Aviathor wrote:
State of emergency comes to an end on May 26th
This was in 2016.
A few days ago we did need to show our passports at Tours (LFOT) coming from Germany for a short trip to the Val de Loire. This was surprising to us, since we have been several times in France with our plane. Never been asked for passports in France on arrival from Germany. They also did ask for the time of our departure. Today was our day of departure and when arriving at the airport the employee told us that we need to inform customs four hours prior to departure. We told him that we where asked for our time of departure. After a telephone call this problem was resolved. The rules of 2016 are still in force. But there are no such rules on the highways, this is strange.
highflyer wrote:
Today was our day of departure and when arriving at the airport the employee told us that we need to inform customs four hours prior to departure.
I would say he was wrong. There is no NOTAM and no other information to that effect. Yes, the VAC chart informs you that you can have “Customs” with 4 hours prior notice, but you definitely don’t need customs flying to Germany. He probably didn’t tell you on what he based his statement?
Since Tours is also a military base, maybe they are a bit more nervous, but that doesn’t justify anything towards you of course.
highflyer wrote:
But there are no such rules on the highways, this is strange.
There are still border controls in force, i.e. they have put up temporary checkpoints on routes between e.g. Germany and France. They are not always manned though (I would guess maybe 20 % of the time). Looking at the control intensity between Switzerland and France and Germany and France, I can say that the road controls are rather symbolic and their application on air traffic is hugely out of proportion when compared to what they do for cars (because they couldn’t control every car going in and out of France). Maybe I’m also lucky to never have been stopped by the police officers because I don’t look sufficiently like a terrorist.
The state of emergency has been prolonged for 6 months. Obviously all politicians are too scared to let it expire only to have another attack. The security forces are under incredible strain; it is no help that they know most of what they do is a useless knee jerk reaction (checking every flight including intra-Schengen, having the military in the streets without clear rules of engagement, surveillance with vastly understaffed teams).
At the same time, no investments have been made in systems like Prevent which (despite the Manchester attack) has been quite successful in the UK, or increasing economic or educational opportunities in the communities where the criminals who become terrorists lurk.
At the same time, no investments have been made in systems like Prevent which (despite the Manchester attack) has been quite successful in the UK, or increasing economic or educational opportunities in the communities where the criminals who become terrorists lurk.
@denopa well said. However this is not going to change overnight or even over several years. The UK’s Prevent programme is one of many activities, another less visible one is large scale infiltration by recruitment by MI5 of the relevant communities which has been going on for decades. If one spent 50 years sweeping the whole issue under the carpet, it’s going to take decades to do anything.
So I don’t see this situation changing anytime soon.
OTOH if you fly an N-reg, carrying a passport (or some other “State issued photo ID”; for UK pilots the passport is the only option) is mandatory anyway… How many pilots fly internationally and not carry a passport? Legally you can intra-Schengen but surely you are just creating problems for yourself if somebody does a ramp check.
Actually I believe the current interpretation of the FAR is that passports are the only acceptable form of ID a European N-reg pilot can carry, logic being that the ID needs to be valid for US authority (which e.g. French Is cards are not anymore).
Any government issued ID recognised by the country in which you fly should be valid. So to fly in France on a US certificate you can get by with a CNI (Carte Nationale d’Identité). This is not a matter of FARs
Rwy20 wrote:
He probably didn’t tell you on what he based his statement?
You are right, he didn`t tell us about.
In this situation arises an uneasy feeling when you have a Flight plan filed and you see the wx cells coming up on your route.
Once you travel enough you will see a lot of patterns and discover who random they seem to be. Within the Schengen area as a citizen of said area I would not worry about a thing and show some calm confidence when interacting with anyone. Many countries have a rule to carry ID in public spaces anyway. Not that I would like that, but it’s not creating an issue unlike other things.
