its the easiest thing on earth
I beg to disagree. I understand what you're saying, and certainly once you've been to France once, it's pretty easy to do it again. But like everything else in aviation, the first time can seem a bit complicated. It isn't difficult, but there's quite a lot of new stuff to do and take in, when you're doing it for the first time.
I only mention this because no-one should feel that there's something odd about them if they find a first flying trip to France a bit daunting. It can be. I suspect some of the experienced globetrotting pilots in our midst have forgotten.
Actually, the most daunting thing is not the paperwork - it's coasting out on a hazy day when the sky meets the sea and you feel like you're heading off into complete nothingness. Follow a couple of ships to help with the visual references; it makes a lot of difference.
