dublinpilot wrote:
EOBT is the time that you should be commencing your taxi. It would be wholly inappropriate for customs to turn up at that stage
Peter went off blocks 15 minutes before EOBT and was about to enter the runway 10 minutes before EOBT where they stopped him. In my opinion, this is very reasonable for a GA aircraft from a police point of view.
Peter wrote:
Your writing Aviathor is contrary to what I am certain you know happens at most French airports i.e. the police usually don’t even bother to turn up, so people come and go fairly casually. I’ve been flying into France for 16 years…
No it’s not contrary to anything. The fact that they do not show up most places, most of the time, does not mean that you are free to pay lip service to the notice given. Actually at Avignon they show up quite frequently.
I keep my nose clean by saying what I am about to do and doing what I said. That’s how you stay out of trouble. Not by assuming that they did not come last time so they won’t come now either.
achimha wrote:
Peter went off blocks 15 minutes before EOBT and was about to enter the runway 10 minutes before EOBT where they stopped him. In my opinion, this is very reasonable for a GA aircraft from a police point of view.
What this experience demonstrates is that we should rigourously adhere to EOBT when there is a chance of an identity check. But I agree it is not too smart of the police to show up only 10 minutes before EOBT. I am however under the impression it is pretty common.
lionel wrote:
L’existence dans notre pays de deux forces de police, l’une à statut civil, l’autre à statut militaire (…)
Exactly. Statut militaire. But hey, what would I know, my father-in-law was only an officer in the Gendarmerie…..
Well no. Border Police in France ask you to notify them separately from the FPL, by some phone number that doesn’t work or email they don’t monitor anymore but that’s their problem. So what matters is the time you tell them you’re going to leave and not your FPL EOBT. The time you’re about to taxi is definitely not the time you’re supposed to pass passport control, is it?
If there’s a different procedure in place (maybe that’s the case for Norway or Germany) and it’s specified in writing somewhere pilots are supposed to look before flying in that country, fair enough. But it’s not the case in France. Unless someone proves otherwise, it would be nice to turn the judgemental attitude down a notch?
denopa wrote:
not your FPL EOBT.
I agree. Whatever time of departure given to the maréchaussée. Does not change the fact that you should not depart before and that is the fundamental problem here.
172driver wrote:
Exactly. Statut militaire. But hey, what would I know, my father-in-law was only an officer in the Gendarmerie…..
Yes. Since a few years the gendarmerie actually depends of the ministry of interior and no longer the ministry of defense. Does not change their status though.
I was there at the same time as Peter. I also had a FPL filed with EOBT 0900Z.
On arrival, two days before I failed to file PPR customs arrival declaration, so the employee at the desk asked me to file it as soon as I would be at the hotel, which I did.
For departure I didn’t file any custom departure declaration either. I asked the employee if I should do something and she answered that the custom officers turned in but were gone, so she told me (so did the security employee) that if they were gone, I could assume that they didn’t want to see me. She told me though that they were scheduled to come back at 1000 LOC.
Then I moved my EOBT to 0830Z with telegram/autorouter, walked to my plane and took off at 0838Z. Peter was waiting in the airport.
Never heard from anybody since. Of course, my destination was intra-schengen (EBST).
Anyway, I am a little bit confused about what must be done exactly with customs in France.
On my SD briefing pack I had this Notam which mentions Airline Carriers, which is not my case.
Enroute
FIR Information
01 nov. 2017 00:00 Z – 30 avr. 2018 23:59 Z
Area: 999nm from N452500 W0000600, FL00+
ACCORDING TO FRENCH DEPARTMENT OF THE
INTERIOR INSTRUCTIONS, AND PURSUANT TO :
- ICAO ANNEX 9 STANDARD 3.33,
- ARTICLE 25 AND 27 OF SCHENGEN CONVENTION
(1985, JUNE 14TH) – ARTICLE L.625.1 OF ‘CODE DE
L’ENTREE ET DU SEJOUR DES
ETRANGERS ET DU DROIT D’ASILE’ CESEDA
(FRENCH CODE ABOUT FOREIGNERS ENTRY
CONDITIONS AND RIGHT OF ASYLUM),
- OCTOBER 30TH 2017 LAW STRENGTHENING THE
INTERNAL SECURITY AND THE FIGHT AGAINST
TERROSRISM,
IT IS COMPULSORY FOR AIRLINE CARRIERS
SERVING METROPOLITAN FRANCE TO VERIFY
EVERY PASSENGER TRAVEL DOCUMENT FOR
EVERY INBOUND FLIGHT TO METROPOLITAN
FRANCE, COMING FROM INSIDE/OUTSIDE THE
SCHENGEN AREA DURING THE FLW PERIOD : 2017,
FM 01ST NOVEMBER TO 2018, 30TH APRIL.
FAILURE TO COMPLY COULD LEAD TO PAY A
MAXIMUM 5000 EURO FINE PER PASSENGER IN
ADDITION TO PAYMENT OF THE COSTS OF
REMOVAL OF EACH INADMISSABLE TRAVELLER.
Jean,
we discussed this umpteen times here (and elsewhere).
As long as their is no NOTAM from the airport in question, or any other NOTAM regarding GA, legally, you are fine without doing anything.
But the “problem” is that one wants to avoid problems when flying. And some airports unfortunately ask for PPR (via their website, a note stuck on the wall at the airport, whatever), but don’t bother to publish a NOTAM. Avignon is one of them.
So, if you want to be 100% sure not to get into trouble, you have to a) check NOTAMs, b) check the airport’s website, and c) call the airport and if they need prior notice for your flight. Not saying this is good. It is total carp. But as I said, one doen’t want to get into trouble when flying and wanting to enjoy the day.
boscomantico wrote:
So, if you want to be 100% sure not to get into trouble, you have to
Except that as far as intra-Schengen flights are concerned, since @Jean departed after the end of the state of emergency, given the Arrêté posted elsewhere, in the absence of any NOTAM, Jean was fine to depart without any prior notice. 
Extra-Schengen flights always requires customs (actually immigration) no matter what.
