Easy. Search the one you want to search, plus several others 
To cover yourself, do what they (according to historical reports) do in France and Italy: search all the N-regs, plus the one you want to look at N-reg owners will not complain because everywhere they go they are legitimate military targets.
Thank you for these cautionary tales.
Do you think that German Customs might levy similar charges in the case of an emergency or precautionary landing?
What about outbound flights? Could they sting you for a precautionary landing after having cleared customs to a destination outside the Union?
If so, it seems that the safest way in or out of the Customs Union is via a customs airfield as close as possible to the external border of the Union customs territory – such as Calais.
Do you think that German Customs might levy similar charges in the case of an emergency or precautionary landing?
You mean when on an inbound flight drom say Switerland and then you to land at B rather than A (where at A customs has been arranged or is generally available, but not at B?
I don’t think so. In practice, when that happens, you would anyway contact the local customs office and wait until they arrive at the airfield. That will likely sort it out. I have never heard of any war stories in that constellation…
What about outbound flights? Could they sting you for a precautionary landing after having cleared customs to a destination outside the Union?
Don’t know if I understood the case here. Anyway, German Customs are much less interested in departures than in arrivals. In fact, there is an exemption in German customs regulations that flights outbound towards a non-EU country are exempt from using a customs aerodrome (under certain conditions).
Anyway, German customs will never sting you for something that happens outside of Germany.
If so, it seems that the safest way in or out of the Customs Union is via a customs airfield as close as possible to the external border of the Union customs territory – such as Calais.
Not really. It merely reduces the risk of weather etc. getting into the way of the original plan…
When I lived in Switzerland it was widely accepted by pilots I knew that in order to be safe, even though your aircraft was registered and based in Switzerland, and Swiss VAT paid on the purchase of the aircraft, one should also pay EU VAT on the aircraft so as to avoid any risk of being caught on a flight into an EU country. This was particularly thought to be a risk when making a flight between two EU airfield in such a plane, even more so if the customs people could claim that the plane was being used for some kind of business purpose.
I think you are saying you need an EU Certificate of Free Circulation.
It used to be available from UK Customs; I got mine in 2005 (when I went N-reg; N-regs have traditionally been a target for inspections) just before HMRC shut down the issuing.
The only known way to get one now is to declare a market value and pay the VAT on that. Obviously that piece of paper is going to cost you a huge wad of money! Almost nobody does this just for fun. Alternatives include a C88; various past threads on that.
If this Swiss pilot had done that, he would presumably not have been hit for the VAT (only the import duty, and the fine for landing at a non-cust airport which Cobalt says is €2.5k max if done in ignorance). Is this correct?
The only way to know is to do the same flight on a D-reg? and see if the bill matches sustoms duties ~ 3% +2.5k€ or 20% VAT
After hard Brexit, it will be tempted to fly N/G-reg to the continent via IoM or Malte first (tough Calais would still the first friendliest place to say hello without being grabbed)
Back to the hapless Swiss pilot for a moment. Would it not make more sense to crowdfund a legal challenge ? From what I read here, the various sources of information are so vague and contradictory that – short of being an expert on German customs regs – it’s nigh impossible to figure out what’s legal and what’s not. Surely there must be some form of redress available.
172driver wrote:
Would it not make more sense to crowdfund a legal challenge
Exactly!
boscomantico wrote:
So, coming back to EDFW:CUST Zoll für nicht Schengener-Länder/customs for non-Schengen States
PPR 1 Werktag/workdaymust be read as such. So: for non-Schengen countries, it is PPR by 1 workday. This also implies that it is not avalable for non-EU countries.
(Makes perfect sense: as a matter of fact, the airfield is NOT a “Zollplatz” or a “Besonderer Landeplatz”, but it IS a Schengen border crossing point).
That’s what they wanted to get across. The only “error” there is in that entry is that they put the word “Zoll” / “Customs” in there once again, which indeed implies speaking of Customs in the narrow sense.If they had written
CUST Für nicht Schengener-Länder/for non-Schengen States
PPR 1 Werktag/workdayall would be good.
Again:
So: for non-Schengen countries, it is PPR by 1 workday. This also implies that it is not avalable for non-EU countries.
This does not make sense at all. If you imply that there is no customs at all available, then why is there a phone number for customs in the entry and why do they offer what appears to be immigration and customs for non-schengen arrivals? This is simply totally idiotic.
So you are telling me that it is perfectly legal to fly from, say, Cairo to EDFW if you have observed the 1 workday PPR, but it is impossible to get a customs PPR for a flight from a Schengen State which is not part of the EU observing the same 1 day PPR by the indicated phone number of customs?
Now that would be totally crazy but probably not too crazy to be true.
Much safer to stay away from such places and use aerodromes which either have full Airport of Entry facilities without PPR or if one must, PPR which has a traceable way of filing an application.
This does not make sense at all. If you imply that there is no customs at all available, then why is there a phone number for customs
I agree the number shouldn’t be there. But then again, it IS possible to fly to EDFW from CH, if an Einzelbefreiung has been obtained from Customs, for which there is a well established procedure in place.
So you are telling me that it is perfectly legal to fly from, say, Cairo to EDFW if you have observed the 1 workday PPR
No. That is not possible, because Egypt is not in the EU (last time I checked)
