Biggin EGKB is unusual. But it has no coded gates and (officially) no exits apart from the main terminal. In reality you can easily exit via any hangar but the police are probably watching you.
Well badge/code gates don’t exist
If you are based at EGKB, you have the airport badge strictly speaking you can’t board or disembark passengers from international flights using small gates or hangar doors, PAX has to go to main or commercial terminal (you find that UKBF are permanently around, they have your GAR copy printed at their desk with zero interest)
There are now plenty of examples from France – e.g. LFMT where you do the PN or whatever and it’s obvious that nobody had the slightest interest in meeting you. La Rochelle LFBH does have a coded gate and also there is nobody around to meet you.
But they might.
This is quite important given that most of France is now 24hr/48hr PN for the customs/immigration.
The UK works the same way with the GAR form. It doesn’t matter whether it is a bigger place (Shoreham is very small actually) or a farm strip.
Biggin EGKB is unusual. But it has no coded gates and (officially) no exits apart from the main terminal. In reality you can easily exit via any hangar but the police are probably watching you.
Has anyone ever been busted for this
I am not aware of a single pilot who got their PN correctly got fined for using the wrong gate or even jumping over the fence when no one is around?
You always need to comply with PN, this is not rocket science: it’s not dady’s garden open bar it’s a big airport !
Some ATC, ACB, OPS, handling, police/customs are picky on which gates you should use to enter/exit while in others airports no one cares, I have not found the logic yet?
This is not specific to France: it happens in UK, I can’t park anywhere in Elstree or use footpath to exit in norther gate when I arrive from France (UKBF want us on yellow square and exit near the tower), I can’t park anywhere and use any gate in Southend (or Biggin Hill) when I arrive from France to park the local club aircraft (or to go see maintenance straight away)
Biggin has permanent customs and you are obliged to exit via main terminal, you still need to send PN/GAR !
even inta-Schengen
WTF is the coded gate for then??? Hamsters? They can legally go under the fence.
Coming from outside Schengen, to be safe, I wouldn‘t just exit the gate and go my way.
That is debatable It touches on this thread so yeah in those countries (e.g. Germany) you must seek out the police no matter how long it takes you. But others?
For example it is known that at a certain sizeable French airport there is simply nobody around. You do the PN (was 48hrs) but there was nobody there. Everybody always used the gate.
The “civilised assumption” must be that having been notified per the AIP, if they want to meet you they will turn up (in their €3000/hr turbine heli, or walk the 100m from their nice office) and check you.
Has anyone ever been busted for this, in a country other than the ones in that thread?
That is always a good advice, even inta-Schengen
My flight was from Spain, I sent PPR on myDz and requested to park in terminal but ATC told us to park in Northern Apron, I still went to terminal to talk to customs and pick my rental car
AIP says no PN intra-Schengen, I will still send PN and walk to terminal to double check but all I can say they are pretty relaxed there
From here
Coming from outside Schengen, to be safe, I wouldn‘t just exit the gate and go my way.