Welcome to Iceland.

Update for 2017: Arnar has started an Instagram account where he frequently posts great flying photos from Iceland, many of which can be seen here in this story. Be sure to follow him. -Editor

Along with the captioned photographs that make up my story, I'll provide a little background for the setting, just in case Iceland is a name you've only heard about in Viking movies and news reports about a volcano hindering European air traffic (Eyjafjallajökull.) I also have a short video from some of my flying adventures.

Iceland is an island situated in the North Atlantic ocean, between Greenland and Europe, roughly covering latitudes between 63° and 66° north, just edging into the Arctic circle, and it is quite a special place to explore by light airplane.

Our population is approximately 320,000 people, most of which live in the capital city of Reykjavik. And while there are several small villages and farms along the coastline, the inland is uninhabited with only dirt roads or trails providing direct routes between coasts, and some of those inland roads are only passable in the summertime using 4x4 vehicles. We take our 4x4s very seriously! This inland area is mostly mountainous, ranges averaging 3,000' but with peaks as high as 6,500'. Vegetation is very sparse in the inland, and trees are only found in a few places along the coastline. Several glaciers cover parts of the inland and among them is Europe's largest glacier: Vatnajökull.

As the inland and the southern part of the island is geographically very young because of volcanic activity, the landscape is quite unique and different, changing from one mile to another and from one year to the next.

Traveling to Iceland

When traveling to Iceland from the States, the only scheduled transportation is by air. There are no passenger ships with regular ports of call in Iceland. The Icelandic airline Iceland Air has direct flights to many destinations in the U.S. and all over Europe, with hub connections in our largest airport: Keflavik International, which is about 45 minutes outside Reykjavik. It is possible to fly your own airplane to Iceland but that is another story.

Icelanders speak Icelandic, which is one of the oldest and probably most syllable-heavy Scandinavian languages, but most of them also speak English. There is no problem using English on the aircraft radio, it's well accepted here as we're ICAO.

The weather seldom stays the same for long. Icelanders say that if you don't like the weather just wait a while and it will change for you. A "warm" ocean current, the Gulfstream, surrounds the island, which makes the weather milder than could be expected for this northerly location. But the weather is cold tempered, with mild winters and cool summers. It is not uncommon to get rain and low ceilings in the northern part of the country and clear sky in the southern part and vice-versa. That depends on the humidity and where the wind is blowing from, but the mountains tend to dry the air on the lee side-- commonly called a rain shadow. This also means that you have to be very alert when you plan your flights, and know where to get up-to-date weather forecasts. There is no ADS-B automatic weather service, but there's good weather service over the phone and on the Internet.

As for flying in Iceland, there are only paved runways at the largest villages, spread along the coastline, and only a few airports where you can get avgas. Fuel availability is an issue requiring some planning, because although the land is not big (you can cross it in 2-3 hours) it's easy to become stranded somewhere without fuel if good fuel management is not used. There is a lot to see and you don't usually fly just a straight line from A to B when in Iceland.

Before you start flying in Iceland, it's a good idea to seek some advice from a local pilot on the general protocol, and ask for recommendations on some favourite or special places to go.

Foreigners are allowed to fly Icelandic airplanes on their valid ICAO licence for three months. After that you need to get your licence validated.

There are number of flight schools that rent aircraft. One simply is required to get a checkout from a local instructor, before venturing out on their own, but as with most rental aircraft, policy limits pilots to registered airports.

We all know that the best places aren't necessarily on the chart, and if you are flying a STOL aircraft with bigger tires, the land has an endless number of landing spots.

The flying environment

Familiarity with mountain flying is critical; how the winds behave when they hit the mountains, where to expect turbulence, updrafts or downdrafts, and an understanding of where the best weather will likely occur. How to stay out of trouble if the ocean fog or a low ceiling is about to catch you? These are skills important to the Icelandic pilot, as they in other remote areas of the world.

While most airports in Iceland are uncontrolled, some registered airports are controlled, with ATIS information and required clearances.

Flight plans are not mandatory if you fly from an uncontrolled airport between uncontrolled areas, but highly recommended and welcomed by the ATC.

All Icelandic airplanes have their own fixed transponder code that is never changed, similar to the Mode C and S registration in the U.S. The air controllers therefore know what airplane is flying and where, if they see a transponder signal on their screen. That is, if the aircraft is within their range, which is not the case if flying low and between mountains. All Icelandic airplanes are required to have an ELT (emergency locator transmitter.)

A GPS is nice to have, and necessary if you are flying in humid weather or in low ceiling.

If you finish your flight and forget to close your flight plan (which by the way does not make you very popular), a search and rescue program is automatically started for your airplane 30 minutes after the flight plan expires.

You are free to fly wherever you want to go. Most of the country is uncontrolled airspace. There are only a few controlled areas that are good to familiarize yourself with. Just like in the U.S., we make position and intention reports on an advisory frequency when around uncontrolled airports, and using English is fine. Other pilots in the vicinity will likely change over to English to keep you comfortable and safe.

Like most anywhere else in the Northern hemisphere, the best season for flying is the summer months. There are long days and the sun will not set; you can fly until midnight and then have your barbecue in the midnight sun. Don't worry about the wildlife. There is none that wants to eat you. The foxes will run away so you are lucky if you ever see one. There are many birds in Iceland though and some of them might sing for you when you have landed. You might also see whales close to the shore and sunbathing seals on the beach.

Pack your gear and tent and go camping with your aircraft. If you like you can be completely alone and have the chance to experience nature in this spectacular way.

When flying cross country, the landscape is constantly changing and so do the colours. Glaciers, black lava fields, geysers, fjords, small islands, rivers, lakes, and mountains in all shapes and colours. If you are lucky you might even see an erupting volcano during your stay! Just remember that engines hate to breathe volcanic ash. There is so much to see here that you'll never grow bored. Do not forget to take the camera with you so you have something to show your friends when you return home.

Flying light airplanes in Iceland is like nothing else, an experience you will never forget. If you stay where the weather is best you will be rewarded with an unforgettable flying experience and landscape that you will not find anywhere else on Earth.

It seems I've chosen to share more photos than words, so please enjoy the rest of my adventures in the form of photography and captions below.

Here are just a few of the beautiful things I've spotted from the air while flying around Iceland:

Video

The full gallery