Useful airfield information and home of the forum's fuel price league tables.

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By joe-fbs
#1696964
All-grass airfield, three runways, none longer than 700 metres. We went here in April to vist our son in nearby Utrecht. Friendly, busy small airfield with gliding and power. Study the published approach charts. Unusually for The Netherlands, it is possible to get to it without having to hedge-hop under the 1500 foot Class A that covers so much of the country. That said, when we arrived a large thick rain shower had positioned itself over the airfield and in dodging that I wandered too far west and into Schipol airspace. All I got was a polite radio call to please get out now. All my own fault, worrying about dodging the shower and with an ipad that kept losing GPS lock for the first time in several years of using it. Anyway, six weeks later nothing more heard so hopefully I am forgiven. So, we and half a dozen other small aeroplanes spent half an hour wandering around the area waiting for the shower to move before all diving in together when it did and before the next one arrived. Hilversum radio were most helpful in checking where we all were and even translating the Dutch language transmsssions for my benefit. They even asked my fuel state, four hours remaining as it happened!

Anyway, after one go-around, we were landed and parked. Met by some immigration people for a quick passport check. I don't remember the landing and parking fee but it wasn't a lot. There is a cafe but it was closed on this Saturday afternoon (so when does it open I wonder) but the nice people in the tower did make us some coffee.

The Netherlands is a very well run civilised country, a lesson to us all in my experience of three visits over the last year. One tip, the taxis are extortionately expensive while public transport is plentiful and cheap so taxis only as essential.

Departing the next day was just as pleasant, again immigration came to see our passports. We crossed the channel in one of those goldfish bowl days, legally VMC but I was using the instruments more than looking out. The Dutch and Belgians seem to have got our flight plan but not the British.

Something of a surprise landing back at the farm strip near Luton. We were met by two Border Force vans. Four polite young people and a friendly spaniel. Interestingly, they had tried to track us in using FR24 which had lost us when we went low for the Stansted transit. I did explain to them the NATS has a proper app' for this purpose.

Anyway, Hiversum, very good if you can use 700 m or less of grass.