Chartres Airfield
 

Anyone got any experience of flying in here? There doesn't seem to be any air traffic service - just blind calls? Fuel appears to require 4 hrs notice - does that work in practice? Any conflict with the gliders? Any other advice?

Thanks.

Chartres
 

Hi Tp102,

Champ Chump and I have been in to Chartres a couple of times in June this year. No problems, although the Air / Air radio is in French. If they hear a Brit. they will probably keep quite unless they are really troubled by something.

We had fuel on request and they took UK credit / debit cards. I see Bottlang state four hours notice, but we have never encountered a problem. On previous trips to France in August there have been times when Avgas has been in short supply and various airfields have only been selling it to home based aircraft.

The gliders operate from the grass strip on the north side of the hard runway and don’t cause any problems.

We night stopped there on the way south. The cheaper hotel was full so we ended up at the more expensive one. Both are a five-minute walk from the field.

There is a marked grass parking area beside the taxiway. On other trips I’ve camped beside the aircraft.

Hope you have a good trip.

Safe Flying,
Richard W.

Used to fly in there quite regularly from St Cyr l'Ecole (near Versailles) for T&G's.

Great view of the cathedral while in the circuit, especially on 09!

There is a second glider strip just east of the airfield, so watch for that (with their own freq I seem to remember...).

Southern grass R/w is for gliders, northern concrete (quite narrow) is for powered.

Note, as often the case in France, there is a wider circuit for arrivals/deps & a much tighter "internal" one for T&G's.

Otherwise, just make your calls in whatever language (English or French) you think will be best understood (French pilots understand more English than they let on often...).

I transitted through two years ago. Pretty busy with apowered and gliding circuit. Calls in both english and French, self fueling, really quite easy and welcoming.

Give them a phone call if you're worried.