[Lefty]

I’m considering a day trip to a small non customs field in Belgium. In the past we’ve simply lobbed into Calais to clear customs and immigration into the EU before flying around France, Belgium or wherever (and again on the way home).

Whilst Calais is extremely convenient and hassle free, given the current variation in Covid rules, does the panel perceive any issues with dropping into Calais, compared to (say), flying directly to a Belgian customs / immigration airport before flying to my destination?

[skydriller]

As mentioned previously, Google the French and Belgian govt websites for visitors from the UK, comply with rules therein.

For France, if youre double vaxxed, you need to fill in a form which you attest that you dont have C19 & bring proof of vax. After sometime next month (15th?) you will need to have a booster proof aswell if over 65.

Regards, SD..

[patowalker]

Check to see whether you will need to land at a Belgian Customs airfield if arriving from Calais, because it is not in the EU green zone. Calais is code orange, as it is included in the listed exceptions: Hauts-de-France, Île de France, Guadeloupe, Bourgogne, France-Comté, Saint-Martin, Basse-Normandie, Haute-Normandie, Nord-Pas de Calais, Picardie, Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne, Lorraine, Languedoc-Roussillon, Midi-Pyrénées, Mayotte.

[skydriller]

Check to see whether you will need to land at a Belgian Customs airfield if arriving from Calais, because it is not in the EU green zone. Calais is code orange, as it is included in the listed exceptions: Hauts-de-France, Île de France, Guadeloupe, Bourgogne, France-Comté, Saint-Martin, Basse-Normandie, Haute-Normandie, Nord-Pas de Calais, Picardie, Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne, Lorraine, Languedoc-Roussillon, Midi-Pyrénées, Mayotte.

Can you expand on that? Cant say I have heard of EU green/orange zones - or red by extension?? Is this referring to Customs, Immigration or Covid?

Regards, SD..

[Lefty]

As mentioned previously, Google the French and Belgian govt websites for visitors from the UK, comply with rules therein.

For France, if youre double vaxxed, you need to fill in a form which you attest that you dont have C19 & bring proof of vax. After sometime next month (15th?) you will need to have a booster proof aswell if over 65.

Regards, SD..

Thanks, I’ve read both of those but the don’t answer my questions (and I flew to LFAT a couple of weeks ago).

My questions are:
Would a 5 minute customs stop in Calais - where I would have go into the terminal - but not go ground side - be counted as “arriving in France”

When landing in Belgium, would I, (for immigration and Covid rules) be arriving from France or from the UK?

If there is a risk of “complications”, because of a “tech stop” in Calais, then it might be less hassle to make our customs stop in Belgium (either Antwerp or Kortrijk)?

[patowalker]

Check to see whether you will need to land at a Belgian Customs airfield if arriving from Calais, because it is not in the EU green zone. Calais is code orange, as it is included in the listed exceptions: Hauts-de-France, Île de France, Guadeloupe, Bourgogne, France-Comté, Saint-Martin, Basse-Normandie, Haute-Normandie, Nord-Pas de Calais, Picardie, Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne, Lorraine, Languedoc-Roussillon, Midi-Pyrénées, Mayotte.

Can you expand on that? Cant say I have heard of EU green/orange zones - or red by extension?? Is this referring to Customs, Immigration or Covid?

Regards, SD..

Covid. https://www.info-coronavirus.be/en/colo ... y-country/
The UK is coded red and the Belgian PLF form asks where you have been in the last 14 days, so it might be useful to submit the form now and see what the reaction is. https://www.info-coronavirus.be/en/travels/
If no reaction, do Customs at Calais, leave them the return PN, walk through the hall and back airside,
Bon vol.

[Peter_G]

For me, I think the days of a channel crossing and spending time at a French airfield are now more or less done with.

John:
Don't let your temporary(?) experience of Covid-19 + post-Brexit talk spoil your French flying.
I have been across to Le Touquet & Calais three times in the last month and it has been 'easy-peasy':
Same Flight Plan; Same PN; Same GAR. Only required to show my Covid pass on my app and hand over a 'Statement of Honour'. On two of the trips, the passport wasn't even stamped!
Once cleared, the "whole of the EU is your oyster".
Surely a prize worth having for small (30 seconds extra) formalities?

[Peter_G]

In the same way as it was rare to see a French pilot and aircraft at our British airfields, I think we should become a rarity in France.

John: I should have added a comment on this to try to counteract your pessimistic thought.
The main reasons why few french pilots appear in U.K. airspace is not, from discussions I have had with french pilots, that it is due to any bureaucracy involved (the French have had years of getting used to a phenomenal amount of that by their own government!) but rather two sad facts affecting French GA: Nearly 90% of French PPL’s (according to French AOPA) fly no more than 25 miles from their home base; and, most crucially, they all need a Level 5 English Language qualification to fly Internationally.
I sometimes think we U.K. pilots don’t realise how lucky we are.

[skydriller]

two sad facts affecting French GA: Nearly 90% of French PPL’s (according to French AOPA) fly no more than 25 miles from their home base;

True.

they all need a Level 5 English Language qualification to fly Internationally.

I think thats actually Level 4... but the English language qualification is indeed the biggest barrier to French pilots flying abroad.

Regards, SD..

[patowalker]

It is also well known that la traversée de la Manche is riskier than a Channel crossing.

[chrisbl]

Customs notification is still PN only. So there is no reason to expect anyone to be present to stamp my passport.

And there's me thinking that the whole purpose of Notification was to give them a heads-up to be present.

Rob P

I have been to Cherbourg 6 times since the start of October and each time the customs have been there for arrival and departure as per the prior notification.

One friend did not have a French exit stamp in his passport having transited to Switzerland fro Cherbourg . On his return via Cherbourg he was accused of being an overstayer. It was sorted in the end but there are pitfalls.

They are taking it seriously and I now have two and a half pages of entry and exit stamps.

[skydriller]

One friend did not have a French exit stamp in his passport having transited to Switzerland fro Cherbourg . On his return via Cherbourg he was accused of being an overstayer. It was sorted in the end but there are pitfalls.

Thats an interesting one, because going from France to Switzerland, and then back, you would have to declare yourself to customs, but Switzerland is in Shengen, so nobody would stamp your passport even though you left the EU...

[Lefty]

Recent personal experience;
Le Touquet Police were very careful to stamp passports both going in and out.

Kortrijk (today) quite relaxed, only wanted to see my (Belgian) Passenger Locator Form (just wanted to see that I had it, but didn’t want look at it). and only stamped our passports on leaving Belgium.

[patowalker]

The law requires prior notification of arrival/departure, with personal details of all POB, you send it and fly, but there is no douanier when you arrive, because Customs does not have a permanent presence at the airport. What are you going to do, demand they come and stamp your passport? Is it illegal to enter or leave France from/to a third country, without a stamp in your passport? Is the notification just a reminder to Customs to turn up to meet you, because the details you provided are worthless? It could be fun waiting at Calais in deteriorating weather for someone to turn up with a stamp, so you can fly home.

[johnm]

Customs and immigration folk are still learning and interpreting rules and so are Brits. Thanks to Covid we haven’t had as much practice at being a third country as we might have expected.