Readers' Question - ULM Brevet in France

Trevor Sandy writes:

I have been looking at the website site and was wondering if you could help me,

I have owned a house in France for about 4 years, and moved here permanently in February this year. My UK NPPL Unrestricted Microlight 3 axis is current, I am fairly low hours less than 200 and aged 50yrs (UK home airfield was Compton Abbas Dorset).

I am located half way between Flers & Carpiquet in Normandy, I understand that my NPPL is useless for F registered club aircraft and that I will need to take ground exams and the French equivalent of a GST etc

The problem is that my French is still not good and it is difficult to communicate with non English speaking instructors who may prefer to work with French speaking students. I was just hoping you may be able to recommend or put me in touch with someone who could help, it’s my intention in time to have my own aircraft perhaps based at Flers or Falaise but whether it should be F or G registered I don’t know?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Regards

Cordialement

Trevor Sandy

Comments

[Roger Camp]

Hi Trevor, Welcome to the land of Microlight flying. I have the same problem as youm the only difference is i own a plane (still registered in Ireland). As far as i know, if you are current, then a GST is all is required and swot up on the French radio calls, although the guys at my place are used to me calling in english and even profit from it. As to the registration, i would get it registered on the french system as then you dont need to go throught the rigmarole of somehow getting it re-permitted every year. Mine is still on the irish register as i have only just re-permitted so it will stay on there until it is almost run out then it will go on the french register. Regards

Roger

[George Frederick Wallace]

Good Morning Trevor

Contact Roger Sprague

He is based at Limoges air club He’s an English instructor based in France and can deal with your licensing requirements and answer any questions you might have he is a nice bloke. This is his email

Good luck in France.

rogersprague@hotmail.com

George.

Georgefwallace@msn.com

[David Walsh]

Trevor,

I'd strongly recommend any ULM based in France to be wholly in the French system. A "G" registered A/C will be endless hassle (I've tried it); insurance may be near impossible to organise, then there's Brexit.....

Radio communication in France will be a problem; even good French speakers can have problems! A lot of the radio chatter that goes on around smaller French airfields is not strictly airfield related; around French ULM sites it can be even more difficult. My French is poor but I've flown with good French speakers who when asked to translate the last (inevitably fast) communication have replied "God Knows".

Around bigger A/F's (those with ATC, Class D, etc) it's far simpler, better radio discipline and they may well agree to speak English.

One solution to your licence question would be to do a short course at an English speaking ULM centre. Local to me is ULM Stex (St Exupery) in the SW., Lot & Garonne. {www.ulmstex.com}
They have accommodation on site; I trained there but had a UK PPL when I started. It's a long way from you but the weather will be a LOT better. I'd recommend them without hesitation.

Feel free to drop me a line if you need further information.
DavidTSWalshgooglemail.com

David Walsh

[Trevor Sandy]

Thank you for the advice gents,

Regards

Trevor

[Trevor Sandy]

Thank you for the advice gents,

Regards

Trevor