France-UK with MCR ultralight

[modelmaker]

Hello there,
Being FI in France, I'm invited to fly along with a ultralight-owner from France to the UK in order to get some parts for his TR3 (looks to be this shop: http://www.revingtontr.com/) due next week. My role basically consists doing the english talking and take care of the operational side of things like flightplan-filing and such.
His plane is the ultralight (MTOW 450kg) MCR01 - fast navigating machine.
We are based in Châteauroux-Villers, LFEJ.
Our final destination is planned to be EG0101, Westonzoyland, Somerset - this is a microbase...
http://www.westonzoylandflyingclub.co.uk

Some questions arise...

If we clear customs at Cherbourg, just before the Channel-crossing, is that enough? Or should we land on an UK custom field first before to getting to this EG0101? <- Does this field seem to be willing to accept us in the week, it's not very explicit on their website. Is return flight same procedure?
What else do we have to take care of as strangers of your airspace? Apart from XPDR necessary and flightplan mandatory for crossing airspace above E-class, I haven't really found much content making this nav-flight trickier than I first thought - are Yeovil and military zones VFR-transit happy?
I've found my way back to the online ais.org.uk btw

Thanks in advance for your replies-suggestions and always welcome at our flying field for a fuel-stop (avgas only atm) for example.
http://www.aeroclub-chateauroux.tk

[Rod1]

Always nice to help a fellow MCR man.

You will need to clear customs inbound to the UK. Bournemouth and Southampton are possibilities, but you are in a corner of England I do not know very well so others may have a quieter option.

I do not know GE0101, but you could give them a call, I am sure you would get permission.

The return flight is the same.

XPDR is not a necessary in controlled airspace, but it will help. The flight plan for an internal flight into controlled airspace is done on the radio, no need to file like you would to cross and international boundary. Military are usually accommodating, but you can go over or round. The rules are not too different to France, so in practice you should not have a problem.

Good luck with the ais web site, most of us cannot get it to work at the moment!

Rod1

[modelmaker]

Thanks for the input Rod1 - as long as we clear customs on the inbound country, all is ok? Or I'm wrong here? So nav from france to UK, a custom airfield in the UK to choose - and from UK to France a custom one in France... so EG0101 direct Cherbourg possible?

Looks to be confirming:
http://www.theflyingschool.co.uk/flying_to_france.htm

[bar shaker]

MM

I would clear customs at Lydd (a small landing fee for ULMs and just west of Dover) and then head across to Weston Zoyland. The easiest route is to fllow the coast to Shoreham and then head NW. If you call for transits of any controlled airspace, they will normally help you.

Weston Zoyland is a microlight/ULM field and you will be made most welcome there.

[Adrian N]

Incorrect advice above. You do NOT need to clear customs.
You do need to advise customs by completing the GAR form, and sending it to them in advance. You can download the form here:
http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/downloadFile?contentID=HMCE_PROD_009149
There is no problem flying to or from a private strip.
On your departure and return to France, you do need to stop at a customs field.

[Rod1]

You will need to follow the same sequence to return to France, so you must clear customs outbound. If Weston Zoyland has a customs concession you may be able to fly direct, but I do not think this is likely. If you contact Bembridge in advance you may be able to use them which would be on your routing and save you some time.

Good luck with the trip.

Rod1

[London Mil]

Where on earth does it say you have to clear customs on entry to/from UK? All you have to do is inform them using the GAR form (instructions on page 2). They will then decide whether to come and feel your collar. You do not have to enter/leave the UK via a designated airport.

