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Mooney Trip 2025 Stockerau and Balaton

In mid-June, it was that time again: our annual Mooney trip was just around the corner, and as in previous years, we could count on the beautiful weather we had ordered. Stable high pressure was forecast to accompany us during our four days in Austria and Hungary, making flying a pleasure.

In 2024, a destination in eastern Central Europe that was not yet on the agenda was requested. With Stockerau and Lake Balaton, two locations that were appealing in terms of flying, scenery, and cuisine were quickly found. Now it was time to get organized: hotels were inquired about, buses and restaurants were booked. Some communication, especially in Hungary, proved to be difficult, but in the end, an interesting and attractive excursion program was ready, which was quickly booked up.

Two Mooneys landed at LOAU Stockerau a day or two before the official start and were then able to watch their fellow aircraft touch down from Thursday morning onwards. The flying club provided delicious snacks and beer. In the afternoon, we took a coach to the nearby Buschenschank Goll, where we enjoyed wine tasting and more snack specialties. Some Mooniacs took the opportunity to buy wine for their cellars at home, with Grüner Veltliner being a particularly popular choice. It is the typical wine of this region, which is aptly named Weinviertel (wine quarter).

We then took the bus to the town of Stockerau, where we checked into the City Hotel. In the evening, we explored the town in small groups and enjoyed a drink or two.

The next morning began with a generous breakfast buffet. Our flight instructor Otmar Haring couldn't enjoy it quite as much as we did, as he was coordinating with the Vienna air traffic controllers for the planned group flight along the Danube through the Vienna control zone. During the bus ride to the airfield on Friday morning, Otmar gave us a detailed briefing, including maps for the flight along the beautiful blue Danube. The group departure was also discussed in detail with the Stockerau airfield managers. The airfield was even closed for us for an hour so that we could taxi and take off in groups of three at exactly the right distance from each other. The pilots mastered this unusual challenge perfectly and we heard no complaints from air traffic control. The flight route was relatively short because Balaton Airport Sarmellek had refused the landing that had been approved months ago at extremely short notice due to construction work. The tour guide therefore had to reschedule at short notice. Fortunately, Fertöszentmiklos LHFM was available as a suitable alternative location, where the Mooneys landed after less than 30 minutes of flight time using the Unicom procedure.

Some crews taxied straight to the gas station, while others preferred to stop at the airport restaurant. In the early afternoon, a coach picked us up here and took us to Keszthely on the northern shore of Lake Balaton. We only had a short time to freshen up, because the next item on the agenda was already scheduled for the early evening: a boat trip on Lake Balaton. The historic boat Helka offered enough space and comfort for our group, and some of us enjoyed a cold beer while the warm breeze blew around our noses.

After returning, a delicious dinner awaited us at our four-star lakeside hotel, Sirius. Saturday morning began with an extensive breakfast buffet and some free time. This was used in different ways: from strolling through the city to swimming, there was something for everyone. The Mooniacs were in high spirits when our bus arrived shortly after noon and we drove to the south side of the lake. There, Hungary's only narrow-gauge railway was waiting to take us on a scheduled service. For our railway enthusiast Rolf in particular, it was once again a highlight to be traveling on a new and scenic route.

Some of the railway carriages were closed, others had no windows, so the fresh air blew around our ears. The route wasn't particularly long, but it was extremely varied. Even real gypsy families got on along the way and rode with us. At the terminus, there was an opportunity to take photos and drink some beer that had been bought beforehand at the ALDI supermarket at the station.

After returning to Balatonfenyes GV station, we took the bus to a typical Hungarian csarda, where we went to the vineyard in horse-drawn carriages. Wow, what a joy it was to ride through the Puszta with these wild horses in the sunshine. Unfortunately, the ride took quite a long time and we had to split into two groups, but this did not detract from the enjoyment and the food and drinks were excellent. In addition to sausage, bacon, cheese, and wine, there was also homemade schnapps, which was quite potent.

After returning to the Csarda, we enjoyed a delicious dinner accompanied by traditional gypsy music. Most of us eventually capitulated in the face of the huge meat platters.

After breakfast on Sunday morning, we took the bus back to Fertöszentmiklos airport. During the bus ride, there were a few announcements, expressions of gratitude, and plans for the future. The crews then set off for home relatively quickly, as thunderstorms had been forecast in parts of Germany, but in the end, they were all able to fly around them. An eventful trip came to an end, and we look forward to seeing each other again in 2026.

David Kromka

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