[G-BLEW]

To add to Dave's post…

I have come close to moderating this thread on a few occasions, I haven't (perhaps a mistake), because by the time I've got there things have moved on and become less political.

This is in the General Aviation area, so stick to the practicalities of that please.

Thanks

Ian

[PeteM]

The whole thing is a bit of light relief in the ongoing general shambles on the borders.

Possibly it misunderstands the 'Dutch sense of humour' - and believe me that it a difficult thing to understand.

But it is worth remembering that touring the EU will be more complex as and when we are allowed to. The French flying gendarmes understand the rules very well. Robust paperwork and no sandwiches, or the multitude of other restricted items will be required for them to fly away. It is likely the wretched vat issues will resurface - as yet it is not very clear how to sort that situation.

The yachties are presently tying themselves in knots ( ) over trying to prove either UK or EU vat status at the time of Brexit to avoid future issues. (like bringing your UK vat paid yacht back to the UK but potentially still being liable for VAT on 'import'). Hopefully these things will get sorted but it is going to take some time and there is a real potential for getting caught in some of these issues.

Like it or not we have left a fairly protectionist environment. What was on 'our' side is now potentially not - that will require care!

[Rob L]

...The French flying gendarmes understand the rules very well. Robust paperwork and no sandwiches, or the multitude of other restricted items will be required for them to fly away. ...

(my heavy snip)

It is also worth remembering that the French gendarmerie are not only the police but the judiciary as well.

On a Club fly-out to Soissons in the early nineties, a very large French police helicopter landed in front of one of the N-reg aircraft (privately-owned) that was part of our group. They checked every single piece of paperwork. All was well; they were very politely checking for VAT certs. But they gave the pilot & passengers a few worrying moments.

[Dave W]

But it is worth remembering that touring the EU will be more complex as and when we are allowed to.

Not really, so far as it seems to date.

Until June 2022 we can still travel into/from the EU from any strip or airfield in the UK; all strips have been deemed to be "Certificate of Agreement Airfields" (CoAA) so far as Border Force are concerned, so file GARs as usual and you're good to go.

At the EU end you must enter/leave via a Customs and Immigration airfield, but that's always been the case. Then ,once in the Schengen Area, the rules will be as before.

After June 2022, then an individual "Certificate of Agreement" will need to have been issued for 'your' airfield/strip; but Border Force have been very proactive and are taking applications now. The application is not onerous: I have just submitted the material for a local strip, so can say that with some direct knowledge.

Sure, there are now some additional wrinkles (e.g. carriage of foodstuffs, as in the OP; Customs allowances - but W&B generally limits those anyway) but they are pretty minor compared with pre-Jan 1st.

In short, expect minimal practical change.

In fact, it seems that there may be a positive (TBC): If we have a "Certificate of Agreement" for our strips etc, we can fly direct to/from the Channel Islands which we could not have done previously without being a CoAA.

Now, its is true that those with LAPLs and NPPLs have a more complex problem, as several threads have already discussed. But that (unfortunately) may stop you going at all - which wasn't the statement I am responding to. If you have a licence that will get you there, then as I say you will see little change in practice,

[ThePipster]

So..........still looking for answers to my original questions:

If I land in France, take fuel whilst remaining airside , i.e. a tech stop and do not go landside with no intention of entering France, am I still in transit or have I entered the EU?

If I leave my banned sarnies in the aircraft at the airport I arrived in EU have I imported banned food or are they deemed to be aircraft stores?

I can’t imagine every Easyjet flight of the future is going to have to dispose of unsold food on an outbound leg to the EU if it is destined to be sold to the poor punters on the return leg!!

Pipster

[johnm]

Good point I think they’d qualify as aircraft stores

[ThePipster]

Just to a further thought, I am using the food as one example but I can think of other items such as portable avionics, headsets, alcohol wipes etc that coukd also fall foul of import regulations.

Pipster

[G-BLEW]

Just to a further thought, I am using the food as one example but I can think of other items such as portable avionics, headsets, alcohol wipes etc that coukd also fall foul of import regulations.

Pipster

They will not be permanent imports though

[patowalker]

So..........still looking for answers to my original questions:

If I land in France, take fuel whilst remaining airside , i.e. a tech stop and do not go landside with no intention of entering France, am I still in transit or have I entered the EU?

You have entered the EU, which is why you have to land at a Customs airfield.

https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/download ... /JOE_TEXTE

[T6Harvard]

Maybe make sure your sandwiches are Brie avec Jambon?

[Flyin'Dutch']

Landing on an airfield in France is no difference to driving your truck onto the quay in Rotterdam.

You will be arrested and hope that Paul Sengupta bakes cake with a file in it.

[Paul_Sengupta]

You will be arrested and hope that Paul Sengupta bakes cake with a file in it.

Cakes? How will I get them into the EU?

[johnm]

You will be arrested and hope that Paul Sengupta bakes cake with a file in it.

Cakes? How will I get them into the EU?

As long as sweet not savoury a phytosanitary cert should do it

[ThePipster]

You have entered the EU, which is why you have to land at a Customs airfield.

So do the same rules apply to CAT? Are a crew that land a Madrid but never leave the aircraft deemed to have entered the EU, or have they only entered the EU when they pass through immigration?

Pipster

[johnm]

To land in the EU you need to land at a customs and immigration field it doesn't matter what you plan to do after landing.

If you leave airside you will not be able to take some items with you, notably picnic materials, but you will be allowed to carry personal possessions.

If you think back to trips in the 1960s it won't be a lot different.....