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Paris direct from UK VFR??

Is it possible – ie direct from UK to an airfield within say 30 min taxi ride to the city (and customs obviously)? Planning a weekend away with the family and glancing around, it would seem that Le Bourget LFPB might be the only direct option but with an eye watering c.300EU handling fee?? Alternative being land somewhere like Calais / Le Touquet first and then heading on to Lognes-Emerainville?

Last Edited by vmc-on-top at 05 Jun 16:33

vmc-on-top wrote:

Le Bourget LFPB might be the only direct option but with an eye watering c.300EU handling fee

I think it was higher than that… It was quoted here that landing + handling was around 900EUR at LFPB. @Peter would know.
Plus LFPB was IFR-only, at least before.

And about flying to Paris… What about LFQQ Lille? And then a TGV train to the Paris city centre.

EGTR

UK to “Paris” has been “impossible” for many years.

I went to Pontoise in 2010 but that (along with ~100 other French airports) was lost > 10 years ago due to French police funny work-minimisation politics, and anyway took hours to get into what one might call Paris. It was a load of hassle.

For Lille, do a search here (I wrote up a trip 2 week ago) and on our database. Lille works very well. But no better than Le Touquet AFAIK (answer might depend on trains into Paris).

Personally if I was going into Paris and lived near London I would take the train, and if I wanted to fly GA then Le Touquet and a train into Paris and make it overnight. Might more time and much less hassle. Day trips are a gonner to so many places in France now, due to the police changes there. Le T is still super but probably only because Macron has a house there so the police have to do a big show of force, which benefits us greatly.

VFR or IFR doesn’t help.

Le Bourget has no database reports but somebody here posted a while ago about €800 or so (probably with the usual 1500kg line at which the price goes up a lot so SR22s get hit) and it has no avgas anymore. Another stupid-management airport that’s gone for bizjets only.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I have flown LFPB (twice 2×600€, for 2h parking each time, it’s like going to Vegas, once or twice and never again )

I did it VFR first time, you need ATC email permission and very good weather, IFR it’s hectic and very fuel consuming piston unless you catch BABIX direct arrival in the middle of the English Channel

PS: I use Lille from UK, it’s faster and cheaper than LeBourget & Toussus, especially, if you are going to Paris center in rush hours…

For family trip yo Disney land you can try various combinations via L2K/Longes and RER A but there is a direct 2h20min Eurostar straight to Mickey Mouse house in Marne LaVallee, you can’t beat it in aircraft (unless it’s 200kts cruise, you touch and go in Rouen, fly IFR to the ILS at LeBourget, go missed and VFR to Lognes, taxi, train)

Last Edited by Ibra at 05 Jun 17:14
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

http://xc-aviation.co.uk/ an old post about Paris GA access.
Since then I think the only option anymore is Le Bourget: neither cheap nor convenient. Long IFR procedures, long taxi, expensive handling (do agree in advance on the price), no Avgas.

Customs are available at Vatry, Rouen, Lille, Calais, Beauvais. Beauvais and Vatry have direct public transport to Paris check in advance.
I would land at Calais for Custom (and Fuel), and then proceed to Toussus if IFR and Lognes or Saint Cyr (grass only) if VFR.
Have a BP card at Saint Cyr. Elsewere in France Total card is a must, available to foreigners who have a Euro account in SEPA land.
Refueling in France without a carnet de chèques or a Total card is difficult.

Last Edited by Piotr_Szut at 16 Jun 19:28

Piotr_Szut wrote:

Vatry have direct public transport to Paris check in advance

I have not checked transport links from there but it looks like taxi & train which is worse than Beauvais & Lille?

Chalons Vatry (LFOK) airport is 2nd worst French airport in terms of METAR weather data, the 1st one is Saint-Pierre (LFVP) in Newfoundland near Canada, while ago I went shooting their Cat2 ILS in fog condition for practice (no intention to land), it was sunny everywhere except that airport area !

Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom
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