francoflyers

Reader's Question—Foreign licenses in France

James Kwong writes:

Dear Sue and the Francoflyers team,

I currently have an Australian PPL, and I am flying a G registered aircraft in the UK for hour building towards a JAA CPL.

I have always wanted to fly across the channel to France, and of course I know the weather is generally better there as well! However I am not sure about the legality of flying in France in a G registered aircraft with an ICAO (Australian) PPL. It is permitted here in the UK, but I am not sure about France. I have tried to contact the French CAA but find it difficult to communicate over the telephone with them about this fairly complicated matter.

What I do know is that if I wanted to fly a French registered aircraft I would have to get a temporary French license that costs around 70 Euros, and takes about a week to sort all the paperwork, however I must stress that I will be in a G registered aircraft and I believe it is this that complicates matters.

If anyone else has had experience with this problem, or knows someone who has flown in France on a non JAA license on a non French registered aircraft then please let me know what to do and perhaps who I could speak to about this problem. At the end of the day I don't want to break the law! But would love to fly to France and enjoy the flying there too!

Reader's Question—Flight plan problem

Paul Booth writes:

Hi Sue,

I hope you can help me, on my return to the UK from France flying holiday last year other UK pilots have comment that if I ever return to France as Pilot in Command, my aircraft will be impounded and I will receive a large fine for breaking French Flight Rules.

I am fully aware that all flights from the UK to France must be to a customs/immigration designated airfield I did that; ‘those rules are very clear’ it’s the return flight to the UK where it’s becomes unclear.

I am aware of the ‘Schengen Convention’ and that flights are permitted between most EU countries and non-customs airports subject to a flight plan file at least one hour before departure.

I did not think at the time I was doing anything wrong as other pilots/aircraft returning to the UK did exactly as I did i.e. Filed a flight plan at Abbeville direct to the UK. After landing in the UK (Southend) my actions were not questioned by the authorities   

My question is: Can a UK registered aircraft fly from a French airfield (such as Abbeville) to a UK customs airfield (such as Southend) when a flight plan was filed 1 hour before departure and once airborne activated by RT with say Lille ATSU quoting flight plan reference number.

I do hope you have the answer to my question as I hope to holiday/fly to France this coming July.

Thank you.

P.S you live in a most beautiful country.

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Reader's Question—Circuit patterns

David Pedley writes:

Hi Sue,

I am a little confused about the ‘normal’ way of joining the circuit at a (non-controlled) French airfield. I can find no reference to the concept of ‘dead-side’ or overhead joins (it does not appear in any of the aviation vocabularies I have found).

Am I correct that it is normal to join downwind at circuit height?

If approaching from the deadside direction of a field, would one normally come cross-wind at the non-landing end of the runway and at circuit height, of would one be expected to fly a good radius around the field in order to approach downwind?

I am particularly concerned that I may be flying into a field without a/g radio and could cause chaos if the circuit is busy by doing something unexpected.

Will greatly appreciate your advice.

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Reader's Question—Low Altitude Chart

Does any body know where to get JUST, the Defense Low Altitude System chart which comes as a part of the SIA VFR Folder.

Is it available on line?

Terry Rawlins

PA 39 – N41FT

LFCW

Reader's Question—Flying Doctor wanted

Ken, from Peyrat de Bellac, writes:

Hi,

I am hoping to obtain my PPL and hope that you can direct me to a list of PPL doctors to obtain the necessary certificate.

Reader's Question—flying without a transponder

David Palmer writes:

I have a microlight Eurostar and would like to fly into France, however, because of the weight limitation, I do not have a transponder.

My question is, may I fly in France without a transponder?

If so what sort of reception would I get at Class D airfields and how are Transponder Mandatory Zones shown on the IGN charts?

