Am I correct in understanding that submitting the GAR details via the ‘OnlineGAR’ site above will in one step notify everyone that needs to be notified, including LFAT customs?
This page shows where the data goes: https://www.onlinegar.com/support.olg?opt=whereitgoes
If you complete the OnlineGAR.com forms correctly they will notify EVERYONE that needs to be notified. UK and french customs will both receive a notice from them. If you are flying lets say to Jersey, then the Jersey Aero Club would also get a copy of your declaration. OnlineGAR.com will work out who needs to know based on your form submission, and will email customs and even your handling agents.
GAR is just for the GAR people in the UK, inbound really
Wrong. French customs require notification as per the French AIP. You don't need to use a system like OnlineGAR.com, but you DO need to give notification which can be as simple as an email. A lot of french airfields are also preparing for brexit by being more harsh on UK arrivals (e.g. L2k building a dedicated customs booth)
OnlineGAR will also prepare a GENDEC declaration PDF for you to print off - which is needed if travelling to places like the channel islands.
an example of the email generated by OnlineGAR.com and emailed to customs is:
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Notification of Inbound Flight
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Aircraft Registration: G-BEBZ
Aircraft Type: P28A Piper PA-28-151 Cherokee Warrior
Owner/Operator: P TAYLOR
Contact Number: +447545*******
Email Address:
[email protected]*******
Reason for Visit: Short Term Visit
Departure From: EGJJ Jersey Airport (JEY)
Arrival To: LFRC Cherbourg (FRA)
Date: 18/07/2018
Departure Time: 09:00
Estimated Time En-Route: 00:40
Arrival Time: 09:40
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CREW
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1) Name: Phil Taylor
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: 08/03/78
Passport Number: 5******* Expiry: 29/07/2026
Issuing Country: United Kingdom UK
Nationality: United Kingdom UK
Address: B60*******
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PASSENGERS
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None
This email was created by www.onlineGAR.com (http://www.onlinegar.com/)
If there are no customs on arrival or departure, and you filed everything correctly, then its not your fault and you can leave with no issues. A good example of that is at Lydd flying back from france where I have never seen customs, but Lydd operations had received a call from UKBF saying I was good to go and they would not be attending. Once I forgot and Lydd faxed my GENDEC to UKBF and received a call back while I had lunch.
You will hear some people say "A GAR is not required, except for the return to the UK"... well GAR stands for General Aviation Report, The UK has a specific way for GA Pilots to report, the French are happy with an email notification (which is sometimes still called a GAR) to the customs at the airfield. Some French airports require advance notice (because they only turn up when a plane is coming in) and even worse some require 72 hours notice (CAEN!)
The UK states:
An operator or pilot of a general aviation aircraft is required to report international or Channel Islands journeys to or from the UK, unless they are travelling outbound directly from the UK to a destination in the European Union as specified under sections 35 (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1979/2/section/35) and 64 (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1979/2/section/64) of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979.
Even if pilots and operators are not required to provide notification of a flight, it is helpful if they do provide this notification.
An operator or pilot of a flight between Great Britain and Northern Ireland or between Great Britain or Northern Ireland and Ireland, the Channel Islands or Isle of Man is required, in the circumstances specified in paragraph 12 of schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000, to provide a notification of the flight to the Police.
OnlineGAR.com will also submit your inbound (to the UK) notification to the "UK Border Force CBP System" and you will get a Manifest/Receipt number which you should keep safe "incase" UKBF decide to stop you on your return and you can use that to prove you complied.
Flying across the border is a lot easier than all this makes out. I fly from Jersey to France very often and my process is to give as much notification as I can (a day or two before) via OnlineGAR.com (2 hours for L2K to 72 hours for CAEN!!) and then use Skydemon or AFPEx to file my flight plan before I leave home (1 hour before flight) - job done, really simple and can be done from an iPad.
To recap you need BOTH a Customs notification AND a Filed flight plan - they are two separate things (Ive read on here of pilots saying a flight plan is all they need as that informs customs, which is incorrect).
Be sure you know your VRP near L2K and you will be fine, the controllers there are very good and their english is perfect. Make sure you have an up to date plate with the correct details - unlike my first time ages ago, when I had an old plate and the runway direction numbers had changed!
Once you have done it once you will see its actually easier than you think :-)
P.
Some more official links for you:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/general-aviation-operators-and-pilots-notification-of-flights