like Dominique_K I never get tired of these two.

Cheers

Carlos

10 minutes ago, n4gix said:

I'm anxious to see how they've treated Leysin, Suisse and particularly my old high school there: Leysin-American School. 

I was just looking at the Google satellite/car images and cannot believe just how much the area around the Berneuse has grown. 😉

The last video I did in P3D was a flight with the T-6 from Saanen to Aosta turning to Martigny  over Aigle /Leysin 😉. Beautiful flight in Orbx OpenLC.

The Alps (Tirol in Austria, Switzerland, Northern Italy and French Alps) & Norway as mentioned above. Also Scotland is awesome! Edinburgh - Stornoway - Sumburgh - Aberdeen for example.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Aviosuperficie+Chavez%2FMarini/@46.132892,8.3067695,823m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m8!1m2!2m1!1sdomodossola+aeroporto!3m4!1s0x4785f17ca5acd089:0xea4b087532ab2a0b!8m2!3d46.1331166!4d8.3063759

This is near our family vacation house, you can see the Lago Maggiore and the Alps (Monte Rosa)

Edited August 16, 20205 yr by EmaRacing

Thanks all! Looking forward to some European flying. I love the towns and buildings there. So unique and diverse.

 

What about short hops? I am only flying the GA aircraft so 45 min flights with the c172 or the tbm

Edited August 16, 20205 yr by atlflyer

Heading 090 from EGCC (Manchester) for about 25 miles until you get to the Peak National Park. Keep looking out of the starboard window. You will find the Howden and Derwent Reservoirs set in beautiful terrain which is some of the prettiest in the UK, although note that it is also famous for being the place where loads of aeroplanes have crashed in past years in IMC, owing to the many hills.

The Howden and Derwent Reservoirs are the two reservoirs which 617 Squadron's Avro Lancasters practiced ultra-low level flying on, in preparation for their raid on the Ruhr Valley Dams in WW2, so you can have some fun trying that. The Derwent reservoir dam is very pretty, with two castle towers on it.

Edited August 16, 20205 yr by Chock

37 minutes ago, Dominique_K said:

The last video I did in P3D was a flight with the T-6 from Saanen to Aosta turning to Martigny  over Aigle /Leysin 😉. Beautiful flight in Orbx OpenLC.

Looking at the street side views brought back very many  warm and wonderful memories Dom. 

3 hours ago, Chock said:

...Peak National Park..You will find the Howden and Derwent Reservoirs set in beautiful terrain which is some of the prettiest in the UK, although note that it is also famous for being the place where loads of aeroplanes have crashed...

That's my local patch in reality; if the dev tools let us put custom POI markers in I might label up all the hills I've climbed(!) and try put some sort of sightseeing route together. Also on the way to the Upper Derwent Reserviors you will find the wreckage of B-29 Overexposed at the summit of Snake Pass. In fact I have an idea for a loop...

This route takes you around most of the Peak District National Park bar the Northern moorlands of Dark Peak and the area bordering Northern Sheffield. I rekon it's about 1h15m flying at 100 ktas. I've done it based on starting flying E out of Manchester as @Chock suggested, but could do this from East Midlands Airport EGNX or airfields at Hucknall, Netherthorpe and Coal Aston. ATC note: Once beyond the built up area of Manchester (East of Glossop VRP, following the Snake Pass) stay below FL45 to remain outside controlled airspace, the terrain safe altitude is 2400 ft AMSL for this sector .

Once you've reached the Derwent reserviors route SSW into the Hope Valley taking in Mam Tor landslip (be careful of paragliders along this ridge, and gliders operaitng out of Camphill) and the quarries near Castleton, then turn SE to follow the series of gritstone edges that seperate White Peak from Dark Peak until you get to Chatsworth House (simply follow the railway until it sods off into a long tunnel, then adjust course S along the River Derwent). From Chatsworth Estate continue S along the River Derwent until you get to Matlock Bath with its cable cars and theme park, where you turn SW up to Carsington Water (you can tune to Trent TNT VOR which is on its shores).

