Who is meant by Participant:
Someone flying to the GSD with a seaplane (straight floats or amphibian) and participating in the formation flights and other events for the pilots.
Please let us know that you intend to come. Registration is free but for our coordination of the planning we need to know the aircraft types and number of seaplanes. And it is nice for the fiming TV crews…  to know in advance…
And we know about the weather issue that will make the final decision for participation.

For helpful tips from other pilots about Como please visit also the Forum.

Overnight "parking" for seaplanes and humans

Planes
By now all participating planes are amphibians that can be parked at a regular airport and this is preferred by most owners for overnight stay. The closest regular airfield is private: Venegono. Cesare is right now working to get the permission for all our participants planes there for overnight parking. This is most likely. As soon as we know I will inform the known participants. If not we would fly to Bresso.
In any case we are working on transportation (small buses or private cars for the transportation back to Como for the dinner). If we have to charter transportation there might be a fee for that.

(Cesare Baj: If we have space in our hangar we shall be happy to host your seaplane. If not, she has to be taken to Venegono or Bresso airport. The aircraft can be also parked on the apron of our seaplane base (not enclosed) or at a mooring buoy.)

Hotels
Please be responsible for your own reservation and pay.
Since Como is a very attractive place for tourists there are numerous hotels in all price ranges in and around Como. :-) To make it easer for pilots with planes (and their crew) for the transportation to Venegono it would be helpful for all of us if not everybody has to be taken to a different hotel. Therefore we suggest the following hotels, comments by Cesare Baj:

+++++HOTEL ENGADINA
Viale Rosselli
22100 COMO
http://www.hotelengadina.com/
The closest to the Seaplane base, very vivid, not for people who prefer a graveyard to sleep. :-)

+++++HOTEL FIRENZE
Piazza Volta 16
22100 COMO
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+39 (031) 300333
In the middle of town, but more quiet than Hotel Engadina

+++++HOTEL TERMINUS
Lungo Lario Trieste 14
22100 Como
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+39 (031) 329111
For those who want it a little bit on the luxurious side

We are sure, there are many other comparable and excellent hotels in Como, but  as mentioned, it makes sense to constrain it to a few.
 

Program Overview

• Friday evening: dinner at restaurant close to the hangar (talks about the European Seaplane future, we will have a guest from the University of Frankfurt)
• Saturday midday: excursion by seaplane to a restaurant on the lake (it will be the main social event)
• *Saturday evening: informal dinner at a restaurant close to the hangar. After dinner: music in the hangar
• Sunday: free or informal brunch for participants

*For Saturday evening: dinner and music of the Sixties in the hangar.
The band will play after dinner. May be a little in late afternoon. Music: English and American rock of the Sixties.
The dinner is that for the 60th birthday of the (medical) doctor of the Aero Club Como, to which we will add places for the pilots attending the Seaplane Day. The music is played by a cover band of which Cesare Baj is a member and plays the rhythm guitar. The doctor plays the lead guitar.

We have to know the number of people the day before, so that we can inform the catering service. Cesare Baj will inform us soon about the price of the dinner.

In close reconcilement with the weather we will see additional activities during the day like visits, videos, conferences.

 

Regular Airports
There are three reliever airport close by to park amphibians overnight or to land planes without floats: Varese Venegono, Milano Bresso and Lugano.

Flying over the Alps and in Italy
Here you can find background info to flying to and in Italy. (Language is German.) For flight preparation Philipp Tieman's website also offers a very useful description of various routes over the Alps.

Comment from Stefan Mommertz, who intends to fly in with an Amhibium:
Just came back from Lago di Como - it´s amazing: The mountains and countryside of the Lombardy, the ancient architectur, the people, the food - Italy at it´s finest.

Two beautifull alpine crossings via the Brenner pass. A bit of a challenge on the way back, because a troph was favoring instable air, thus enabling cumuli congesti and cumuli nimbi. Controllers on both sides of the Brenner Pass were very professionell, helpfull and friendly when I asked for weather and ATS information.

The good thing about a troph is the relativly cold air, enabling good engine performance. The rough water Take off run could be kept short, thus keeping strain off the airframe. With Max T/O weight, we could take the Scout up to 9500. The OAT indicator showed 6 Celcius. A bit of mountain wave flying brought some additional fun and altitude.

Am looking forward to come back to Aero Club Como and it´s helpful and professionel members!

Last Updated on Monday, 20 September 2010 12:07