Peter wrote:
So there is an EU law stating that a pilot flying alone does not need customs and / or immigration?
The EU law quoted says, explained in more verbiage than the actual text: Each Member State may (but is not forced to) decide that crew members known to the border force police in the performance of their duties will not be checked on each and every entry or exit, but only randomly sometimes.
That is, EU law as quoted does not give crew members a positive right (that is, a right that they can “impose” on the Member State) to not be checked (officials can decide to check you anytime anyway), nor to use a non-Schengen entry/exit point airport. It is up to each Member State (that is, national legislation/regulation) whether:
Thank you Lionel 
So this is for
Good to have put this one to bed
So essentially it does nothing for the pilot, but allows border control officers the possibility of being relieved of the obligation to check the crew every time.
Yes, it doesn‘t sound like it relieves the pilot from having to use an airport with immigration, and that is the important bit, not whether they check up on you or not.
So essentially it does nothing for the pilot, but allows border control officers the possibility of being relieved of the obligation to check the crew every time.
Which is pretty normal such laws are usually made to make life easier to law enforcement rather than to other citizens.
Yes, it doesn‘t sound like it relieves the pilot from having to use an airport with immigration
It does in France, the airport does not have to be POE for immigration if crew only within EU/CU as long as PN is sent…again, it’s a very narrow “useless concession” now: it only work on France/Ireland (it used to work France/UK before Jan21 and no longer needed for France/Croatia after Mar23)
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/article_lc/LEGIARTI000035872385/2021-06-09
Not sure if any other EU countries have similar stuff? say PN from non-POE airport in Italy to Croatia before Mar23?
Maybe someone should ask Italian immigration police while wearing 7 epaulettes + RayBans?
Ok, I had missed Article 18.
It having been written in 2017 also explains why it has been worded as it has been worded….EU 2020/877 didn‘t yet exist at the time. If it had existed, it would have likely been worded differently.
Edit: where do you send the PN to if you are using a totally random small airfield in France?
I don’t know how arêté 2017 will change with EU2020/877? For intra-Schengen to Switzerland & Norway, it’s already allowed as per Article 9 but it does not say much about “nothing to declare” and use of “AD non douaniers” by private flights (e.g. Megeve, Annemasse…are “AD non douaniers” but ok for Switzerland with PN)
Edit: where do you send the PN to if you are using a totally random small airfield in France?
That is where the action happens, it’s unlikely you can get any info on this
For airfields in Lyon sector (Megeve, Bellgrade, Annemasse…): they have “centralised form” to Cli-Lyon and are familiar with Switzerland flights from small airfields (also they don’t even require PN for extra-Schengen within EU like Ireland, Romania, Croatia…for Lyon Bron !)
https://aeroclub-amberieu.fr/files/preavis-vol-douane.pdf
For airfields in Metz sector: FPL emailed 24h in advance
For airfields in Paris sector (Pontoise, Toussus, Lognes): PN to sr.dugnyATdouane.finances.gouv.fr
It does in France
Jesus… the number of people who all these years have known about this can be measured on one finger. It has been a State secret held more tightly than the SOPs of the World Freemasonry Association. Or it doesn’t actually exist other than some French under the table local thing (which is of course wholly possible, but not useful).
Is there a difference between commercial cargo operations by known companies, and individual private GA?
