Originally Posted by
Jan Olieslagers
Well, if nowhere in France seems suitable one could consider EBKT Kortrijk. Has immigration (aka "customs"), AvGas pump, good restaurant, what more could one want?
But I do not really get the point of : what field could one get into and NOT throw away all that height/altitude?
Been to Kortrijk once and I agree. There was also a very handy hotel nearby for an overnight stay. However, I have not been back due to the special permission required to fly a permit aircraft in Belgian airspace (and associated fee). I presume this is still in place.
As to my point about Calais, I could be pedantic and say that most airfields are higher than 12 ft AMSL. My own base at Strathaven, for example, is 847 ft AMSL.
However, I prefer to descend gradually to an airfield further inland, perhaps after having descended anyway because of weather or airspace.
Apart from finding it rather soul-less when I did visit once, Calais is also a bit off-route if you are not heading to Belgian airspace for the reasons given above!