Closing Flight Plans

[Charlie Fox]

With the recent demise of regular ATC at Dinard & elsewhere, it is most important to close your flight plan with the appropriate authorities on arrival. Failure to do so will initiate overdue action.

If ATC are present when you arrive they will automatically close your flightplan.

If ATC are not present you must phone to close your plan.
In the Brest FIR you can either ring Brest +33(0)2 98 37 34 36 or Nantes +33(0)2 40 84 84 75

[FlyingForFun]

CF,

Thanks for clarifying the French rules.

It's probably worth pointing out that this is different to the UK system. According to the CAA Safety Sense leaflet on VFR flight plans (http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/224/ssl20.pdf):If the parent ATSU fails to hear anything, it will assume that the flight landed safely i.e. NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS and no further action is required. Hence, in the UK, if you are landing at an airfield without an ATSU, it is vital to have what the CAA call a "responsible person" who is aware of your ETA, and can call the parent ATSU and have them initiate overdue action if you don't contact them.

FFF
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[IO540-C4D5D]

Charlie Fox

AIUI, when flying to France one needs to land at a Customs airfield (possibly one where the Customs aren't always present but can turn up if they want to).

Presumably your comment applies to those airfields which are in the above category but which have no ATC?

[FlyingForFun]

IO540,

When flying to France from the UK, you do indeed need to make your first landing at a Customs airport, so the requirement to call an ATSU to close your flight plan is unlikely to be relevant.

But if I understand the French rules correctly (I'm sure CF will correct me if I'm wrong), if you were arriving from another Schengen country, there would be no requirement for customs - but a flight plan would be required nonetheless.

This aside, you can file a flight plan for any flight you like, whether it crosses the national border or not. There are some pretty mountainous areas in France where I would imagine filing a flight plan would be fairly normal, and ATSUs are pretty hard to find?

FFF
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[Charlie Fox]

Customs aside, if you have filed a flight plan & arrive at an airfield in France, with no ATC, you must close your flight plan by phone with the relevant authorities. I had to chase up 4 a/c the other day which did not close their flight plans!!!!!!!!

Flying from the UK to France your first landing must be at a Customs airfield.

Flying from a Schengen country to France does not require a first landing at a Customs airfield.

[bookworm]

It's a good reminder CF.

I was caught out a couple of years ago when I diverted to Maastricht Beek (EHBK) on an IFR flight to Spa (EBSP). I expected Beek to close the FPL -- presumably by sending an arrival message -- but they didn't and was intrigued to find my departure airfield calling on my mobile a couple of hours later after Brussels AIS chased them. No major harm done, but the lesson is that it never hurts to call your intended destination directly.

[Chilli Monster]

It's a very good reminder bearing in mind the present civil service industrial action in France. You can find ATC being withdrawn without expecting it.

Going into Agen last week we were told by the ATCC that there was no ATC at Agen - thankfully they gave us the phone number to call to close the plan but it was then down to the good old fashioned joining R/T calls in french to the local aeroclub - quite amusing considering we were in a Citation at the time!

On arrival we did find in the airfield office (manned by the fire staff) the relevant numbers to call - no doubt most airfields can supply them if necessary.

[david viewing]

Presumably you can close your flight plan by telephone with your (UK) departure airfield if you don't know the local number?

[Flying Boat]

DV

Yes, you should be able to.

I was flying a couple of years ago from Ostende to Rouen, five minutes before landing the ATCO told me that the ATC was now closed, continue in French, this I did.

I realised when on the ground, I did not have the relevant French number to close my flight plan (the Rouen Pilot's Office was also closing), so I phoned the number I had, Ostende.

They were very helpful & closed the flight plan for me.

FB

;)

[vintage ATCO]

Presumably you can close your flight plan by telephone with your (UK) departure airfield if you don't know the local number?
Er, no, definitely not. There is no concept in the UK of closing a FPL. If a UK ATC unit is asked to do this they invariably do nothing with the information, as there is nothing to do.

I don't think a UK ATC unit will realise the implications if you call from abroad to close a FPL. You really do need to do this from within the country you are in (or adjacent, like Flying Boat, but not the UK! :) ) They know the procedures and what to do with the information.


VA

[Charlie Fox]

There is now one telephone number for the whole of France to be used for closing your flight plan where there is no ATC or AFIS

The number is 0810 437 837. All calls are charged at the local call rate.

All details can be found in the following PDF file.

www.sia.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/dossier/aicfrancea/AIC_A_2003_20_EN.pdf[/URL]

[FWA NATCA]

In the US here is how closing flight plans work.

IFR - Airport served by a tower, the controllers will close out your IFR flight plan.

Airport not served by a tower, you must contact the local FSS serving that area and close out your IFR flight plan, or if the radar facility has a remote frequency you can use that.

VFR- The pilot is responsible for closing out their flight plan.

Mike