Flying in Europe. Help Please

[Grob Driver]

Hello,

I'm looking at the possibility of flying to Poland later on this year, and wondered if you can offer some help.

The route would take me UK - France - Holland - Germany - Poland (Warsaw).

First, the Aircraft has an exemption to fly in Military colors. Is this acceptable throughout Europe, or do I have to make any special provisions?

It's a LONG time since I last left UK airspace, and even then, I only made it as far as France. What paperwork needs to be done before such a flight? I need a flight plan to leave UK airspace... Do I need flight plans to travel across Europe? From what I've seen I would need a flight plan to enter / cross Poland, but what about the rest of Europe?

Also, customs. Am I right in thinking then when I cross the channel I should stop at the first possible customs airport? Again, what about the rest of Europe? Should I land at the first possible airport in each country I cross, or is I pretty much 'free travel' once I'm in Europe.

I'm sorry if this sounds like noddy stuff but I'd like to at least get a feel for whats involved before I go any further.

I would appreciate any help you can offer.

Regards
GD

[thesandfly]

See your PM re info required

[BackPacker]

You need a FPL every time you cross a FIR boundary. There's virtually no way around that. Get an account at some sort of homebriefing site, have the departure airfield fax it to their parent authority, or phone them in. The possibilities are endless but depend on the country you're in.

Furthermore, in principle you need to fly from a customs airfield each time you leave a country, to a customs airfield each time you enter a country. But there are two exceptions here:

1. Most countries on mainland Europe have subscribed to the "Schengen" treaty, which essentially does away with border checks on persons, and even more countries are members of the European Union, which does away with border checks on goods. So within the Schengen area you can just fly from anywhere to anywhere without any problem. Both Holland and Germany are within Schengen, and the UK and Poland are not as far as I know.

2. When leaving the UK, or entering the UK, you can take care of customs formalities by faxing a "GAR" (General Aviation Report) to the relevant authorities (note plural here: usually multiple faxes of the same form required). Details are on the form itself and the form can be found easily on the internet.

So for all practical purposes I think the only time you would have to fly from a customs airfield to a customs airfield is when crossing the German/Polish border. Furthermore your first stop within Schengen, and your last stop within Schengen on the way back, needs to be a customs airfield too. All other customs formalities, if any can be taken care of by fax.

Note that a lot of small airfields on the mainland are able to handle your customs formalities, but that's usually strictly PPR. Considering your route you might want to make your first stop within the Schengen area EHMZ (Midden Zeeland). They have one-hour PPR for non-Schengen flights to give the customs guy time to reach the field in time.

Welkom op Zeeland Airport !! (http://www.zeeland-airport.nl/)

I have no idea about operating an aircraft in military colors in Europe whatsoever.

The other thing you might want to start worrying about is Mode-S and an ELT. Yes, you can still navigate around Europe without them but it's a major headache which you will want to tackle very early on.

[Gargleblaster]

May I inquire which continent you're departing from flying to Europe ?

Which continent are the British Isles part of ?

Sorry to be a bit a**l about this, but pisses me off you guys thinking you're from "somewhere else" :-)

[jxk]

Logically Europe is one place separated only by bureaucracy and illegal immigrants! Hence the question.

[Grob Driver]

Firstly, thank you very much BackPacker - Thats all very helpfull. Thank you. Just what I was looking for. The aircraft doesn't have Mode S at the moment though it is transponder equipped. I assume that there is a standard flight plan form, that would be accepted by all countries?

Gargleblaster - I really think you're making something of nothing! Can you please tell me how you would title the thread? It doesn't say flying TO Europe... It says Flying IN Europe.... England, France, Holland, Germany, Poland... All part of Europe. Please tell me a more appropriate title and I will gladly change it for you. Perhaps the only thing that could have been worded better to prevent your a**l reply would be with reference to military colors. What it should say is, 'Is this acceptable thoughout Europe' (I'll change it for you!). As for 'us guys' thinking we're from 'somewhere else'... Thats you assumption... I was only asking for advice on flying through my fellow European countries.

jxk sums it up perfectly, hence the initial question!

BackPacker - Thank you once again. And thanks to the advice from people via PM.

[BackPacker]

I assume that there is a standard flight plan form, that would be accepted by all countries?

Yes. It's called the ICAO flightplan. Accepted by all countries with the exception of the US, who use another format called the FAA flightplan, and use it for domestic flights. But you're not going there.

Google gives zillions of hits. If you're going to fax it, try to get the form *without* the shaded background in some of the boxes - this saves fax transmission time and improves readability at the other end.

Oh, forgot to add. If you filed a flightplan and arrive at an *uncontrolled* field you need to *close* the flightplan properly. Usually by phoning a certain number - the local A/G or AFIS controller should know. Upon arrival at a controlled field the tower will close the plan for you implicitly. Failure to close on mainland Europe (in contrast to the situation in the UK) *will* be flagged and the responsible authorities will start a search. (They are being practical and will phone your destination and alternate to check your safe arrival before scrambling the helicopters, but still...)

[Grob Driver]

Quote:
I assume that there is a standard flight plan form, that would be accepted by all countries?
Yes. It's called the ICAO flightplan. Accepted by all countries with the exception of the US, who use another format called the FAA flightplan, and use it for domestic flights. But you're not going there.


Thats what I thought! Thank you. I was only asking because I downloaded one last night for the Polish Authorities, and it was covered in their letter head!

Thanks once again.

[jxk]

You should apply to the below to be able to file your Flight Plan online. Be prepared to wait a couple of weeks for password though !

https://ts1.flightplanningonline.co.uk/

[Ultranomad]

A small correction to BackPacker's post: Poland has been a member of the Schengen treaty for over a year, so the only place where you are subject to a passport check is the UK/mainland Europe border.

[BackPacker]

I stand corrected.

Schengen Agreement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Agreement)