Let me highlight something from post #1
Next thing someone will say is that a passport check by someone not carrying a gun is to be regarded as void…
Yes but where’s the problem if Police stop and check you? That’s all that happened.
I was once forced by ATC in Greece to taxi back to the apron because the handler made a mistake in the invoice and I had to pay another 1.20 €. Not joking, that was the amount. I found this incidence much graver than yours to be honest.
Peter, the guy in the handling office presumably only checked your license to ensure you are indeed a pilot.
For that check he needs an ID or passport with picture to verify that the person presenting the licence is the same as the licence holder.
He did not execute the border control check which coincidentally also needs a passport.
While exaggerating, you are right in a way: it does matter who you have presented your passport to and for what purpose. Just because some guy somewhere wants to see your passport, you should not assume that they had police/customs/etc competence.
You two are pulling my leg, again.
What you are saying is that anytime a passport check is required, one cannot start up the engine before EOBT, even if the said documents have been examined
achimha wrote:
iterally? So a German policeman kicked you with his boot in your behind?
It was at a Border point with Germany but the officials were Swiss. And no, no physical violence but we were kept for this time and then told quite harshly to pack the car up and get out of here pronto or else (what?)… obviously being very annoyed for not finding anything. The way it was done was something we should have reported but as I felt my friend then had brought it upon us with his behaviour I did not want the hassle.
achimha wrote:
Sounds like an appropriate measure and a good addition to your already exhaustive non-fly list. IIRC Germany (at least the Munich area) is also part of it.
Germany is definitly not. Ok, Munich proper can’t be reasonably reached by GA unless you count Augsburg as a suburb of Munich (but Augsburg is a great example of places where you do NOT need prior notice for customs and everything works excellently). I will avoid Mengen (very unfriendly and unreasonable experience with customs there) and any place which has unreasonable PPR such as 24 hours+ for customs or complicated procedures unless I have no choice.
France, there are still enough full customs airports to avoid this kind of thing. But several reports in recent past do not make it very attractive to fly there if there are problem free alternatives.
You could have a similar confusion in e.g. Memmingen EDJA. To enter the apron on the pump side (GA acces only) you show your licence and ID to the guy in the container shed at the gate and are even (lightly) security checked.
Dont assume you are now checked out to leave Schengen…
That, Peter, is indeed what I do and recommend +/-
Small adjustment, only
Whenever a passport check is required and has not been carried out by present police staff (or equally authorised personnel) then you should indeed wait with taxiing until the previously notified departure time (usually, but not necessarily EOBT).
Fine to start your engine before as there is only a small chance of being checked, just dont start your physical departure before that time.
E.g. if you fly in/out Schaerding LOLS they are very relaxed and normally police does not come out but you are ill advised to leave early, anyway.
At least I know I won’t ever have this problem.
I don’t think I’ve ever managed to start my engine less than 15 minutes after EOBT, ever!
What is the definitive process for notifying departure time, other than the filed eobt?
Peter wrote:
What is the definitive process for notifying departure time, other than the filed eobt?
I would always check with the airfield office when I arrive in Germany. I assume it differs by country or even region. I don’t think you will be able to find a definitive procedure. Sometimes I have had to fill in a form, other times the office just notifies the local police of my planned departure time.
