Below are the highlights and, I hope, some useful tips from my solo trip around the Baltic Sea in July 2024.
Trip Details
Pilot: PPL(A) with 80 hours PIC since obtaining the license in Dec 2022
Plane: 1978 Reims Cessna 152 Long Range with 37.5 gallons of usable fuel
Total distance: 3757 km
Total flight time: 24h 40m
Airports visited: 14
Route Overview
Suwałki EPSU
Suwałki is a gateway from Poland into the Baltics. Famous for the infamous Suwałki Corridor, or Gap as some call it, it's a city located in the narrow stretch of land between Russian Kaliningrad and Belarus. A few years ago, a new impressive runway was built, and a fuel station from Warter was opened at the local airfield. Landing is free. For anyone traveling to Poland, to get fuel from one of the many Warter stations, one needs either a fuel card or to order pre-paid fuel from their website, which is later retrieved with a code. It works, but is very cumbersome. I hope you're reading this, Warter. It's time to start accepting Visa and Mastercard.
Riga Spilve EVRS
Old Soviet airfield on the outskirts of the Latvian capital. May seem a bit eerie to a Western visitor but definitely has its charm. The buildings there apparently remember early Brezhnev and don't seem to have been much renovated since. The runway is in reasonable condition; some people complain about FOD, but I did not notice that. Apply for PPR through their website to get a PPR number that you then need to include in the flight plan. Make sure to understand their approach procedures published in the AIP. No one on the radio on a Sunday. A man came to my plane in a Mercedes car, demanding 25 euros for landing. When asked about fuel, he said he needed the money first. He came back with a receipt shortly after and arranged for fuel, which in the end was cash only, so I didn't get it. From my previous trip to Riga, I remember the airfield is well connected to the city by frequent bus lines, and an Uber to the city centre is a reasonably short ride. On the whole, definitely worth a visit. Caveat: make sure to understand the somewhat complicated airspace.
Pärnu Airport EEPU
Pärnu, with a population of forty thousand, is a well-known coastal resort town in Estonia frequently visited by both Balts and Finns. It boasts a stunning coastline as well as numerous hotels and restaurants. Pärnu Airport, a former Soviet military airfield, has been rebuilt to modern standards and has very little traffic. The landing and parking fee for a day was 32.46 EUR, which included a navigation fee. I got some avgas there with no problem paying by card. The staff were super friendly and let me go up to the tower. A Bolt ride to the city, costing about seven euros, took less than 15 minutes. This was my last stop before crossing the Baltic Sea to Finland.
Flying in the Baltics
I did not experience any GPS jamming, but was extra careful entering Lithuania through the Suwałki Gap. What if the Russians sought attention by luring a small plane into their enclave through GPS tampering? I double-checked the route by following the roads and towns as one does when flying VFR. Latvia and Estonia are largely covered by forests, which, to be honest, is not my favorite terrain in case the engine quits. The ATC is super professional, and there is very little traffic on the radio.
Nummela EFNU
Nummela is a large general aviation airfield near Helsinki featuring an excellent long but narrow asphalt runway. PPR is easily obtainable from their website. Many companies and flight schools operate from this airfield, but its extremely friendly manager, Tom, does not reside on site. Therefore, if you need fuel, it's best to arrange it with him via email or phone a few days in advance. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the airfield before arrival (link). The danger zones near the field indicated glider activity when I was there.
GPS Jamming
I did not notice GPS inaccuracies neither near Kaliningrad nor near St. Petersburg. However, Tom from Nummela did warn me about quite heavy GPS jamming in southern Finland and provided a link to a map of GPS interference.
Mariehamn EFMA
Mariehamn Airport is located at the largest of Åland islands within a 15 minute taxi ride from the archipelago's capital. It is a pretty chill place. They let you land outside of ATC hours of operation, which seem to vary greatly due to limited traffic. I suggest calling the manager before arrival; she'll either pick up or call you back in perfect English. The instructions for getting outside the airport and returning are in the SkyDemon notes.
Åland Islands are an autonomous territory within Finland. The population is Swedish-speaking. They have their own license plates. Worth visiting: the Maritime Museum with the four-mast ship Pommern.
