Haven’t we written about this 167 times here?
I do see where you are coming from. A quick Google search for example will bring up a discussion on the skydemon and onlineGAR forums about how quickly the situation is changing right now. There is a position forming on those forums to just throw one in anyway to be safe. Skydemon want to add a button to the flight plan form to file automatically for you… I think this feature is already there, but it doesn’t automatically appear due to the uncertainty.
So, as I mentioned I see where you are coming from but sometimes things change and it is prudent to check the situation. Last time I was doing international flights (across schengen boundaries) we printed off, hand wrote, and faxed a form to local police, immigration and special branch under some circumstances, for the way out as well as in.
We may have discussed it many times but the value of a discussion remains as good as ever.
For a start, this stuff keeps changing. Not so long ago there was no email option; you had to fax it. Next, not many pilots are always off flying to XYZ and filing GAR forms.
Also there were recent proposals to, apparently, introduce a 2hr exit GAR requirement, apparently as a trade for the elimination of the 12hr exit and return GAR for Ireland etc. Nothing happened on that one as yet.
I agree it is all utterly confusing.
