Same thing today at Cambridge, faxed GAR to everyone I could think of and no one could find a trace of it anywhere.
Also had to go see Border Control there who I can say were very pleasant and helpful as were the staff at the flying club
so all ended well.
the Border Agency staff appeared to have no knowledge of the new OnlineGAR and simply said “we don’t have access to that system
They shouldn’t need to even know about OnlineGAR: what happens is the UKBF has an interface which is what OnlineGAR uses to pass the data to the UKBF. Once you’ve got your receipt number from OnlineGAR – this receipt number is generated by the UKBF, the responsibility is entirely in the hands of the UKBF for the data getting to the right place – you’ve made the report and the UKBF has been notified as per regulation.
Sounds like a Cambridge issue….
Same issue at Coventry on Sunday.
I found even with the old AOPA GAR system that some of the BF just don’t use it or check it. Not sure why or whose fault, but it isn’t mine so they can deal with it.
Having used OnlineGAR, do/did the police still phone the pilot with their – as they completely incorrectly call it – “permission to fly (PTF) number”?
I always get that phone call when I am going to IOM/Ireland/CI. I always point out to the chap that the law requires a notification, not a permission, but he never gets it.
Last couple of times I used the AOPA (Silverlight) app to file the GAR, and I got not just the receipt from the app but also the phone call.
But if you do get that phone call, it makes it a bit silly of them to later say they can’t find the GAR…
“permission to fly (PTF) number”
Is that a Sussex speciality? I’ve certainly ever had anything like that in about 15 trips to the CI…
My understanding is that the backend mechanism is exactly the same as the Silverlight App.
Sounds like a Cambridge issue….
Looks like it’s wider than that. See #99 (Coventry). And I know of three pilots returning from France on Sunday to Lashenden EGKH who were interrogated as the local BF people had no knowledge of their arrival. It seems to be a Border Force problem – either their central computer is not distributing the GAR information correctly or their local staff have not been trained how to access it.
Peter I have never had a phone call in the last two years including numerous IOM/CI/Eire trips but fly out of Oxfordshire.
I will find out tomorrow morning if BF at Brize got mine.
It seems to be a Border Force problem – either their central computer is not distributing the GAR information correctly or their local staff have not been trained how to access it.
Carl, could you please comment?
I know you will say that it’s “their problem” and that “as long as you have the confirmation email, you’re fine”, but the truth is that pilots (especially from abroad) not only want to be legally fine, but they also would prefer not to be “bothered” by BF when coming to Blighty. Especially if using a service that comes at a cost…