Once at Carsington Water continue SW following the roads to Ashbourne town (there's airfields at Darley Moor and Calton Moor if you require a cup of tea), where you turn N back towards Manchester; follow either the River Dove or Manifold which routes you along the pretty dales that mark the border between Derbyshire and Staffordshire. The two valleys get very close to each other just South of Hollinsclough (look for "Dragon's Back" Chrome Hil and "Sugar lump" Parkhouse Hill), here turn W, this will lead you to Three Shire Heads where Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire meet at a series of waterfalls (it's near to the highest village in England, Flash "ahhh haaaa"). From Three Shire Heads go N again crossing atop the infamous Cat and Fiddle Road and drop into the Goyt Valley with Errwood and Fernilee Reserviors, continuing up to the now infamous (and drained) Todbrook Reservior near Chapel-en-le-Frith (ATC note: from Three Shire Heads onwards you're just inside the Manchester D CTA starting at 3000 ft, anything East of the described route puts you inside the CTR itself so if you're on VATSIM/IVAO you should call up Manchester Approach for at least a traffic service and potentially a zone transit or entry. Also to the South of Three Shire Heads is D-304 Stake Gutter Army Training).

From Chapel you can route W back to Manchester Airport or continue N to fly with Kinder Plateau off to your right until you reach Glossop town and the Woodhead Pass - this would close the loop and you can just follow the motorways E back to Manchester Airport.

Here it is on El Goog https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/53.354606,-2.2784504/53.3445037,-2.2870404/@52.7944334,-1.8683036,41743a,35y,358.17h,45.41t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m59!4m58!1m55!3m4!1m2!1d-1.9072402!2d53.4410874!3s0x487bcdb4984e837b:0x14901f1b98de6c4!3m4!1m2!1d-1.7487644!2d53.4134737!3s0x487bd37a7bb79547:0x6f1ff6bfee0eb9dd!3m4!1m2!1d-1.789401!2d53.370235!3s0x487a2d2916dbe4d3:0xab218cb29a73f38a!3m4!1m2!1d-1.6397715!2d53.3014246!3s0x487a2a11814e9fe1:0x53203633f9e34819!3m4!1m2!1d-1.5601242!2d53.115898!3s0x48798bd3881fc891:0x198b0d5b1967fc5c!3m4!1m2!1d-1.7345481!2d53.0204692!3s0x487a18bce52117c1:0xaea53263464a8b38!3m4!1m2!1d-1.8371008!2d53.0945166!3s0x487a3cc72321ac91:0xd39614f67964f987!3m4!1m2!1d-1.8459065!2d53.1718985!3s0x487a3ac34d4814b9:0xf2cbb5dd64d19759!3m4!1m2!1d-1.9898597!2d53.2171207!3s0x487a379c6535be75:0x8c22b53e33a97504!3m4!1m2!1d-1.9818824!2d53.2752533!3s0x487a3688df819ccf:0x6d04cbdb97905e29!3m4!1m2!1d-1.9442621!2d53.4588842!3s0x487bcc01a34f43ff:0x5f6771dc9f326637!1m0!3e2

And here's the flightplan you can input to SkyVector EGCC 532656N0015149W 532614N0014426W 532214N0014800W XAPOS 530647N0013329W TNT 530100N0014445W 531213N0015454W 531312N0015914W 532652N0015512W EGCC  

Edited August 16, 20205 yr by ckyliu

45 minutes ago, atlflyer said:

Thanks all! Looking forward to some European flying. I love the towns and buildings there. So unique and diverse.

 

What about short hops? I am only flying the GA aircraft so 45 min flights with the c172 or the tbm

 Any good apps that have approach charts for the European airports? I know Flight Plan Go covers North America but I don't see any for Europe.

http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/ use to cover most aerodrome charts although it requires free registration. I put a list together at http://viaintercity.com/forums/general-discussion/flight-planning-and-routing-resources/

Edited August 16, 20205 yr by ckyliu