Thanks in advance for your help

Reader's Question—ELT beacons

Terry Rawlins writes:

French AIC 10/08 published May 01 states:

Para 2.11.12.1 From 1st January 2009, all aeroplanes and helicopters shall be equipped with at least one ELT of any type

Further in the AIC it states:

2.11.5 Frequency, coding and registration

Any emergency beacon (ELT or PLB) shall be capable of transmitting simultaneously on the following frequencies:

121.5 MHz and 406 MHz, be coded (according to ICAO Annex 10 for ELTs) and be registered from the national authority in charge of initiating the search and rescue operations or from any designated authority.

Am I correct in thinking then that 406 MHZ ELT’s will be compulsory wef 01/01/2009?

Reader's Question—JAA licence, medical and radio requirements

Bob Writes:

Hi Sue

Having recently moved to France I am interested in continuing my private flying but wonder if you could clear up the following queries for me.

1. As a CAA PPL holder, do I need to convert to a JAA licence?  Is this a difficult/expensive process?
    
2. I only have very minimal experience of radio nav aids so would need to complete further training in this discipline; would you recommend the AOPA radio Nav course and are you able to offer training for this?
    
3. Finally, is it possible to renew a medical in France or do I need to return to UK, med due in August

Reader's Question—IFR issues

Terry Rawlins writes:

Is it possible to fly IFR outside controlled airspace (Open FIR Class G) in France.

I am Instrument Rated. If on a VFR FPL and go IMC can I fly IFR/ (It is possible in England and you fly according to Rules of The Air  32,33,34 & 5.)

Reader's Question—ICAO Language Proficiency

John Milnes writes:

Hi Sue

I was reading in "Pilote" that 5th March 2008 was D-Day for the implementation of ICAO Language proficiency.

How do you see things changing as this comes into force for English speaking pilots in France, are the small airfields like St Junien that only operate in French going to be forced to speak English?.

I only ask as I will be holidaying in Perpignan this year and will be flying with the aeroclub de Roussillon, where only one member of the club speaks English.

Reader's Question—Mode S transponders

Clive Brown writes:

The CAA have provided for temporary exemption from Mode S which our group has applied for and obtained.  Obviously, this only applies to the UK, however.

What is the position about flying in France without Mode S?  Is it yet required for controlled airspace?

Do you have a source that can provide similar information about other European countries, in particular Holland and Germany?

Reader's Question—first flight to Belgium

Simon Roe writes

I am wanting to fly to MOORSELE in belgium this weekend i have not flown outside the UK before could you tell me what i have to do what precedures i have to follow.

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Reader's Question—Information on Clermont Ferrand

John Richardson writes:

Dear Sue,

Congratulations on the excellent website. I find it very useful for general info on French flying.

I will be flying to Reggio Emilia in Northern Italy on 2nd May from Wellesbourne in the UK and need to stop off en route in France for customs, fuel and most importantly lunch!

I was considering Clermont Ferrand which nicely breaks the journey in two halves - I am flying an Aztec - and seems to have a good restaurant from the website.

Do you have any experience of this airfield and the lunch!

Many thanks

John

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Reader's Question—US licence conversion

John Wullf writes:

Hi Sue,

Is there any procedure in place for a pilot with a US PPL to attain approval to fly in France? Can I get a JAR PPL or equivalent? What about instrument training in France?

Thanks.

John

John W Wulff
N24WF @ VKX
A '75 Grumman Traveler based in
the most secure airspace in the US!

Reader's Question—fuel availability near Limoges

Bob Davies writes:

Hi,

In early May, I will be flying an Aeronca Champ from the London area to Castelnau Magnoac [just south of Auch]

This is a trip I have made several times but always by Cherokee Arrow and for convenience I have often refuelled at Limoges.

In planning my Aeronca trip I am somewhat restricted in that I have a fairly limited range allied to the fact that as the aircraft has no electrics I am limited to a handheld radio with no transponder.

Earlier this week I spoke Controllers at Calais [Class D airspace] who confirmed that although I have no transponder provided they were not busy they would be able to allow me in to land/transit via VFR reporting points.

