I don’t know whose translation this is
but it is ominous because it suggests that a report will be kept on file for that aircraft reg, or that pilot, who could be arrested in the future.
I guess nobody likes phone calls with (French) customs people. Possibly the worst breed there is.
@Peter_G please post a screenshot of your mail to them here. Would be intersting to see why they have denied it.
IME you would almost never be able to make such a phone call unless you spoke fluent French. At “international” airports only the tower staff is required to have ELP and not always even then (depending on FR-only, etc). In S. Europe, and in France, almost nobody working at an airport, below the tower, speaks English.
Cherbourg is PNR, not PPR (many French airports nowadays are PNR, for the police attendance) so one should send in the email and just fly. I guess in this case the airport saw the flight plan and either didn’t like the PN email, or didn’t have it at all. This is the problem with PN and emails; emails often get lost in spam filters etc. It’s a very bad system, which is why I always email extensively before going somewhere, and repeat the email until I get an affirmative response. Then I print out that email and take it with me. Just like one used to do with Corfu, 24hr absolutely strict PPR by fax, back in the days when people actually flew there, before the Fraport takeover 
Right now I am trying to get to Caen to collect something airside.
Le Touquet is the usual exception. Very friendly police
My experience of French C&I has been quite positive. Coming back from the UK, before Covid admittedly, I had forgotten to PN customs 24 hours in advance. I rang them and explained I had forgotten to give them a return notice apologised and asked would it be possible to return anyway. The lady, cheerfully said the equivalent to “naughty boy, we’ll let you get away with it this time” and took my details and ETA.
On return, no-one.turnes up to check me out and I went home.
I would not “wrestle pigs in the mud”, they said it’s not 24h PNR (no idea how emails gets forwarded or received to them and I doubt it’s worth testing) but a phone call (in French) on the number listed under would be appreciated to understand a bit more
It’s a shame for such friendly airport since the restaurant owners have retired, I do recall landing there once to find out that Total fuel pump was U/S with nothing on NOTAMed, then went to Jersey for fuel & back all in short notice, not a single issue on both sides but maybe contexts & manners have changed these days…
What would have been risky & interesting is to depart without reading that email !
The lady, cheerfully said the equivalent to “naughty boy, we’ll let you get away with it this time” and took my details and ETA.
In French of course, this works perfectly.
It’s a shame for such friendly airport
Peter‘s story has nil to do with the airport, though.
Actually, there is often someone who speaks English but the problem is you may have to wait for office hours to talk to them.
boscomantico please post a screenshot of your mail to them here. Would be intersting to see why they have denied it
I simply sent them a copy of my GAR with “Request Customs/Immigration” attached to it.
Unless the receiver has an automated acknowledgement facility, one had no evidence of when they actually received it, as against their statement of reception time.
Because the clock was ticking, I didn’t want to waste precious time in a futile dispute. Hence my Plan B.
Why did you happen to have an outound GAR anyway? Is this coming en vogue now?
Anyway, they may have refused your request as you didn‘t make it clear enough for them. For one, a UK outbound GAR does not really show them the time of arrival at destination.
