French Customs ? e.g. Abbeville any experience ?

[mikehallam]

It's my first trip there since the 1990's & I'm planning for the short Channel crossing next month to travel south into France down the west side of the Paris CTA.

Looking at [b]Abbeville [/b]as Customs stop. The French guides indicate 4 hrs PPR, but only give ph. number.
Has anyone current experience of using their facilities, especially as I saw no TWR frequency given ?

Whereas Calais Customs now have a web form to send with 2 hrs PPR, but not really the direction I prefer. Dieppe are also 2 hrs PPR by phone.

Or does filing a flight plan from GB do all this for you ?
Also Prefer Mogas for the Rotax, but 100LL is quite often the only fuel on site and infrequently for cash [rather than e.g. a Total Card)

mikehallam

[Brian Hope]

Hi Mike, Abbeville is an excellent choice. Landing fee is reasonable, about €6 and there is a Motel and restaurant on site should you get stuck. The field is operated on the Club frequency (123.5) the same as our SafetyCom, you just announce you intentions pre-fixing every call by the name of the airfield. If you do not speak French just make your calls in English. 100LL available for cash or credit card.
You need to fax your details the day before preferably, names, passport numbers, aircraft reg, where from and expected time of arrival local. Fax number from UK is 0033 322 20 31 97. Gliders and microlights operate from the field but is rarely what you'd call busy. You can download French airfield plates from SIA France, http://www.sia.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/ click on the first tab - AIP Cartes, and then Publication d'information aéronautique (AIP) and you can take your pick.
If there is somebody in the flight office when you arrive ask if he's closed your flightplan for you. If there's nobody there make sure you close it yourself on 0810 437 837. Have a nice trip.

[mikehallam]

Thank you Brian,

I've copied and retained all that to my planning file. Sounds like it's a good first place to land on the way down.

mike.

[mikehallam]

Just note to thank Brian and confirm that Abbeville worked out nicely for inexpensive hassle free entry & exit from France to visit Richard Arkell. I flew the Rans S6 out last Sunday and on down to Chauvigny near Poitiers. Using Olivier Flight planning by p.c. both ways was a darn sight easier then the still confusing newest e-mailable UK AFPEX version. GAR via the web was a doddle. PC dial up faxing was the only method permitted to warn Customs so I'll never know if they knew. Coming back we tried a phone call to a 'secret' number obtained from the Chamber of Commerce, again if it ever got to the right office I'll never know !

Richard is rebuilding a hybrid Jodel there and found hangar room for my Rans, plus all the feeding, sleeping, and petrol runs I needed. Expert guidance too, from PC web wx & interpretation for a return delayed to yesterday due Thunderstorms every which way the day before. Even so it was pretty turbulent.

We did manage a short run across to Graham Slater's alternative French base microlight training strip at St Secondin on the Monday.

The only thing at Abbeville that had me confused was the nice 'Customs' guy, who turned out both times to collect my 3 Euros ULM fee and offer me fuel, but never bothered to check my documents ?
So on departing I asked about why Douane was so simple ? Answer 'That's not me !'
So will the great French Customs hand grab out for me as a sinner ?

Finally a good word for Farnborough Radar East, who not only could be heard clearly, but bothered to hear me. They helped immensely when the storms yesterday were blocking my way west of Newhaven. Swanborough almost had an unexpected visitor till at the last moment a lighter patch showed up north of Lewes and a way made ahead through the grot back to sunshine and Horsham for base.

mike hallam.

[Tom Sheppard]

Splendid! glad you had such a good time.