My questions are

1. Do you know if the same scenario exists with the Controllers at Limoges?

and

2. Are you aware of any nearby airfields where fuel would be readily available if I am unable to land at Limoges.

Many thanks in anticipation,

Bob Davies

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Reader's Question—mountain flyer wanted

Charles Flint writes:

Sue, I fly a Husky from North Wales and I would like to get to the European Mountain Pilots fly-in at Corlier on 10/11 May.

I have done a few hours in the Alps—and in New Zealand—but do not have a mountain qualification, nor the authorisation de site for Corlier—or any other altiport !

I have 200 hours on the Husky and fly off a 300 m hill strip but have not yet had the opportunity to get the mountain rating—I am thinking of trying to get to Megeve in September.

Question—do you happen to know of anyone—with the rating—who would like to fly with me from Bourg en Bresse into Corlier that weekend ??

I appreciate Limoges is not close, but I hope you do not mind this speculative enquiry.

Great site and very useful—keep it up !

Best wishes

Charles Flint
G-HSKI

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Reader's Question—Cross-channel reporting

Kai writes:

Hi,

What a great site you have and what great fun you seem to have, admirable and exciting at the same time.

I would like to wish you all the best and maybe one day I will fly-in to visit.

Meanwhile, I am a novice at flying into France and am unfamiliar with 'whom' to talk to when I fly over there.

It might seem a silly question, but I don't know the answer hence my asking you as a seasoned traveller (and I have consulted a French VFR map).

My planned route is Southend to Abbeville.

My trip will take me from near Southend to Dover where I am planning to cross the channel and coast-in at Cap Gris-Nez, then onto the Bolougne BNE before heading due south into Abbeville.

I understand that Lille no longer speaks to VFR traffic, and I am not IMC but 'only' VMC / VFR, so with whom will I speak once I leave the FIR boundary, EGTT?

Do I switch to Lille Info anyhow or do I wait until I get to the BNE and contact Le Touquet for an FIS?

I do have a mode S transponder as well, which I understand helps.

I am sorry that this is a simple question but I am lost, would you help?

Reader's Question—French ULM examinations

Malcolm Spalding writes:

Good Moaning

Can anyone help please?

I have decided to try ULM flying and I am currently having lessons from a French instructor but, although I think I am making progress with the practical, my real concern is with the French Theory test.

My French is not good (yes, I am trying to improve it) and there is no way that I can guess at what the questions are asking me!

My instructor says that he thinks it may be possible for me to take the test in English but that special preparations would have to be made.

He has not heard of this being done before.

My obvious question is, do you know if this is possible?

If this is not possible, am I allowed to take a dictionary into the examination?

This test is specific to ULM's

Transit through military airspace in northern France

I was wondering if anyone might be able to answer a question about transiting through the military airspace in northern France.  I'm planning to fly from London Elstree to Luxembourg and am planning to route via Le Touquet, Cambrai Epinoy (LFQI) and the MMD VOR.  That routing takes me through a number of military restricted areas.  As best I can tell from reading the French AIP, I need to talk to the following in order to get permission to transit the restricted airspace:

For LF(R)102 - Cambrai Approach on 118.525
For LF(R)53 - Reims Approach on 119.8
For LF(R)26 - Reims Approach on 119.8

The owner of my flying club in London assures me that I won’t have any trouble getting permission to go through as long as I'm talking to the appropriate air traffic control facilities.  However, I was wondering if anyone has any experience of flying in those areas and whether 1) I'm likely to get through without problems and 2) whether my RT plan listed above is the correct one.

Some of the restricted areas are notified by NOTAM, so I may find that they're not actually active for the time I'm planning to go through.  Nevertheless, I'd rather be prepared in case they are.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Reader's Question—English-language ATIS

Pierrette Borsatto writes:

Good evening Sue,

I am looking for an internet address where I could train myself in English-speaking phraseology.

As for instance hear automatic ATIS in England like at Limoges. It does seem to exist.

