[santon]

Hi

The owner of the strip that I fly from has received a letter from Border Force to inform that a CoA will be required from July 2022 and he has asked for my input.
I am having trouble finding out how to apply for one. My questions are:

1. How does one apply?
2. How much does it cost?
3. How long does it last?
4. What conditions need to be met?

thanks in advance

[cotterpot]

There is this
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... ion-status

but it starts with a visit by BF to airfield.

[santon]

Thanks. That info refers to:

On receipt of a completed CoA application

but I cannot find the form required, cost, duration etc.

[Dave W]

@santon, I can help you with that as I have completed one on behalf of my local strip owner.

I am away at the moment with only my phone, so don't have all the info with me. However, if you PM me your email address I can share with you the Border Force requirement info I have, and how we responded to it.

I can do that over the weekend.

There is no specific form, just a list of 16 (?) questions, none of them onerous (I drafted a response to each one as a paragraph in a letter under the owner's letterhead), and 3 signed copies of an airfield plan. I based that on an online OS map. No cost has been mentioned.

As @cotterpot says, BF offer to visit (no cost to you) and I recommend inviting them - they were most helpful.

[cotterpot]

There is no charge we had ours end of last year. And as far as I am aware no end date.

There is no form - you need to invite them to come and look at the airfield and then they will carry out the assessment.
It took about 3 hours I recall. You need to involve everyone that operates from the airfield as there can only be one application.

One of the main requirement is to provide a space where BF can operate, if they so choose to visit and that has to be provided by the applicant.

[PeteSpencer]

These people are very useful: We have had a 'home visit' from local BF (Felixstowe) in Sept 2020 but this was before the C o A need was mandated so I'm just checking if we need to go through the process again...

I don't recall a request to give BF space to operate from, though. That could be interesting.....................

NationalFrontierApprovalsUnit@homeoffice.gov.uk
They will identify your local Border Force office who in turn will be in touch with you.

Peter

[Ibra]

If airstrip had EU arrivals in the past, BF would have been in touch with airfield owner who will contact most pilots who fly foreign to gather some info and confirm few questions (e.g. no chartered flights, no aircrafts/goods imports), then it's all on the airfield owner, the process is easy: no forms just questionaire, few posters/signs, having space & easy acess...all should be done in one afternoon visit as other posters said

Glad, we don't have to land at Biggin or Southend to eat a lunch at LeTouquet !

PS: you can change the X name to "X-London Inter Airport"

[mikehallam]

Just to emphasise:

It's only necessary if the strip is used to fly abroad from and return from abroad.

If your field is not used for that sort of jolly, AFIK carry on as usual.

I'm a strip owner/operator who used to fly into France pre Covid.
Border Force kindly got in touch to meet on site & help complete the application to obtain the new post Brexit approval to continue that way .
Once Covid is better controlled ! ***Some chance for 2021 I fear.

[Dave W]

Might also be useful to know that this will give the strip additional privileges to before; in that a CoAA can be used to fly direct to/from the Channel Islands which you could not do before from any old farm strip.

[PeteSpencer]

We’ve had the ‘site visit’ and answered all the questions last year but a new BF communication talks of sending three ‘signed plans’ of the airstrip and provision of space for BF to operate from.

I am seeking clarification as our local BF and national body don’t seem to talk to each other .

[mikehallam]

The nice Biggin Hill based B.F. guy had prebriefed me and the signed pack sent off.
No answer ot approval yet.
But by concession one could operate as before duing 2021, except for pandemic over ruling.

[PeteSpencer]

Does the ‘Certificate of Agreement’ exist in a tangible form that one could stick upon the wall of one’s hangar/office?

Has anyone seen one?

Or is it just a centrally registered notion ?

[Dave W]

Previous CoAA had a physical Certificate, so I assume it'll be the same.

For example, Henstridge's is in a frame by the booking-in desk.

[santon]

Thanks for all your replies. It all sounds too good to be true !

[Flyin'Dutch']

Think of all the paperwork that would have been required if the EU had had a say in this...