Puzzling route in France

[Speedbird744]

Hello,

I am planning a leg from an island just south west of Nantes, Ile D'Yeu (LFEY) and hoping to fly DCT to the Scilly Isles (EGHE).
I am flying VFR and will depart on a weekday (when danger areas are most likely active).

I have checked this route and the first problem I find is that there is a section of the UK CAA Chart and the French ICAO chart that is missing part of the route just North of Brest.
I am assuming that the only thing that lies in that area of the English Channel is D18B and D18A?

Does France have a DACS like the UK that enables a pilot to transit D18B even when active?

How else would you fly this route if Brest Information tells you this danger area is active?
It would mean re-routing all the way, and how frustrating would that be!
And how exactly do you file your flight plan once airborne with Brest Information or Nantes Info?

Thanks very much

S744

[Lomcovaks]

Speedbird,

Try entering your route details onto the French 'service de l'information Aeronatique' flight planning web site at:

http://olivia.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/index.php?lang=en&ref=sia

This will throw up all the notams concerning your planned route and contact details.

You may also file a flight plan for an intended future trip there and activate it later.

The controlling authority for D 18B is Atlantique Armour on 124.725 with activity known to Brest on 125.5 with recommended flight levels between fl060 and fl090.

Routes exempt from dangerous activity are:
Lannion - Guernsey
Landivisiau - LIZAD

Brest ACC/FIC can be contacted on 129.5, 134.2, 125.5 and 118.35

Hope this helps.

By the way, Ile D'Yeu is fabulous.

Lom.
Lannion - SALCO

[Wrong Stuff]

Bear in mind that LFEY doesn't have customs and immigration. So in order to legally depart directly from there direct to the UK you need separate permission from both customs and from immigration. Rumour has it that permission's very difficult to get from immigration and the fines are quite steep if you do happen to get caught.

[Lomcovaks]

Just thought I'd bump this back to the top to see if anyone else can help.

[Speedbird744]

Thanks for your help so far.

Is it possible for these danger areas to be active and no controlling agency will let you through?
What if you're stuck on the island when this happens?

I've decided to stop off at Brest on my way to the Isles of Scilly, but can I just turn up at Brest without calling them telling customs about our trip?
And where does Immigration come into all of this??

Thanks

[skydriller]

Hi Speedbird,

Your question about Ile d’Yeu, and Lomcovaks responses, got me thinking about going there myself. I checked out the map, I looked up the relavent info about D18 on the SIA website – then asked our Aeroclub instructor about it at the Aeroclub yesterday.

His response was a little different to what I expected when we discussed it. I have now learnt that apparently you dont actually need the permission of anyone to enter a French Danger area. You have the right to enter it if you wish, you don’t require any clearance - however it is in your interest to know if there is any potentially dangerous activity likely to affect you, so it is good airmanship to talk to the relavant frequency to tell them your intentions. This would explain why there isnt a problem with the aerodrome of Ile d’Yeu being in the center of a danger area.

I seem to recall that in the UK that you actually need authority to enter a danger area from a DACS– its been a while since I’ve flown there. This would be different to France, but similar to a French Restricted Area, where you require the permission of the operating authority in order to enter it – Hence Aerodromes in French Restricted areas have set access routes.

Comments anyone??

Regards, SD..

[bookworm]

I seem to recall that in the UK that you actually need authority to enter a danger area from a DACS– its been a while since I’ve flown there.

No, there are some danger areas where byelaws prohibit entry (these have the corresponding SI annotated in the UK AIP ENR 5.1, and are annotated on the half-mil chart by an asterisk, IIRC). But in general, danger areas conform the the ICAO scheme in that they are hazardous areas, but not restricted or prohibited as such.