A pilot from Finland recommended Kumlinge airfield EFKG at a smaller island nearby as worth visiting.
Eskilstuna ESSU
This Swedish airfield, a hundred kilometers west of Stockholm, is in easier airspace compared to the popular STOCKHOLM/Skå-Edeby ESSE. If you plan to just get fuel, it's a great idea to fly there. Otherwise, it's a bit far from the Swedish capital. I was met by the owner of the FBO, who helped me refuel the plane and provided a warm welcome and coffee. Also, when asked, landing was free "today." In the meantime, a medical jet landed there. On the whole, a hassle-free airfield.
Further flight to Göteborg
This was the only challenging part of the journey. The cloud base varied between 1500–2000 feet with occasional showers. Fortunately, there were quite a few airports along the route, making diversion possible if the weather deteriorated further. At some point, I was told to contact "yotyeahboy control," which actually meant Göteborg control, and I asked them to repeat the name of the station.
Göteborg/Säve ESGP
An airfield with a paved runway just outside Göteborg. Well organized, with an invoice for 600 SEK (50 euros) for landing and a day stay sent to my email after departure. PPR form is available on their website. Interestingly, there are no anchors to moor the airplane on the asphalt apron, so it's worth having some chocks. Instructions on accessing the airfield are on SkyDemon too. Göteborg is the second-largest city in Sweden and is extremely diverse, but that's probably the case for most of urban Sweden. It was the only large city I visited during this trip, and it was a blast.
Flight Information Service
A flight information service (FIS) is a form of air traffic service which is available to any aircraft within a flight information region (FIR), as agreed internationally by ICAO.
That's the theory. I might be wrong, but among the countries I flew through, only Poland and Germany provided proper flight information services. As someone I met in Denmark explained, in that country, approach control of commercial airports also manages GA traffic within their Air Traffic Services (ATS) area. In practice, this means you get to hear commercial aircraft being cleared for ILS approaches on your frequency. That makes sense though, since the number of GA flights in those countries is relatively low. On the leg from Stockholm to Goetheborg, I heard "no reported traffic" a lot.
From Sweden to Denmark
On the way from Sweden to Denmark, I passed by the Danish island of Læsø. Although I did not land there, it is known for its famous airfield, EKLD, and is a popular holiday destination for Danes. It would definitely be on my list should I visit the area again.
Randers EKRD
My destination in Denmark was Randers Airfield (EKRD). I've been there before and absolutely love the local flight club. The few people present were extremely welcoming, and the self-service fuel station with card payment was very easy to use. What's impressive is how they trust you to fill out the paper landing register and send the payment for landing after. One of the payment options was a Danish money transfer app, which a pilot I had just met used on my behalf. I paid him back in Polish zloty since he was heading to Poland for a vacation.
Flensburg-Schaeferhaus EDXD
My first stop in Germany was the border town of Flensburg, which is an absolute gem with its incredible harbour, charming old town, and fantastic restaurants. I highly recommend visiting the Hansens Brauerei brewery at the harbor for excellent food and beer.
The airfield in Flensburg is equally impressive. My phone call was met with an enthusiastic invitation to land, and the reception upon arrival was very warm. On the way out, the staff assisted me in interpreting the weather around the airfield. So far, my impression of German airfields is that the people working there go out of their way to make your visit easy and are exceptionally friendly on the ground. Another German airfield I landed at was Eberswalde-Finow (EDAV), not far from Berlin.
Conclusions
The trip would not have been possible without SkyDemon, which was invaluable for both navigation and flight plan management, including filing, closing and delaying flight plans from the app (thanks, Adam!). Its pilot notes were essential for selecting destinations. I feel I should contribute some notes myself as a way of giving back to the community.
The longest leg of the trip was 2 hours and 40 minutes, and overall, the journey did not seem particularly difficult, despite it being my first time flying abroad. Aviation standards, including communication, are highly standardized thanks to ICAO. As long as you understand English, there's no need to be apprehensive about flying abroad.
The most challenging aspect was interpreting the weather, but fortunately, there was always someone on the ground ready to help.
If you're planning a similar route, I recommend consulting with a professional pilot or instructor. There may be considerations I haven't encountered, or as my instructor put it, "You might not be aware of all the risks."