[Mariner9]

As a couple of people have said, there is no need to use a customs airfield in England, just submit the GAR form (minimum 4 hours notice required from an EU country)

If it were me, I'd route Cherbourg DCT Portland DCT Weston Zoyland (assuming danger areas inactive). That would be around 35 mins water crossing (@120kts). If you want a (slightly) shorter water crossing, route Cherbourg DCT KATHY (Reporting point just S of the Isle of Wight) DCT Beaulieu (Disused airfield) DCT Stoney Cross (another disused airfield) DCT Weston Zoyland

Yeovilton MATZ is in the way for either routes. You can either (in my preferred order):

Go through having obtained "MATZ penetration approval" from Yeovilton
Go over (>3000' AGL)
Go under (the stubs only, <1000' AGL)
Route around them
Route straight through without speaking to anyone (legal but not recommended-Note, you must avoid the ATZ's)

I'll be in Deauville this weekend, if you're around we could swap advice about flying in the UK/France :ok: If you can find me some accomodation for Sunday night (everywhere seems to be fully booked - bl**dy ecole holidays!) would even consider flying down to Chateauroux :ok:)

[modelmaker]

Thanks for the input! We'll file the GAR-form to make sure - and will call some customs number on this paper (023) 8079 7089 treating my type of question.

Phoned Le Touquet thinking they had the experience to help me on, but apart the familiar sounding GAR-forms, they couldn't help me further concerning customs - shame.

Route will be Lessay DCT Cherbourg DCT Portland DCT EG0101 and we will take care from Yeovil (first airshow for me as a child when we were on holiday there). Fuel stop in Cherbourg looks complicated as they apparently dislike french registred ultralights.

Always welcome in Châteauroux, I can always take you into town, but taek care to land in LFEJ (800m grass strip) instead of LFLX (3500m concrete without avgas!). Our frequency is the auto-information one 123.50, circuit on the west rwy 22-04 800ft AGL - 1300ft QNH.
Take care Châteauroux could also be fully booked conc. hotels as a big cycling evenement is held here - as operations agent I already have difficulties to find rooms for crews!

[Fly Stimulator]

Salut Modelmaker,

I see that you have already found my 'Flying to France' article. That was written for people going the other way to you and I should probably edit it to make it clearer that when you are entering or leaving the UK you do not need to go to a Customs airfield as long as you notify the UK authorities in advance, as some people above have mentioned. I am based at a non-Customs field and it has a steady stream of aircraft going to foreign parts.

I normally use the GAR form if I'm going to be returning to a UK field with no Customs, but you can also telephone them on +44 870 785 3600. That is sometimes useful if your plans change and there is no fax machine nearby.

This is one of the few areas where UK procedures are easier than French ones!

I'll add you club web site to my little list here. (http://www.theflyingschool.co.uk/flylinks.htm)


Have a great trip!

[Rod1]

My appologies for the mistake....

Rod1

[VP959]

Just a quick word of caution. If your French MCR is registered as a ULM and does not carry an "F" registration, (it would then be flying with a regional ULM numerical registration), then you may have a problem in operating it in UK airspace without special permission.

I may well be wrong, but it might be a good idea to check with the CAA, as I well remember a number of French ULMs that visited the UK a few years ago all having to obtain a dispensation certificate.

VP

[modelmaker]

VP959, our MCR has this kind of "F-" registration, in fact it's just the radio-call, the official reg indeed is the number of 'county' plus 2 letters. In France I have understood that these "F-radiocalls" are not allowed to be applied as ULMs could then not be distincted anymore from normal planes (ie MTOW > 450kg (or 472 with chute) for this class) - but I still have to verify this.
We have an official licence for the emitting station on board - this is surely ok. Handheld Icoms and such maybe a problem indeed, not all are certified so that could cause a problem with the authorities indeed...

[modelmaker]

Hello there,
Just to close this topic - we actually did the flight just 1 week ago and it was great! We were indeed contacted by the UK CAA and got an exemption for one month without any problem - they were very quick for responding us.
We finally stopped at Cherbourg on both ways to stretch legs, (un)fit the life jackets and refuel with a little more expensive Avgas (1.66€ per liter) compared to our usual 95 RON. No comments on the mandatory physical defuelling too...

Radio was not that hard for us Frenchies, London info looks to be used to foreign Channel-crossers but no real traffic-information as in France so you have to be on the look-out constantly.

The circuit on WestonZoyland is a bit tricky as it is designed for these engined delta-wings, and the local B&B ( http://www.visit-hillview.co.uk/ ) offered us a good English breakfast before our departure... hmmm, energy!

Thanks for the help!