Is there something more to this story? Are they frightened of something specific, or is it forever?
There is this but clearly that’s past due now…
http://smalandsaffarsresor.se/government-of-portugal-suspends-the-schengen-agreement-2/
Great. Thanks!
So it seems that this is a temporary measure. There is hope.
Errr. Except that the NOTAM is valid through October
B) 2017-05-31 11:59 C) 2017-10-31 23:59
To make sure that the airports put some pressure on the authorities, maybe all of us who were planning to go there mail these airports and ask for an explanation and annouce that they’ll go elsewhere if this is how it works.
And those who were not planning to go may as well send that email too..
I will.
Unfortunately it was expected and as some of you correctly mentioned, does not bring a bright future to GA.
If I am not mistaken, the most recent law related to the use of airspace and aerodromes approved by the Council of Ministers, from 2013, included already the mentioned restrictions. Until this NOTAM as not been enforced. There were some attempts by the ANAC, especially at LPCS, to held accountable the LPCS Director for not enforcing the law and allowing intra-Schengen flights to land there.
Because no one from the aviation community was looking to the Portuguese law, so we all were flying. Even, as far as I know (despite I am Portuguese, I never did a cross border fly in or out of my country), FP were being accepted.
With this ‘sad’ (not to use a very impolite word) NOTAM it becomes official.
I will be flying from Cyprus to my home country in August, planning to land at LPSO. I will have to go through all the process, which I do expect to be fast.
On the other hand, I read some, to say the least, stereotyped comments, which by the way is making EU the fiasco it is today. Check first before making comments on authorities procedures and response to those. Biases comments based on nationality, south and north, whatever, does not add value to what all want: a good European environment and conditions for GA.
@ Noe: Thank you very much for your initiate. I know that AOPA Portugal will discuss the issue with ANAC, but I wouldn’t place much hopes on that. Your feedback would be highly appreciated.
lmsl1967 wrote:
On the other hand, I read some, to say the least, stereotyped comments, which by the way is making EU the fiasco it is today. Check first before making comments on authorities procedures and response to those. Biases comments based on nationality, south and north, whatever, does not add value to what all want: a good European environment and conditions for GA.
Why would this be Europe / the EU ?
It is a national government / national administration that is discretionally limiting free movement by requesting not only information but prior authorisation before intra-Schengen flights depart/arrive. And yes, the government who does this is fully to blame for the buerocratic control it wants to exercise here on its own and other European citizens.
And yes, some countries have more/less buerocracy than others – not speaking up on that does not help.
Political correctness is ritualized euphemism that helps no one.
@ ch.ess
I fully agree with all you say on your post, the NOTAM is unacceptable, discriminatory, discretionary, wrong, etc. Not speaking up and limiting comments to political correctness was not what I meant to say with such paragraph. But speaking up and raise the concerns does not imply to make judgmental and pejorative comments on the Portuguese Authorities as I saw in one post.
Back into the subject. I have just sent as email to AOPA Portugal to seek an update. Major problem is that the NOTAM is not some internal ANAC regulation but the letter of the law from a legal diploma. Obviously there is the ANAC advisory responsibility on such diploma, I seriously doubt that someone in the Portuguese Government at that time would regulate on that without consulting aeronautic authorities.
The major question is going to be: does it bring additional taxation to us by having to pay to customs authorities trip to the destination based on the PPR submission? No clue. Based on a recent experience when the Pope visited the country last month and they closed the terrestrial borders, they will not have the capacity to implement a full check. Not clearing the PPR? That’s a possibility, but, and I am not a lawyer, that could definitely violate the ‘freedom of movement’ inside Schengen.
My hopes. Just a preemptive measure to have a 24 hours control on air movements, and from there, based on whatever suspicious they will have, conduct security checks.
Once I have a feedback from Portuguese AOPA, if they get one, I will provide a feedback of it.
Luis
Unfortunately it was expected and as some of you correctly mentioned
Do you have any idea what the reason is for this? Where is the pressure for this coming from?
Is it security fears, or is it a power grab by certain authorities, or is there some commerical benefit for the larger airports that’s driving it?
I would also hope that technical / customs stops would be somehow excempt from the extortionate handling charges at certain places. 3 Years ago, I had an operations guy in Porto sympathise with my case (I was delayed in Biarritz and would only be able to land by night, and needed to refuel with JetA1, so needed Porto LPPR instead of vilar de Luz LPVL (they are a couple miles away from each other) and in the end he came up and was really sorry, saying that the cheapest he could get was 500 euros.
