Greece called and there was no decline option 😊

Together with Boarding Pass, the best aviation website in Romania, AeroVacanțe (a local tour operator) and TAROM (Romania’s national airline) I had a wonderful adventure. More precisely, a day in Skiathos 😊. 

There I was, at 10:15 at Otopeni airport, on Saturday morning, meeting a group of amazing people, as adventurous as myself and it was such a thrill to travel with people I never met before but united under the same passion: aviation.

This 1 vacation day in Greece was actually the slot between the charter flights Bucharest-Skiathos-Bucharest, when TAROM operated a charter flight from Skiathos to Cluj Napoca, taking home those that finished their vacation on the island and from Cluj Napoca to Skiathos, bringing those that would start their holidays. So we had around 4hrs in Skiathos.

We took off at around 1pm from Bucharest, landed around 2pm in Skiathos and then we flew back to Bucharest at around 8pm. The main purpose of this adventure was plane spotting, as we all are avgeeks. 

Skiathos is an island in the Sporades (or the scattered ones) group, that consists of 24 islands, out of which only 4 are permanently inhabited: Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonissos and Skyros. It is also the only island in the area with an international airport, making it a base for those that go island hopping in the Sporades. The island became famous after the Hollywood musical hit Mamma Mia! as it was used as filming location, together with Skopelos, the neighbouring island. Actually, only 2 scenes were filmed here, while the entire movie was shot in Skopelos. The island has around 60 beaches, with fine golden sand and the turquoise waters of the Aegean Sea. The most famous are Koukounaries Beach, Lalaria, Banana beach, Xanemos, Megali Ammos, Achladies, Vromolimnos. 

Skiathos Airport (IATA: JSI, ICAO: LGSK), also named Alexandros Papadiamantis after a Greek novelist that was born on the island, is famous for its very low landings. The main reason is the short runway (1,628m). When looked from above or on Google maps, it looks like the runway is dividing the island. Actually, the airport was built by reclaiming land between Skiathos and the small island of Lazareta (which was a former leper colony), due to uneven terrain. The airport is often compared to Princess Juliana International Airport in Saint Maarten (the Dutch Caribbean).

The main attraction of the airport is the plane spotting area at the end of the runway. In good wind conditions, you can experience the jet blast at take offs and the feeling that you can touch a plane that lands. The area is just 10 mins walk from the airport terminal, it is marked on Google Maps. You will find there a small cafeteria where you can enjoy a frappe or a drink at reasonable prices (card payment available).

There are some things you should know before you embark in the plane spotting adventure:

· DO NOT stay near the fence! The jet blast is very strong, there are warning signs! Go to the parking lot of the cafeteria, after the stone fence. 

· If you are slim, use the cars parked as shelter. Trust me, you will thank me later 😊 

· Make sure you wear sunglasses, as there will be a lot of dust and debris at take offs

· Don’t go there if you are allergic to dust! 

· There are traffic lights installed on the road that goes near the runway. Stop at red light! They will work only when take offs are scheduled. Don’t think that you have time to pass, the engines are accelerating in a matter of seconds and your scooter will be picked up from the sea or worse ☹! 

· If you wear a hat or a cap, take it off during take off 😊otherwise you will pick it up from the bushes… if you find it.

· If you have children with you, cover their ears and supervise them all the time

· Expect very loud noise and gusts of different smells: very hot air, burnt rubber (at landings), kerosene, exhaust, etc

We experienced three take offs: Jet 2, SAS and TAROM in normal wind direction and two landings Aegean and Ryanair. Some flights do not appear on FlightRadar24, so be patient. There is a small beach there too. Make sure you wear a hat and a lot of sunscreen, as there is no shadow in the area. For whatever reason I cannot post videos right now (insert angry and swearing emoticon here), but they will be available as reels on Instagram –> @kritikizoi. But you can have a look at this video posted by Greek Reporter a day before our adventure.

After the “plane hunting” we went for lunch in Skiathos town, a 15 mins walk from the runway. There are plenty of tavernas and bars where you can enjoy your meal, have a drink or an ice cream. The port is also very close, so if you need to catch a ferry to Skopelos or Alonissos and you don’t have a lot of luggage, no need to take a taxi. 

In the main port will dock the big ferries that arrive from Volos or Thessaloniki. There is also a smaller port (the old one) where small boats usually dock, like those that offer a day trip from mainland or Evia to Skiathos or those from Skopelos and Alonissos.

We didn’t have much time to enjoy the city, but we walked around the Museum of Naval and cultural tradition (there is a nice restaurant there with a wonderful view) and then went back to the airport for our flight back.

But the cherry on top was the sunset. We had window seats, facing west, so we all witnessed and amazing sunset over Greece and the Aegean. 

Although I was tired, I had shoe blisters, my T-shirt was all sweat and dirty and I had a terrible back pain, I enjoyed every moment and I would do it again! I had the chance to meet and talk to amazing people, learned a lot from their experiences and knowledge, we had fun and we all did a crazy thing, when we signed up for this. I have a new core memory unlocked. I am thankful and grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait for the next one!