how does the "customs airfield" thing work from, say, Abbeville? Abbeville is deemed to be a customs airfield for arriving in France if sufficient notice is given. So, after visiting the town you decide to fly back to the UK......... is it still a customs airfield for the return flight?
I have no knowledge of Abbeyville specifically but if an airport is "Customs PNR" (as many are) you have to give notice of your arrival
and departure, and Customs may or may not turn up to check you out.
Customs may have limited hours, too.
Wait till you go to Hania (LGSA) in Greece. It is variously 5 days PPR or 20 days PPR, depending on who you ask. And if you miss your departure date/time, you are stuck there for the 5 or 20 days
Unless you get a Greek to make some phone calls
3 hours PNR is actually fairly civilised, on the European scale of "civilised".
Or do they need the notice communicating to them by fax?
That's a sore point... PNR in practice means PPR because you have to check they got the "PNR" otherwise how do you know? I will nowadays not fly to any airport which is "Customs PNR" unless they confirm receipt. I use email and fax concurrently.
France tends to be quite relaxed about it, but I would definitely fax and keep a proof of the fax having been delivered (as far as that is possible).
A Flight Plan is not notice to Customs/Immigration, it is notice to the air traffic system, so filing an FPL will not meet your obligations to notify les douaniers.
Very true, but it illustrates the in-your-face stupidity of airport management, and the restrictive practices / job demarcation in this business
