What if there would be no tower service.

But only CTAF + AEROPS

🛫 -🛩 - 🛬

At Drachten Airport, flight operations are currently supported by a dedicated team of volunteerswho take turns assisting pilots. They provide you with current weather information, the active runway in use, and after landing they register your flightand handle the landing fee payment.

On 14 November 2023, the Smallingerland Municipal Councildecided that Drachten Airport (SVD - Stichting Vliegveld Drachten) will operate independently and that current and future userswill be encouraged to develop business and aviation activities on-site.

As a result, the airport will in the future be open daily, operating during the Uniform Daylight Period (UDP). Of course, this requires significant commitment from our volunteers — who also have their private lives.

There are, however, solutions. In many other European countries, numerous small airports operate without an active ground service, and in some cases even without a control tower or terminal building.

So the question is: 👉 What would be the perfect solution?

How can we reduce the workload on volunteers while still ensuring that pilots receive all necessary information?

Departure 

1. For departure look at the windsock and listen out which runway is in use by other traffic
2. Mention  your intentions on the frequency . 
   
3. Anticipate to other traffic with your actions like you do in normal traffic. (traffic on final has richt of way & do not backtrack when traffic on Downwind - Base or final. 

Arrivel 

1. Listen to the Drachten airport frequency 10nm from the destination airfield.  
2. Anticipate on current traffic and runway used by other traffic. 
3. Make  your call with intentions at 1.000ft  overhead the lake the Leien and observe the wind status on the lake if it matches with current runway in use. 
4. Make downwind entry call East of Rottevalle 
5. Downwind - Base and Final call with intention T&Go or full stop with backtrack of taxiway intention. 
6. Be alert and Anticipatie on other traffic and contact them when in doubt of their intentions. 
7. Pay your landing fees via Aerops  App or QR code on the C entrance  at the control tower building