Copied today from the current LAA forum, this piece encapsulates an anomoly which is proving almost impossible to resolve. (ref. Brian Hope LAA Editor)
“All homebuilts from all EU states do not now have to pay a fee to CAA or make prior arrangements to fly in UK airspace whereas no PtF aircraft can go to Belgium for free, so it certainly isn’t our CAA that is being uncooperative. Discussions are ongoing with Belgium but their aviation regulation system appears to be rather complicated and it seems they have to change the law before they can alter the way they deal with foreign PtF aircraft, and apparently that’s something they do not do very regularly”.
Do any of our Belgian followers see a way through ? (Unfortunately famous though he is & a shiningly good role model for Belgium, Hercule Poirot has retired).
mike hallam.
I am quite curious to see what bit of regulation / what chapter of the AIP is being referred to.
Perhaps they are confusing with the “overfly” duty that is theoretically charged to foreign registered microlights? But that was created with the purpose of at least getting some money from the (very numerous) Belgian operators registering their microlight in France – it is not enforced on “real” foreigners.
I am quite sure no Belgian official would try to discern a PtF plane from a certified type, and those that tried stand little chance at succeeding.
Also there are a fair number of F-Pxxx planes based in Belgium – I have one for a hangar neighbour – and never heard of any issues or special payments required.
(and BTW Mr. Poirot is a clever and nice guy of course but he is NOT your typical Belgian – as a French speaker he belongs to a minority group – which of course does not imply any kind of discrimination)
BTW Mike, if you ever feel like like coming over, keep me posted, I’ll be glad to make you welcome. AND to assist you if ever our fuzz should make any trouble, unlikely though it seems to me.
Jan,
If you can help unravel this problem, you’d be a hero, but the LAA forum is not open to non members.
I don’t have details to hand but lack of freedom to fly into or via your country is a stricture which has emerged since I used to Jodel over there last century !
If you can see a way to enter your input to their forum I’d be grateful.
mike hallam.
Well, I can’t see any reason for joining LAA, so if they only want members I’m afraid their forum will have to do without my direct input. I will gladly correspond through any relay, though – you are welcome to my private mailbox, actually you already have an address in the distribution list of your excellent newsletter.
First questions are obvious:
-) as already asked, to what bit of regulation are they referring?
-) what contacts to the point have there been with what Belgian authorities?
(edit: I took a “read-only” peek at the LAA forum and there is not a beginning of an answer to either question – not very impressive, I must say)
Thank you Jan,
I think I’ll have to let the LAA continue without pursuing third and fourth party inputs, – it would just get too complicated.
In general despite the somewhat discombombulated appearance of the forum, the LAA organisation & volunteers’ negotiation results with outside bodies have over many years proved pretty good for the lighter and ex-military a/c end of the aviation spectrum.
Thanks too for your welcome offer, I’d be delighted to plan a flying visit or two to Belgium & its fly-ins with the Rans in 2014.
mike hallam
Mike,
Welcome you are! Above all, consider the annual fly-in at EBDT Diest
http://flyin.dac.be/
16th and 17th August 2014
with its long tradition of UK attendance – there’s always a handful of Jodel’s, and at least one or other Falco derivative, and for the last couple of years we were happy and grateful to see the Miles M38 G-AJWB http://flyin2.dac.be/sites/default/files/Albums/vliegtuigen_a/target221.html
And as for the LAA, if ever any of their members offers a lead I’ll be glad to follow up, truly hoping to dissolve blind rumour – which is all I can see today.
All non Belgian registered homebuilds/experimentals/permit to fly need to seek permission prior to enter BE airspace.
On this page, you will find needed information Link. Google translate is your best friend here as information are only available in Dutch or French.
Related cost to get this authorization is 94EUR. It is valid for max 1 year and 30 days to execute the flights. The goal is to prevent non Belgian registered homebuilds/experimentals/permit to be permanently based in Belgium. This negatively impacts all BE overfly of non certified aircraft. Anyway, it is straightforward to get it. Just e-mail scan of documents, the filled in template and you get the authorization in your inbox after 2-3 days. Well, you also need to pay the 94EUR when you get the bill…
Merci bien, Plouc.
You have very correctly stated the purpose of this regulation – I always believed this was the subject -
The goal is to prevent non Belgian registered homebuilds/experimentals/permit to be permanently based in Belgium.
This regulation was never meant against occasional foreign visitors.
As I understand it, it has never been applied in this way.
