I want to pick up a package in a UK airport and fly back to Belgium immediately with a GA airplane and me alone as PIC.
Is this possible? Wise? Will I get stuck in quarantaine? Thanks.
Possible yes as far as I recall (even flying GA and driving back by car on way back just after was fine)
Wise? if all goes to plan I don’t see any issue, personally, I am more concerned about flying over the channel in January picking ice while skimming water from takeoff to landing
The flight in principle is possible.
If you have to go into quarantine after coming back is depending on the regulations in Belgium. In Germany you had to if you are not transporting that package as a business.
Check with the airport. You can fly for work but some airports might not accept you, basically some are only accepting emergency services.
Customs might also ask questions.
Thanks all.
I called the airport (EGBJ). They are only open weekdays 9-16hr. Terminal not open apparantly.
From the Belgium return side, I can manage to avoid quarantine while staying in the limits of the law.
As for the safety of flight: I wont take risks beyond capability of plane and pilot
Try Shoreham. Friendly airport, nice ATC, nice ground crew. And was always open through the CV19 time.
It should be possible to do this provided you don’t exit the aircraft. The police here have already told me I don’t need to quarantine if I go UK to France to UK and refuel in France, if I stay in the plane.
Obviously, Customs might be interested
Peter wrote:
refuel in France, if I stay in the plane.
Mots refuellers trucks don’t accept that arrangement where you stay in the airplane while they pump
AMC: standing on the wings or keep holding aircraft by hand
I need to be in Glouchester but I’ll make it to Shoreham one day…
I wont need fuel.
I could do the package handover without leaving my airplane… feels like an interesting approach … strange times!
Surely as long as you remain airside you didn’t enter the UK therefore didn’t leave Belgium? You don’t need a UK Passenger Locator Form as you don’t have passengers. If UK Border Control want to come for a chat they won’t have any issues.
At work we currently do something similar to South Africa. We don’t go Landside so return to Europe isn’t a problem. Doing a walkaround and talking to groundstaff isn’t an issue.
Once you have found an open airport, what you propose sounds doable. There is a Covid 19 Notam with phone numbers for the 4 nations of the UK. The text changes as the rules change, but the number is the same. I called the heathrow number asking about quarantine back in september – they are pragmatic and sent an email confirming what I wanted to do was OK, just incase somebody objected when I landed – I was advised to do the GAR thing as normal even though I wasnt leaving the aerodrome.
Regards, SD..