Explore Greece with OAV Leg No 1
Athens (LGAV) - Sallonika (LGTS)

On Friday 22 of April 2005 the first of the five leg event of OAV took place in a group flight arriving from Eleftherios Venizelos (LGAV) to Thessaloniki (LGTS) including the return back to LGAV.

At 21:30 local time a small briefing from Giannis Bouras started at company's frequency (119.57) explaining the SID STAR procedures, the difficulties of the flight and some tips that pilots had to consider in order to have some enjoyable moments. Unfortunately some pilots could not join the session but that didn't change the enthusiasm that everybody was feeling. Half an hour later everybody was tuned on approach frequency waiting for the IFR clearance on an overloaded frequency.

It took me almost 40 minutes to taxi to the holding position of runway 21L but those was some beautiful moments having the frequency to crowded from the pilot communication with controllers. And then up on the air. TCAS was full of other aircrafts but no traffic alerts and that because of the wonderful job those controllers done.

Forty five minutes on the air and LGTS approach gives me the clearance to land on runway 33 closing te first face of the leg. The flight plan for return was ready on fmc and with no delay I requested new clearance to Athens . The time was almost 12:00 o'clock but nobody was haring to close. "OAV163 cleared takeoff rwy 24 wind from ...." toga and on the air again heading south.

Another 45 minutes and "Clear to land rwy 21R ...." was signing the end of the first leg. Time was almost 1 o'clock and a nice feeling of a beautiful event was triggering my mind.

Closing here I would like to thank everybody that joined this event. I would like also to thank our controllers who helped us "build" this event and we promise next time we will be more prepared and more patient.

 

Stay well and see you soon.....

 

 

Explore Greece with OAV Leg No 2
Athens (LGAV) - Souda (LGSA)

On Friday 13 of April 2005 the second of the five leg event of OAV took place in a group flight arriving from Eleftherios Venizelos (LGAV) to Chania (LGSA) including the return back to LGAV.

At 21:30 local time a small briefing from Spiros Demas started at company's frequency (119.57) explaining the SID STAR procedures, the difficulties of the flight.Half an hour later everybody was tuned on approach frequency waiting for the IFR clearance on 119.10 frequency.

At 22:15 the first aircraft of olympic airways virtual passed 1000ft from 03R, and with special ATC coverage from Giannis Bouras (LGAV_V_APP) ,at 22:30 more aircrafts changed the frequency from 119.10 to 129.80.

After 25 min.,at FL230, George Papanikolopoulos (LGGG_V_CTR) requested from us to descent at FL120 and contanct on 121.10 Souda approach.

Stathis Tsagaratos (LGSA_V_APP),after the perfect controlling,without radar vectors,gives me clearance to land 11,at 22:55.

We waited and the others of olympic airwways virtual aircrafts to land.

When,the last aircraft of olympic airways landed , the second part of the event started,and at 23:20 olympic aircrafts taxi to holding position for departure from LGSA.

At the second part of the event,the arrival airport,LGAV was full stuff with GRD,TWR and APP positions who helped us and inscrease the reality of our event with excellent ILS vectoring,taxi instructions,etc.

    I would like to thank everybody that joined this event. I would like also to thank our controllers who helped us "build" this event . Stay well and see you soon.....

Explore Greece with OAV Leg No 3
Rodos, Kos -> Larnaca

   

 And suddenly the Hellinic FIR get full of flights flying from any Greek airport to Larnaca, like Greece was moving to Cyprus for a dish of seftalies and hot haloumi. The reason for that was the 3rd leg of "Explore Greece with OAV" having as guest star Smile and Fly VA. Rodos and Kos was the main airports for takeoff having Iasonas Rigas controling those.

After taking off and living aiports TMA we switched on Athens Control getting controlled by Emmanouhl Stefanakis (at the begining and later on by Giannis Bouras) giving directions to Eveno flying over a blue see. A frequency full off calls was simulating the real frequencies making the event seems like a real flight. Pilots from smile Olympic and many other companies was flying together up hi in the sky.

And finally Cyprus was there lying under our wings having the controllers helping the traffic to Larnaca. A big left turn helps you established on localizer off rwy 22 and after 3 minutes you where finding your self taxing behind some other aircrafts to the parking potition assigned by TWR control.

I found a lot of friends standing out of their aircafts eating seftalies and discussing about the flight which I believe it was the best between the three legs of OAV's event. I would like to thank everybody that helped this event and specially Smile and Fly pilots who joined this event, Cyprus vacc for the ecxelent service and also the greek HVACC for the controling over greece.