I am planning a short trip over the channel to start to stretch my legs abroad. I have been to L2K once but want to start heading beyond the French coast, at first slowly.
I have set out a route in Skydemon, but the Skydemon PLOG lists no radio frequencies for the destination airport LFOI Abbeville. In fact, the only French frequencies listed are for Paris and Lille Information. There is also no airfield phone number listed on the Skydemon Approach Info printout and I can’t find a website for the aerodrome. When I check the airfields on the French AIP (AIP France ) I can’t find Abbeville at all.
My questions:
1) Does the aerodrome still exist or has it closed down? Is it temporarily closed?
2) If it still exists, is it a Customs aerodrome? (It is listed as such in a document I have seen.)
3) Why can’t I find a website / phone number? Do you know of one?
4) Is it an English-ATC speaking aerodrome, or French-speaking-ATC one?
5) Can I fly there on Thursday this week (weather permitting) or is there something else I need to know?
6) If it has closed, where would people recommend as a reasonable alternative place to visit?
Many thanks
Howard
Howard
You are looking in the wrong place. See the Atlas VAC button on the SIA homepage.
The airfield is open. You will find anwers to your other questions in the official publication.
Aha! Just as you typed that I found the Atlas VAC! Thanks Boscomantico! I have a lot to learn about the French AIP.
Have you any idea why Skydemon doesn’t think it exists?
Howard
Here is a link to the SIA website. It works very well and is very comprehensive.
https://www.sia.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/
eAIP for IFR airports
VAC Atlas for VFR only airports.
…and the VAC guide says “2- ATS : Nil”.
Doesn’t sound like I want to go there: There will be plenty of French pilots I’m sure, all speaking French on a “traffic” callsign. Sounds like my idea of radio hell :-(
Pity.
Have you any idea why Skydemon doesn’t think it exists?
They don’t.
Doesn’t sound like I want to go there.
It’s not a terribly busy place. Have. Good lookout, make slow and clear radio calls (in English if need be) and follow the standard procedure joining French airfields without ATS.
You’re right of course Boscomantico : Skydemon does think it exists, and lists no ATC frequency because there is no ATC.
I’m going to try to find a nearby airfield that has ATC and speaks English.
Thanks again for your help.
For fields in France, my first reference is www . navigeo . org (blanks inserted for clarity) ; if you know the aerodrome code you can even include it directly in your url, like www . navigeo . org / lfoi In the “cartes” tab, there is an option, albeit somewhat obscure, to download the official a/d info (“télécharger la carte VAC”).
That said, if you are looking to expand your horizons, but are concerned about languages, why not consider Belgium? Just a bit further away, and almost all fields do the R/T in English. Most are PPR, though, but that is but a courtesy phone call. EBKT Kortrijk and EBOS Oostende have customs so you can fly to them directly.
What about Cherbourg, Caen, Deauville, Rouen? All towered and customs although some with PNR/PPR.
I have been to Abbeville a couple of times. I would not recommend it for a first foray abroad. It’s almost deserted, and not Atc or Afis so you need to broadcast your intentions on Autoinfo, which is shared with many airfields and is French only, which is confusing. Also the locals are very unused to having visitors and some can be a bit aggressive. Finding out who to contact to announce your visit from a border police point of view is a task in itself. There’s absolutely nothing to do around it. Finally, as a non Afis-Atc airfield, you’ll need to decide yourself which runway you use; that may be an additional layer of stress.
There’s a reason Le Touquet is so popular with British pilots, it really is ideal. Cherbourg, Deauville or Caen are also good options, in my opinion, even if they’re a bit further away