Portugal blows up Schengen
Surprisingly, yesterday the following NOTAM was published:
LPPC LISBOA,ACC/FIC
A1919/17 (Issued for LPPC LPPO PART 1 OF 2) – ENTRY, TRANSIT AND DEPARTURE OF AIRCRAFT – INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS
AND
AIR TRANSPORT OPERATIONS (OPERATIONS INVOLVING THE CARRIAGE OF
PASSENGERS, CARGO OR MAIL FOR REMUNERATION) AT LPBR, LPIN, LPFC,
LPJF, LPMI, LPMU, LPFA, LPPN, LPSC, LPSR, LPAF, LPHB, LPMN AND LPLZ
ARE PROHIBITED.
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS AT ALL ULTRALIGHT RUNWAYS LOCATED IN NATIONAL
TERRITORY ARE PROHIBITED.
EXTRA-EU FLIGHTS AT LPCR, LPBG, LPVR, LPJB, LPDA, LPLO, LPMB, LPMZ,
LPSA, LPCS, LPCH, LPCO, LPEV, LPVZ, LPSO, LPPM, LPVL, LPFE, LPMC AND
LPCB ARE PROHIBITED.
PART 1 OF 2. 30 MAY 16:34 2017 UNTIL PERM. CREATED: 30 MAY 16:37 2017
A1919/17 (Issued for LPPC LPPO PART 2 OF 2) – EXTRA-EU FLIGHTS AT LPFL, LPPI, LPGR AND LPSJ ARE SUBJECT TO PRIOR
AUTHORISATION FROM THE BORDER AND IMMIGRATION SERVICE, THE TAXATION
AND CUSTOMS AUTHORITY, THE DIRECTOR OF THE AERODROME AND ANAC.
INTRA-EU FLIGHTS AT LPCR, LPBG, LPVR, LPJB, LPDA, LPLO, LPMB, LPMZ,
LPSA, LPCS, LPCH, LPCO, LPEV, LPVZ, LPSO, LPPM, LPVL, LPFE, LPMC,
LPCB, LPFL, LPPI, LPGR AND LPSJ ARE SUBJECT TO PRIOR AUTHORISATION
FROM THE BORDER AND IMMIGRATION SERVICE, THE DIRECTOR OF THE
AERODROME AND ANAC.
SCHENGEN FLIGHTS AT LPCR, LPBG, LPVR, LPJB, LPDA, LPLO, LPMB, LPMZ,
LPSA, LPCS, LPCH, LPCO, LPEV, LPVZ, LPSO, LPPM, LPVL, LPFE, LPMC,
LPCB, LPFL, LPPI, LPGR AND LPSJ ARE SUBJECT TO PRIOR AUTHORISATION
FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE AERODROME AND ANAC, AND PRIOR NOTICE THE
BORDER AND IMMIGRATION SERVICE.
APPLICATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS SHALL BE PRESENTED TO THE
DIRECTOR OF THE AERODROME AND TO ANAC (DRE.AMANAC.PT), NOT LATER
THAN 24 HOURS (ONE WORKING DAY) BEFORE THE INTENDED FLIGHT, BY USING
THE APPLICABLE FORM AVAILABLE AT ANAC’S WEBSITE. THE OPERATOR MAY BE
REQUIRED TO SUBMIT SUCH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS IS DEEMED
NECESSARY FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE REQUEST.
REF AIP PORTUGAL GEN 1.2
PART 2 OF 2. 30 MAY 16:34 2017 UNTIL PERM. CREATED: 30 MAY 16:37 2017
It’s a pity. It was always nice to visit Portugal airfields and I always felt very welcome.
Now it seems somebody has decided to forget about Schengen and the free movement of European citizens.
Coolhand wrote:
It’s a pity. It was always nice to visit Portugal airfields and I always felt very welcome.
I agree, but isnt this typical of the attitude of the authorities in Portugal?
Coolhand wrote:
ARE SUBJECT TO PRIOR
AUTHORISATION FROM THE BORDER AND IMMIGRATION SERVICE, THE TAXATION
AND CUSTOMS AUTHORITY, THE DIRECTOR OF THE AERODROME AND ANAC.
Can anyone imagine trying to sort this out with the Portuguese…. there you get 3 pieces of paper when you buy a tap washer, which you must carry in case you are stopped by the GNR, thats when are not sitting under a tree in the shade!
What amazes me is that 70 seater coaches are still piling across the Spanish/ Portuguese borders completely unchecked….what a mess.
