Flight plans in France
I never have a problem in the UK, it's closing them in France which is a nightmare.
Last week I took off from a field with no tower and opened my flight plan with London after filing it the day before with London by fax on 020 8745 3491. I put as the date DOF YYMMDD in the Other Info box. No problem.
After speaking to Plymouth Mil to cross towards Cherbourg I tried Deauville. No Answer. So I tried Brest Info. Recorded Message. Conditions were good so I continued VFR. As I approached Laval tried to contact them. Noone in the Tower (lunchtime!) so before I landed I tried to contact Brest again. Recorded message. Then Brest Control who deal with IFR traffic. Wouldn't help or close plan because I was VFR. Landed at Laval and tried to find someone to close plan. Noone (lunchtime). So I had to phone the Tower at my home airfield and get them to speak to London to Close my plan. They passed on a French phone number for me to ring to close plans. Answer Machine! Typical. In the End it was closed thro The Tower in the UK and London.
When we returned to Laval 2 hours later the ATC were there and said they had a call from Brest looking for me. If they had bothered to help in the first place then they wouldn't of been looking.
Why is it so difficult for ATC in France to help once and a while. I Fly alot in Europe and am so glad to get back to the UK with helpful controllers.
Must say it does only tend to be the French that are the worst. German, Dutch and Belgium controllers. No Problems.