Approaching and landing in Corfù Island

Flying in the Summer time towards the exotic Greek islands is one of the dream dreams every aviator. Just left Lecce (Italy) to jump into the blue of the Channel of Otranto, trying to gain the other side of Adriatic sea as soon as practical. There is no other traffic but unfortunately the haze does not allow me to see beyond the Otranto Channel, and I am therefore forced to maintain ground contact (or water contanct), until the mountains of Albania are seen on the left (which are not very low, they are the reason for which we have an increased  MSA of Lecce Airport).  At this point I stop my climb at 4000 ft towards Othoni, the small island before Corfu, in according the published VFR altitudes and thus increasing the quality of my radio. Next to TIGRA point I can therefore obtain the frequency change with Kerkyra Approach which obviously directs me  via Othoni and Pale.  

After Pale I follow the long west coast towards the south to get closer to the field, once in the hinterland we pass through the Tower;  Kerkyra normally directs to 4 NM back east or west of the field to separate from the approaches of heavier commercial traffics and airliners, which the Tower still handles procedurally.  

I was thinking of a long final and instead they instructed me  to report the vertical of the field and then join the right downwind.  Kerkyra is actually a large and busy airport, I prefer to approach without flaps avoiding to bother the Liners.  

On landing I take it 'long' as I can and vacate on the right, where the follow me is already waiting for me. The taxiing and parking procedure is really "expedite" and I finally understand the advantages of my coordination in the  planning phase.  Once the engine is turned off, my holiday in Greece begins "On the road", or rather "Up in the Air"!

Some pictures of my navigation.

Mathraki Island, one of the smaller islands before Corfù

The small Trachia Island

Giali Beach

Iliodoros Beach

We are in Greece!

My aircraft

Entering in the island along the VFR Reporting Points

Reporting over the field

I cannot stand to land!

Joining the right downwind

Checks at the Airport like any other Airline passengers 

“A mile of highway will take you just one mile, but a mile of runway will take you anywhere!”

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