Piston GA's problem is that it (understandably) doesn't want to pay for handling...
I would say that depends on how high you value your own time (and nerves). Using a handling agent can be the more cost-efficient way to go, especially for self flying businesspeople.
I would say that depends on how high you value your own time (and nerves). Using a handling agent can be the more cost-efficient way to go, especially for self flying businesspeople.
I agree with this. If I am flying for business I use handling. It isn't usually egregious for piston aircraft <2t in the context of a business trip.
FAX PNR for Customs
Just planning a Customs stop at Caen LFRK.
They need a fax. Not a phone or an email. Has to be a fax.
No problem for me - I use an email2fax service which costs next to nothing, and can receive faxes which are delivered as PDFs by email - but surely this is an issue for many pilots?
That's stupid, I would just go somewhere else.
I use an email2fax service which costs next to nothing, and can receive faxes which are delivered as PDFs by email - but surely this is an issue for many pilots?
Meaning most pilots are not smart enough to use one of the 3 million email to fax services, iPhone apps, etc.? 
That's stupid, I would just go somewhere else.
+1 :-)
Fax? We live in the year 2013. Not 1975. I can't remember what I did longer ago: Send a fax or pay by check (or accept a check given to me). But both must be longer than 15 years ago. More like 20.
I tend to use Cherbourg, for that very reason.
Dinard also seem to have become overcome by a bout of the bureaucratic 'stupids' recently. I dropped in on Tuesday to pick up my brother in law and see the end of the Brittany leg of the Tour de France. When I arrived and went to leave the terminal, I was ticked off by a stroppy fat woman for only bringing my passport with me, and not my pilots licence too.
Fair enough, I thought, so I walked back to the aircraft to get my pilots licence. When I got back to the terminal, she looked rather listlessly at the cover, and then waved me through. "Don't you want to look at my licence" I asked?
"I don't know what all the pieces of paper inside the cover mean" she replied.
Hmm.
Needless to say, on my return, no-one was around to pay my landing fee to. Perhaps when they send it to me, I should reply that "I don't know what all the stuff written on the piece of paper means".
Interesting there are fax apps for smartphones. That's neat. Fax is still damn useful for airport PNR/PPR where the published email address turns out to be duff, or nobody reads it - basically the default position in much of Europe...
The service I use just accepts an email, with the TO: address formed as the [email protected]. There is some authentication involved else anybody could use anybody else's account; typically a password. Attachments (PDFs etc) are sent too, forming extra fax pages, but are rarely needed for aviation.
Such an email can obviously be sent from any device.
Needless to say, on my return, no-one was around to pay my landing fee to.
I got that too. Not heard anything yet, so will probably get arrested next time I land in France. It was quite funny - nobody in the kiosk but the cash box was lying there for everyone to see.
I have never sent a fax in Europe for PNR/PPR and have been fine. Email always worked for me.
Which airport directory do you use in which the email addresses are all verified?
