Ordering Food over the Radio

Differences between airports and airfields

Sometimes when you go flying, you realise there are two kinds of landing strips: airports and airfields. At many airports every expense is made to provide a save (and almost boring) way to guide you to the ground, providing you with enough tarmac to make three touch-and-go’s without needing to make a single circuit.

Some airfields, however, make it a sport of being hard(er) to find, more difficult to approach and more challenging to land on. I would like to share a short but extraordinary culinary experience which I had when visiting Flugplatz Idar-Oberstein (EDRG).

Culinary experience at Idar-Oberstein

Idar-Oberstein flugplatz is a small airfield situated just north-east of Idar-Oberstein itself, on the top of a hill with 650 meter runway of grass. You have to find your way there in between 2 controlled airspaces, and if you don’t pay attention, you will be missing the tiny airstrip even when overflying it.

The surprising thing is, that still in the air, it is in the circuit that you may already order your food. You can choose between: Sierra, Lima, Romeo and Foxtrot. After giving your order on 122.850 to the cook, who is (unsurprisingly) also the tower controller, you can strap your belts for the short field landing on runway 24 or 06.

Curious what this food is like? Read the description in German here:

Sierra – Schweinekamm saftig gebraten
Lima – eine ganze Schweinelende, zart und mager
Romeo – das Roastbeef für Kenner
Foxtrott – zartes Rinderfilet
Alle Stücke haben ein Rohgewicht von ca. 350gr, dazu gibt es Bauernbrot und Sahne-Rettichsalat, auf Wunsch Pommes-Frites, Kroketten, Bratkartoffeln oder Folienkartoffeln mit Rahmquark.
Durchgehend geöffnet von 11.00 Uhr bis 23.00 Uhr.
Montags ist unser Ruhetag (außer an Feiertagen).

Just park in front of the tower and enter the restaurant. You’ll notice that your food is already grilling on the open fireplace.

cook

After the food is being served by the cook/tower controller, you can enjoy a nice german steak coming from an open fire BBQ in the restaurant.

SONY DSC

This is exactly the reason why larger airports are often nice to overfly and to look for the little strips and airfields just around the corner.

airport