Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
By patowalker
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1846605
Following Brexit, UK registered factory built microlights no longer have access to French airspace without prior permission. The fee to obtain it is €50, and they don't make it easy to pay.

Homebuilt microlights are exempt.

Anybody hoping their representative association is doing something about this will be disappointed.

The regulations can be found here:
https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/en/foreign-aircraft

See the links under:

- Validation of a foreign airworthiness document

- Specific case of European ultralights

Ultralights originating from another European State (EU States, Island, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) can overfly the French territory for non commercial operations, provided that the aircraft : ...


and

- Specific case of amateur-built aircraft
(recently amended to include UK registered aircraft)

I suspect those affected will want to see action taken to recover the status quo ante.
By patowalker
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1846706
No issues with licences or PMD at all. The regulation states:

[- et, concernant le pilote :
- il est titulaire d'un titre permettant de voler sur cet ULM soit délivré par cet Etat ou par un organisme ayant reçu délégation de cet Etat, soit validé ou reconnu par cet Etat ; ou
-
Free translation:
- and, regarding the pilot:
- he shall hold a licence entitling him to fly that ULM, issued by said State or an organisation with a delegation by said State, or validated or accepted by said State.


No mention of medical requirements, for the simple reason that there are none for French ULM pilots either.
By patowalker
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1846711
G-BLEW wrote:It seems the same will apply to any of the new 600kg microlights that might soon be available (from any country).

Ian


Even if the present microlight issue is fixed, 600kg microlights will not be covered.

Revision of the ULM order

Following the publication of the new European Basic Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, the French decree on ULMs has been revised to extend certain limits of mass and power.

 New limits of the French ULM regulation (PDF - 130.02 Ko)

WARNING: the maximum mass limits of the ULM regulation are not as high as those applicable in some other European countries: the microlights of these countries can not fly over French territory without first obtaining an authorisation.


https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/en/foreign-aircraft
By Ibra
#1846715
welkyboy wrote:Isn’t there an issue with licences as well? Most microlight pilots fly on PMDs with a sub ICAO licence


No you should not need more than your NPPL & PMD, in France, Microlights and ULM are already sub-ICAO/FCL and they are flown without Part-MED medical to start with...

But now it's very tricky to fly G-reg gliders and motor-gliders in France on LAPL, NPPL(SLMG) or BGA papers, one will need SPL+Class 2 and there is no way around it

It will be a while before I drive a glider trailer (towed by a car = ATA Carnet and 40k deposit :eye: ) down to Sistrone or LaCerdanya