Hi all,
This is my first post here, until now I have been learning a ton from this forum, it’s a great source of knowledge!
I am planning my first family trip, got my licence back in October. It’s going to be Lelystad-Prunay (EHLE-LFQA) next monday. I have been trying to plan the crossing of Belgium and after the initial shock I’m starting to get the grip of it. I am planning to go just above CTRs, asking to cross a couple of TMAs, with two backup plans in case of rejection or low clouds, that would be crossing CTRs or just dodging them. If anybody has any tips on the belgian part I would appreciate it.
The other part is french airports and operating times. I remember reading somewhere in this forum that at lunch time the airport becomes uncontrolled but also only-French, is this the case in Prunay too? I asked by email but answer never came back. I will call, but I would like to hear opinions from international pilots too.
I managed to reserve a taxi to and from the city already, anything else I’m missing?
Welcome.
The other part is french airports and operating times. I remember reading somewhere in this forum that at lunch time the airport becomes uncontrolled but also only-French, is this the case in Prunay too? I asked by email but answer never came back. I will call, but I would like to hear opinions from international pilots too.
Don‘t speculate or ask around. That is not the right way to go about it. Rather, consult the official publication, AIP + NOTAMs.
It is clear that the ATS (an AFIS) is available in English (no „Fr-only“ written behind the frequency given for the AFIS) but that the AFIS makes the following lunch-break:
I managed to reserve a taxi to and from the city already, anything else I’m missing?
Take note that such taxi will cost you 50 € one way. In the case of Reims, the solution to that is Uber. About 20 € only. Just „call“ it after you landed. Also, the thing with that booked taxi is that it is very difficult (particularly for a beginner) to get the timing right, and it will put you under stress.
The city of Reims is pleasant. If you need a hotel, I recommend the Appart’City Confort Reims Centre. Dirt cheap, but very good. Just stayed there in June.
All that said, French cities tend to be rather dull in the middle of August, as all people are on holiday, so lots of restaurants and small shops will be closed.
In the case of Reims, the solution to that is Uber.
For what it’s worth, I use Bolt in France rather than Uber. Here in Nice, Uber wasn’t great – long waits. Whereas a Bolt car almost always shows up in under 10 minutes, and once (at Cannes LFMD) in under 30 seconds!
For any airport in France, you should take a close look at the VAC, available online. Except that for some reason LFQA isn’t. However load an app on your phone called IVAC and you will find it there.
Welcome joanplanas
Sounds like a good plan. I’ve spent a bit of time ~50km south of Reims and it’s a nice area with lots to do
Don’t worry about French airfields: just turn up, land, and do your own thing
Looking forward to a report and some photos afterwards 😊
Hi,
I am a big fan of LFQA and go there regularly as it’s near my home town. The staff and ATS are extremely friendly and helpful, they definitely speak english. There is also a very nice aviation-themed restaurant on the field I recommend, the owner is a pilot and a nice person to talk to. They also have kids friendly playground etc.
I am surprised you didn’t get an answer from your email, as the staff there is usually responsive, could be a spam folder issue. I suggest you call them, especially if you come while the ATS is out, so they can give you advise where to park.
During ATS hour english is no issue. The VAC does mention FR-only outside of ATS hours. When I went out of hours there were some traffic speaking french on the radio, so maybe useful to have a basic understanding or aim to arrive during ATS hours.
Thank you all for your answers, I didn’t even think about Uber (or Bolt), and indeed that looks like the best option, no time constraints better.
boscomantico wrote:
Don‘t speculate or ask around. That is not the right way to go about it. Rather, consult the official publication, AIP + NOTAMs.
I think I didn’t explain myself properly. I totally agree with you, first thing I always check is the AIP. But that A/A being French-only was my doubt. Now I know that I could land there at those times if I wanted, but I will just better plan to land on opening hours, safer and one less distraction for me.
By the way, they answered from the aerodrome, it just took a couple of days. Nice and clear answers.
Capitaine wrote:
Looking forward to a report and some photos afterwards 😊
I will try to write a report! As I said, the amount of good information we can gather from this forum is a huge help for us novices, I will try to give something back as well.
Can I suggest you go to Google Play and put in Sofia. The one you want is blue b/g with VAC in white. Download that. Its got all the French VACs and can also be used for flight planning. Weather, Notams, Flight Plan.
gallois wrote:
Can I suggest you go to Google Play and put in Sofia. The one you want is blue b/g with VAC in white. Download that. Its got all the French VACs and can also be used for flight planning. Weather, Notams, Flight Plan.
Thank you for the recommendation , I’m using Foreflight and it looks like all that is available.
No problem. French pilots like to take advantage of free stuff when its available.🙂
What is your plan for Belgium ? Let me know if you have any questions. Seems complicated at first sight but is in fact much more easy than it appears.