Can you confirm it to me. I already hear http://www.liveatc.net/feedmap/feedmap.html but many airports are not eligible (I don’t know why ... Echelon perhaps...)

Do you have any suggestion. Many tks for you help.

Hope to see you on next assemblée générale

Pierrette

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Reader's Question—G Registered aircraft

David Baverstock writes:

Hi

I have a question I would like answered if possible.

I have a Cessna 152 G registered and an FAA PPL

Am I legally allowed to fly to france.

 

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Reader's Question—N Registered aircraft

David Pedley writes:

Dear Sue,

Firstly, a thank you for all the hard work you have put into creating such a useful site. I have just found it through the details being published in Pilot magazine this month.

We bought a house in the Vendée in December and I have an N-registered SR22 arriving in April. Up to now, I have visited France (not venturing much beyond Cherbourg, Deauville and Le Touquet) in our group-owned G-Reg TB20.

I have a UK PPL at present. I intend to obtain an FAA PPL but this involves a trip to the States and I am not sure when I shall manage this.

So, the question:  do you please have any experience of the French authorities’ attitude to N-Reg aircraft and to flying them in French airspace with a UK PPL? I understand from AOPA that the latter is legal but that does not mean that difficulties will not be encountered! I do know about the necessity of carrying evidence that VAT has been paid on the aircraft.

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Reader's Question—French Digital Maps

Colin Tucker writes:

Thank you for the excellent section on your site providing an introduction to French ATC phraseology. I found it particularly useful having the audio version included since it is a long time since I took my French O Level.

I hope to make a flight to Saumur in the next few weeks and would like to know whether digital versions of the official French VFR maps are available. I have paper versions of these and the Jeppessen maps but have been unable to find digital versions.

I fly a Piper 6X with the Avidyne Integra system so have map and approach chart functionality built in but I like to have the back-up of digital CAA maps on a PDA when flying in the UK and would like to do something similar in France if possible.

Do you know of a source of such digital maps and software?

Thanks again for taking the time to provide such a useful site.

Colin Tucker (G-RAGT)

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Reader's Question—Stopover Guide

Kim Hampshire writes:

Congratulations on an excellent site.  It is a real service to pilots planning to fly VFR in France.

I have a share in an AirTourer 150 and I plan to take a tour in France in August 2008 lasting only 8 days.

II am planning to enter France at Cherbourg.  From there I plan limiting myself to the regions of Poitou-Charantes, Limousin, Aquitaine and Midi-Pyrenees.  I am particularly keen to visit smaller French airports and visiting the parts of France away from the usual tourist centres.  I will be visiting Mimizan and would like to visit Aire-sur-L'Ardour.  Apart from that at this stage I have no fixed itinerary.

Over 30 years ago I worked in a French company and was fluent in French.  My French is now rusty and I have never flown using French R/T procedures.  I would therefore like to spend a few hours with an instructor to practice French R/T procedures and make sure that I understand French Air Law and practices.  As I plan to visit the smaller airports, I would like to listen to circuit traffic and communicate in French.

Questions :
 
1.    Do you have any recommendations for an instructor either in Cherbourg or nearby for either Saturday 16th August or Sunday 17th August?

2.    Can you recommend a good guide for 'Chambres d'hote' near airports?

 

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Reader's Question—Mode S Transponders

Steve  Powell writes:

Hi, can you please tell me when Mode S transponders will have to be used in France.

We  operate the Amphibious Flying Club with a Maule M7 in Enniskillen and will be attending the Seaplane fly in at Biscarrosse on the 1st of May and have been putting off fitting one.

In the UK at the moment as long as we do not  travel by class A airspace then they are still not required as yet.

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Reader's Question—taildraggers in Montpellier

Mike Stones writes:

Hi there,

Just enjoyed visiting the Francoflyers site.

Do you know how I could find taildraggers for hire in the Montpellier region? I'm moving there to work as a journalist in May and would dearly love to continue flying Super Cubs or any taildragger aircraft.

Web searches haven't revealed much.

Thanks for your help.

 

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