For anyone who wants to visit beautiful Croatia, here are a few useful tips based on my experience.

On VFR charts you can find 11 seaplane bases but as there is no operator (European Coastal Airlines flying Dash6 ceased to operate in 2016), they are officially closed as ‘work in progress’ and therefore unusable. Good part is that company ECA managed to change local regulations and implement procedures for operating seaplanes in Croatia.

Currently the procedure to operate on water is to apply for off-airfield operations with Croatian CAA, which involves sending the form with required attachments, waiting 5-10 days and getting the permission via email – free of charge!

http://www.ccaa.hr/file/544f74b499aa60c09f10bf2f845ed0963

You need to define specific places (like an Island, bay etc.), number of operations (for example 3 visits, up to 5 takeoff/landings) and a time span (I normally do it for three weeks due to my job). General requirements are 150 hours of experience on same type/class (UL and SEP count together) are 3 takeoffs/landings in last 90 days as PIC. Once you get the permission from helpful CCAA staff, you need to advise (email or call) local port authority some reasonable time before planned arrival (I call them or send them an email with CAA permission and a picture of my aircraft a day before, so they know what to expect to see). They have always been cooperative, normally just curiously asking what is the plan (docking, mooring, beaching etc.) and to make sure to land/takeoff at least 300m from nearest shore and 150m from nearest object as per local marine regulations. Idea here is for them to be informed if someone panics and reports a ‘plane ditching into the sea’ – seaplane ops with exception of firefighting aircraft are still uncommon in this area.

https://mmpi.gov.hr/sea/harbormasters-offices/8461

https://mmpi.gov.hr/more-86/lucke-kapetanije-102/102

Other requirements are:

– PIC to hold a boat leader or skipper license

– use (handheld is fine) marine VHF radio (I use Icom IC-M25) while on water – not a bad idea if you are at some remote place potentially outside mobile network coverage, plus marine channel 16 is like 121.5 in aviation – there is always someone listening.

– use updated marine navigational charts (paper or electronic, does not matter – I use Garmin Navionics on ipad, which is 50€ per year)

Two important and useful documents concerning off-airfield and water operations issued by CCAA are air safety order and information letter.

http://www.ccaa.hr/en/file/8408b9a10c8383a96fe073349b824f4bf8

https://www.ccaa.hr/file/a5ae1704efdec90ab200237604a4b511

(use Google document translate as required)

So far my experience with both Croatian CAA and port authorities has been fantastic. Procedures are well defined (perhaps a bit complicated compared to other countries, but the freedom is there), Adriatic is a beautiful place, which can be busy in the summer but I have always found those few hundred meters to land and takeoff even in mid-august, as there are a number of small islands and peninsulas sheltering the sea from breeze and boat wakes, and arriving at sea at 8am in the summer is pure magic.

I will be glad to help anyone with the application, local procedures, contacts or translations. This season has been amazing and looking forward to do it again next year. 

Jernej

https://www.instagram.com/amfibijskeavanture/