The red tape challenge’s proposal was to abolish the Special Branch requirements altogether.
I’m saddened but not surprised that this proposal has been ignored.
The Special Branch thing is also only selectively or at least inconsistenly enforced. For instance, Special Branch have never even checked up let alone come out to meet me or contacted me in any form at any of the airfields that I’ve gone to that require 12 hour notice – indeed, I suspect I could get away with giving no notification at all. But it seems that they have a “permission to fly” system in some areas (e.g. what Peter reported) and rigorous enforcement in others (for instance, I flew a few times with a friend to an airfield in rural Yorkshire and we were almost always met by a Special Branch person – indeed, we tended to ask them for a lift!)
Does the proposal really indicate that the CTA might be down from 12hrs to 2hrs?
My experience of the Special Branch procedures (Shoreham) is
Obviously my experience is hardly exhaustive (spontaneous day trips to Jersey etc are not possible under this system) but I have never met anybody down here whose experience differs.
If the notice is down to 2hrs, that would be great, and IMHO the 2hr departure notification is not a big problem especially as – for non CTA traffic – nobody seems to care much about it, with many forgetting to file the GARs, and indeed almost nobody (down here) filing them for their day trips to LTQ etc until a few years ago.
A GAR has not been needed for departure from the UK for some time now?
At least for the CTA, a GAR has always been required for departure, at least 12 hours in advance – except for certain designated airfields (this is different from the Customs GAR requirements – Customs isn’t required for NI/IOM because they are part of the same customs area, but it is required for the Channel Islands).
Wasn’t somebody asking what it is that limits the ventures of VFR pilots?
I would hazard a guess that constant moving of goalposts might be one reason.
The term “permission to fly” is in itself a good indication of the role the BF see themselves in, on occasions forgetting that it is a relatively free country. I have had them get the Guernsey BF come out to inspect me because I forgot to file the GAR (first trip, did not know one was not suppose to leave the country without notice) and went via France…..and in doing so obviously p***** the officer off because he could not prosecute me. Guernsey BF was very nice about it though, they could not really see the issue.
I can just about (and only just) understand the need for an inbound GAR to catch all those illegal immigrants who have the funds to hire a private flight and are law abiding enough to announce their arrival. What I totally fail to understand is the need for permission to leave the country. I thought the concept went out of fashion with the wall.
A GAR has not been needed for departure from the UK for some time now?
Sam is talking about a departure to an airfield within the EU.
It would be a shame if I had to do a GAR again. I want it removed to EU.
It is a old useless bureaucratic relict.
The UK has always needed a departure GAR for IOM, NI, Ireland, CI.
Is that wrong?
It is only for deps to other EU countries, and only if all aboard are EU citizens, that a GAR was not needed.
Does anyone have any info on whether the 12/24hr notice is proposed to be removed?
The UK has always needed a departure GAR for IOM, NI, Ireland, CI.
Is that wrong?
That is correct, with the exception of designated airports. In the past a GAR was ot required from designated airports, but this became a requirement 12-18 months ago.
Does anyone have any info on whether the 12/24hr notice is proposed to be removed?
The document linked to seems to hint that there will be some changes in other proposed leglisation to align this to the 2 hours + journey time proposed, but it’s a dangerous game relying on hint of possibilities in leglisation that hasn’t been pased yet.
That is correct, with the exception of designated airports. In the past a GAR was ot required from designated airports, but this became a requirement 12-18 months ago.
A GAR is not currently needed for designated airfields going to the Isle of Man/NI. It’s only needed for the Channel Islands (due to customs requirements). IOM/NI doesn’t have customs requirements, only Special Branch.
A GAR might be needed in some instances, for example IOM special branch still require a GAR for departure and arrival even if you’re flying out of Ronaldsway. However there is no advance notice requirment from IOM plod to leave/arrive Ronaldsway. There used to also be on top of this little cards you had to fill in for arrival or departure. Fortunately they’ve done away with these.
The whole system is not only completely unnecessary, but a complete incoherent mess.
