Flying to France

[Fuji Abound]

I have never been asked by Jersey to route to Cap de la Harge, I always specify SAM - ORTAC- EGJA in my flight plan which might be why, it saves a bit of time.

The problem with ORTAC is it can only put you beneath the airway. If Jersey zone know you are to the east of the airway the obvious routing is towards the Cap. If you are remotely VMC you cant miss the Cap, and moreover you will be receiving a radar service from Jersey zone so there is very little chance of infringing the danager area.

Of course if you prefer to route beneath the airway that is fine, I usually prefer to get as high as I can or go IFR.

I do know the DGAC pursues people vigorously; I had a narrow escape a few years ago. Whether the fines are levied is what I don't know.

I too have never know anyone to be actually fined. Is it just hearsay? A friend of mine in his Bambi got a letter via the CAA. The nice people at the CAA suggested he apologise and that seemed to be the end of the matter.

[bookworm]

(BTW High pressure can easily push you into the R41 airway inadvertently if you're not paying attention, not that we've had a lot of that recently !)

High pressure?

[hobbit1983]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Fuij - just spoke to the nice lady who assures me that no form of PPR, provided a flight plan is filed, is required. Can't find any NOTAM regarding that either - do you still have the details or the NOTAM?

[Tall_guy_in_a_152]

The PPR NOTAM no longer applies because the French AIP data has been updated.

The LFAT chart states 2 hr PPR required for Customs and gives an email address.

Available from the offical source here.

[Fuji Abound]

Correct - now in the AIP

For ease of reference:

9 - Douanes, police / Customs, police : HOR ATS. PPR 2 HR avant / before ETA par / by :
- Email : [email protected] ou / or [email protected]
- FAX : [phone]
La demande de douanes doit comporter les renseignements suivants :
- Immatriculation de l’ACFT,
- Nom du CDB,
- Nom des PAX avec numéros de passeport ou carte d’identité.
The customs request must include the following informations :
- ACFT registration,
- Captain’s name,
- PAX names with passport number or identity card number.

Someone said before the characters in the email address were to stopping spaming. Obviously the French know we are all email literate.

(Edited to say the email addresses will not copy and paste readily either so it must work - but they are there in the AIP if you need them).

(Cynically edited to add - it is porbably a 100,000 E fine for failure to send the email)

[Tim Dawson]

Since the base of the airway is a flight level, it would be low pressure that could lower the entire airway down onto you, if you were flying on QNH at, say, a couple hundred feet below where you thought the base was.

[LateFinals]

Tim,

You'e quite right, my mistake.

LF

[IO540]

One should have a second altimeter, which can be set to 1013, and then one doesn't have to worry about doing these calculations and getting them wrong.

Also, a modern Mode C transponder will display the flight level continuously. Not an "approved" source perhaps, but the value it displays is what ATC see on their SSR.

[BackPacker]

Since the base of the airway is a flight level, it would be low pressure that could lower the entire airway down onto you, if you were flying on QNH at, say, a couple hundred feet below where you thought the base was.

I am intrigued by this. The base of the airway is a (low) flight level, so in low pressure conditions this level may be *below* the transition altitude. But in that case, that flight level simply does not exist. At least, nobody should be flying at that flight level precisely because it is below the transition altitude.

I can't find anything in my Air Law book that relates to this, but logic tells me that, in these situations, the base of the airway should be the transition level, instead of FL35, if FL35 is below the transition altitude. After all, FL35 does not exist under these circumstances. And nobody would be flying at FL35 anyway.

Anybody with a better Air Law book than mine can confirm or deny this?

[snapper41]

Backpacker;
Sorry, I can't confirm, but I can confirm a case of thread creep!

[dublinpilot]

BP,

I would think that FL35 does exist. It is simply a level in the sky. The fact that people fly with reference to altitudes below the transition altitude (or level depending on climb vs desent) doesn't mean the FL35 doesn't exist.

However I do agree. It would be better to define such a lowel level airway by reference to an altitude, or do as is done for many other airways, and define a minimum altitude for the airway, irrespective of the pressure setting. eg. Base FL35 (Minimum altitude 3000ftAMSL). If it did nothing else, it make wake a pilot up and remind them that the airway could be as low as 3000ft amsl.




dp

[BackPacker]

Thread creep confirmed. New thread started here: http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...20#post3481120

[Fly Stimulator]

Returning to matters of real importance:

3. Best resteraunt in the town is the fish resteraunt half way down the high street, turning on the left with the fresh fish stand out the front. Cant remember what it is called but head and shoulders above the others.

That will be Pérard - www.restaurantperard.com

If it's a nice day try to get a table in the courtyard at the back.

[Kolibear]

Don't forget to claim Fuel Drawback - get HM Customs & Excise to pay for some of the fuel.

Its really very easy, you fill in the HO60 form, send it off and six weeks later - a nice little cheque arrives courtesy of HM Treasury.

I'm waiting for about £130, which is two L2K trips.

PM me for details, worked examples, instructions etc.

[hobbit1983]

Thanks for the information everyone - flew across yesterday, went very well indeed - and passengers very much enjoyed and impressed

Although my vacuum pump decided to quit mid-channel however! Fortunately vis was such that there was a clearly defined horizon courtesy of the English coast, so a flight back without it was no problem.

Kolibear - PM sent, many thanks. Tall Guy & Fuij, thanks for your responses, email sent in time .