Peter wrote:
@petakas kept that LGSO C+I very quietEven the AOPA GR site does not mention this.
Its because I have not heard of this option being available or someone who confirmed that they did it.
What I know is that Syros LGSO is not a port of entry.
It’d be interesting to see if someone actually makes it happen.
Predator wrote:
So the AOPA – Fraport meeting is just today??? Wow, perfect timing!
It did take place today indeed.
As soon as I have some news I’ll inform you.
after the previous 3hrs plus of haggling with ATC via France etc.
(Off topic but…) Funny you say that. The one time I flew through Italy (for the Mali Losinj trip) both FR and I were very relaxed. I got direct to the Italian east coast before I even entered Italian airspace. Generally in France ATC is pretty relaxed and gives good direct routes in spite of the zig-zags and doglegs you have to file.
The restriction on using airport of entry is only for private flights. Greece does Schengen.
Predator wrote:
The AIP say so
Indeed the AIP pages for LGSO say “Customs and immigration HO (O/R, 24 HRS PN required)” !
How does Greece “do schengen”? It has no schengen borders, so the only way to use the concession is to swim from Italy to Corfu, which is a very long swim 
LGKC is an exception…
How does Greece “do schengen”?
Schengen also applies to airtravel. Landing by airline in Greece from a Schengen treaty country yields no passport control. Unfortunately, this does not apply to private flights, which must use designated “airports of entry”, due to some obscure national customs rule. I am not a legal expert, however, I could see this to be in violation of EU freedom of movement provisions.
I researched this around 2019. I checked the AIP quickly and couldn’t find this “private flight” limitation anymore. Maybe it was changed?
Schengen and the EU freedom.of movement are not the same things.
If you think of Schengen as being a group of States (sic) as opposed to the EU being a group of independent sovereign countries.
There can be and are a number of Schengen suspensions if a country/state feels there is a threat or might facilitate a threat. There is published a Schengen suspension agenda usually for the year ahead. A country/ state applies for a suspension eg it could be a heightened terrorist threat due to a sporting event and will last only as long as that sporting event lasts. It could also be a threat to particular borders eg at the moment countries/states which have connections with Russia. In France there are often Schengen suspensions between Italy and France due to the heightened risk of mass immigration via those borders. There are all sorts of reasons a country might apply for a Schengen suspension and they can be on a large or a limited scale.
gallois wrote:
Schengen and the EU freedom.of movement are not the same things.
Indeed. EU freedom of movement means that you (as an EU citizen) can travel, work (and then reside) anywhere in the EU without permission. It does not mean that you can travel without having to show papers at national borders. That’s a Schengen thing.
In France there are often Schengen suspensions between Italy and France
It’s pretty hard to imagine how that would work at a practical level. The physical border between Italy and France here (Menton/Ventimiglia) doesn’t really even exist any more. And the autoroute actually runs through Italy for several km before you get to the “border post”, which is cunningly disguised as a toll booth. And that’s not to mention all the mountain roads that cross the border further north.
I suppose they COULD police the physical borders, and shut down the mountain roads, but it would be a huge mess.
