I saw it there a few months ago, well after the well known Customs changes.

However, there is significant "evidence" that people are still flying to some of these airports, direct to/from the UK, with a full encouragement from the airport itself. Not sure I would try it myself.

Well, yes...

OK so has anyone been to Beauvais recently...have heard stories about issues with security...?

Same as anywhere else depends who is on. If you don't have some form of airport pass you might have issues. The type or level of pass doesn't actually seem to matter just that you have one.

Its not unkown for some private crews to get an official looking crew card made up which airport security seem happy with even though the card makes no pretence at all at being a security airport pass and just states they are a pilot with a photo. Remember to put a return address on the back and have a magnetc strip.

Sounds like a business opportunity MJ.

What are French jails like???

Been there a couple of months ago, but only departing as pax on a commercial flight. There definitely were some movements of light a/c, saw a couple of Cessnas taking off.

Not the most accessible of airports, though. Unless you rent a car, you need to get to the train station (taxi or shuttle bus), then take a rather slow train to Gare du Nord. From memory, this takes between 1 and 1 1/2 hours. So airport-central Paris is 2 hours at least. IMHO you might well be better off in Lille.

I operated into there for 3 months with no pass. Quite liked the place to be honest. The ground handlers would deliver pizza to the aircraft and the dispatcher was a bit of a babe.

More specifically the issue I had heard was that of getting stuck while a Ryanair flight was being loaded...ie there isn't a separate way of getting through customs/security if a commercial flight is being loaded.

Your knackard there if the ryanair aircraft are in. They all come in at about the same time.

You won't get fuel or anything else until they have departed. Thats from about an hour before until after they leave.

The airport gets pretty hefty penalty charges if anything on the ground delays them. If you can avoid it when they are in its a nice airport.

Just looking at the Beauvais timetable there seem to be commercial flights pretty much all the time. I think I'm better off doing a customs stop in Deauville and then going to one of the small Parisian airfields actually...might seem like a pain but it could be turned into a nice lunch stop...

Yep - as mentioned earlier you will receive a very fine lunch at Lognes - the restaurant was excellent last time I was there at any rate! There are also some very good restaurants in Lille if you prefer the train.

Do let us know what you finally decide and how you get on - always interesting.

If it is just a customs stop then places like Calais or Le Havre are cheaper and as quick.

Overall the suggestion of Lille is almost bound to be quicker....

No Customs at Calais - I doubt there is customs at Le Havre any more.

Clearly the French are doing their best to keep the great unwashed the right side of the English Channel. ;)

Long discussion on another fora - customs supposedly to remain at Calais and Le Havre not on the list of those withdrawn.

Oh good. Be interested to know if that is still current and what arrangements are in place.

I tried the Lille and TGV option on Saturday; worked OK but to honest the whole process was rather cumbersome. Flight to Lille was quick and on arrival a car met us at the general aviation apron and took us to the main terminal for customs etc. To my surprise there weren't any taxis outside (I guess we must have been in a bit of a lull of commercial flights) so had to wait about 15-20 mins for a taxi to come.

TGV then took about an hour into Gare du Nord. On paper it doesn't sound that bad but whenever you have multiple modes of transport involved; taxi, train etc one loses little bits of time in a cumulative fashion. The TGV is fast (ironically much faster than the train from Beauvais to Paris despite being three times the distance!) but the service is only hourly so unless you time things well there will inevitably be a wait for it.

I think Toussus might have been quicker because a stop at Deauville or something could have been done very quickly and once there we could have taken a taxi to a station and then quick train into the centre.

Intersting thanks for letting us know. I agree there is always inevitable delays stringing together a route plan and each segement rarely dovetails.

So next time I'll try Toussus or Saint-Cyr with a customs stop somewhere on the way...

Is there not something that AOPA or someone could try and do about the Paris situation? I mean at the moment this is a bit ridiculous that one can't fly direct to reasonably priced airfield in Paris from the UK.

Try lognes as mentioned earlier its where i always go

Jeppview still has Longes (LFPL) listed as Airport of Entry.

So what is going on, has it customs or not?

I understood that it is the last customs GA Airport in the Paris area.

Can anyone confirm that?