And all have avgas and jet-a1.
All are great destinations.
All are different.
So why so few pilots from the mainland fly there?
Only UK pilots get screwed over by the 12hr PN both ways – a straight job creation scheme for the police.
How many pilots are aware that JJ, JA, JB have no PN from mainland?
I doubt PN is the main problem for people not flying these days? altough, I can’t find a reason why CI can’t work, they are brilliant places for fly-in (cheap fuel, easy airspace, instrument and plenty of things to see)
Some pilots from France do fly to CI as they are welcoming & easy for one day trips, airspace is easy, you are talking to one single radar ATSU, customs are very simple on arrival & departure…also lot of ATO/MIL people from France go there for “english/instrument training”, Jersey has every sort of approach handy (ILS, VOR, NDB, GPS, PAR, SRA), even non-TXP wing-shift F-reg ULM fly to JA with easy ATC permission on day !
Having said that lot pilots in France don’t cross open water without extra safety you get from “FIKI twins” (their words not mine, glide range physics don’t apply), unlike from UK where you have to “get wet” to go somewhere interesting?
PS: strictly speaking the famous ELP endorsement (FCL055 in DGAC words) is not even legally required to operate in Channel Islands airspace, maybe except on taxiways and in pubs? altough, I am sure someone with William Shakespeare & Victor Hugo litterature degrees with very restrictive view of flying will come to lecture us on this…I think actual flying on FPL from Dinard to Jersey tend to give better understanding of where flight plan EET sits on Brest FIR boundary
To answer your question (from a German POV):
Well, yes, the CI are indeed a mildly attractive destination for private flyers. Quite a few Germans fly there in summer. Reasons are:
However, it will never a be a place where German private pilots fly to very often or in big numbers, because:
The fact that the CI themselves require no customs-related PN is very far down in the list of factors. Remember most mainland pilots are not so accustomed to all this PN/PPR stuff anyway, so not having PN requirements is not really seen as a bonus, but as normality.
The first barrier is English
I guess distance plays a 2nd role here: most Austrian/German pilots fly to Croatia…Brits go to LeTouquet/Calais and that is it, only Peter goes to Croatia from UK
You don’t see many Brits in CI neither only those with business and life interest there…the long water crossing need rafts, twins, ferry tanks, dry suits and FIKI according to some
From France, lot of pilots in Normadie fly to CI, I think everyone in my SEP/ULM aeroclubs has done it already, one friend went two weeks ago from SaintAndre (LFFD) to Alderney (EGJA) via Cherbourg (LFRC), I was actually supposed to fly with him in his wing-shift but he decided midweek due to weather, I helped a bit with his planning, especially getting ATC permission for non-TXP ULM (24h PN email and phone call on day with ETA), the rest is very easy…he flew on ULM paper (no PPL, no FCL055) but he can talk English and has lot of tolerance for crappy British food: he lived in Essex and retires in Normandie
Anyway, PN is only a problem when one flies regularly with fixed schedule and dealing with weather, for a one-off or lifetime trip, it’s rarely an issue
In that case we are into touring patterns
It is obvious from our fly-ins that for example it is very hard to get non-French / non-UK pilots to come to W France. The comment about poor customer service is definitely not confined to the UK, and I have had this comment directly from the pilots concerned
I think the distance is the biggest factor. ELP is a big issue in France but is rarely an issue with countries east of France.
Another plus for the C.I. is that they aren’t FR-only, unlike e.g. Ouessant which is not accessible to most pilots in Europe for that reason. Actually the geology (landscape) is very similar across all these, plus the Scilly Isles. This is Alderney again:
We should have Guernsey or Alderney fly-in on July 23/24 or July 30/31? sadly, there is nothing to plan or organize there for fly-in, I can help with getting CAVOK weather O/R with 24h PNR
Airspace and procedures are easy compared to Frankfurt IFR or London TMA
No customs PN required
Fuel always available
ATC are always around
26 possible IFR procedure
PS: Guernsey has (mid price) handling but their ramp is as big as Oshkosh, one can call and fly there with short 15min notice form nearby Islands !
Been going to CI for decades, a great jewel in the British Isles. Take a southbound from Southampton and you will be there in just a few minutes! Just remember when leaving to ask ATC for a MUCH HIGHER transit altitude than you have been assigned.
The problem for are the regulations regarding the entry of our dog. It is nearly impossible to go there (same as to go to UK directly)This does stops us to go to the CI as well as to UK regularly, although it is so close to Brittany.
Yes bringing dog to UK/CI from EU is problematic without AOC, there is a legal route I am aware for UK/CI to bring a bog is via a landing in Ireland or Northern Ireland but it’s a long detour for someone from Germany
ROI/NI – EU : is ok without paperwork as they are part of EU Customs Union
ROI/NI-UK/CI: have blanket exemption from DEFRA, see here
https://www.gov.je/Industry/PetsAndLivestock/PetMovements/Pages/ApprovedCarriers.aspx
Having said that I know someone who does not care, he regularly fly North Weald to Deauville (he had confirmation from authorities it’s OK for him as the dog is already ‘based in UK’ and not ‘imported from EU’ or ‘visiting from EU’)
Seems like some milking business is going on…
@lbra
I am aware for UK/CI to bring a bog is via a landing in Ireland or Northern Ireland
That‘s exactly what we have done last time. First landing at Weston (Dublin), then going to Exeter just to have been in UK first and then going to Jersey (direct Ireland to the CIs without having landed in England first is forbidden as well and they do check it). Even when departing at LFRQ it‘s a way to long.