Peter wrote:
Is PPL training done at airfields which are completely deserted? If so, how does the owner know how much money is due?
Locally they don’t bother. The fuel pumps are now self service and its not worth paying someone 15 grand a year to take a 10 quid landing fee a dozen times a day.
Capitaine wrote:
Zero signal squares. However, approx 3/4 of the smaller aéroclub-type fields have a tarmac or grass outline that looks like it was originally one, usually near the windsock.
Our Aeroclub has a signal square!!
…must be one of the 3/4 then…
Up until the beginning of this millennium, most small airfields in France had a signal square.
And the signals were also part of the PPL syllabus.
Sadly about this time, many small aeroclubs could no longer afford permanent staff or full time salaried instructors.
This coincided with these small airfields, many of which had always been open to non radio traffic, becoming radio required A/A.
This both combined to make for the disappearance of the signal square and also to many airfields carrying the Fr only radio note on the VAC.
Merci gallois, that makes sense. I never thought to ask why it was in the syllabus.
My aéroclub has the (small) salary of the ‘person responsible for the airfield’ paid by the mayor’s office. Technically they have nothing to do with the club, but in reality there’s a lot of overlap. For years it was done by a semi-retired member who was also club mechanic, which worked very well. Unfortunately, however, no-one wants to do it nowadays. There’s been a few people over the last few years, all in their late teens, but none last more than a few months.
Some weeks ago I have seen one in use in Durach:
But I have never seen one used for its original purpose. Usually they are still there but the markings for the permanent signs are extremely weathered such that is quite clear that no one uses these anymore.
