LFNB has even a GPS LPV, as does the place I ended my training at every day. How nice!
French Class E resembles the American Class E in the easy mixing of VFR and IFR, but the former has a base of FL065 generally (top FL119) whereas the latter has a base of 700/1200ft (top 17999ft).
Don’t the self serve pumps need the TOTAL card which needs a French bank account (somebody recently reported a way around that one).
I have twice forgotten to close the flight plan by phone. Got away with it, but it did result in overdue action. They solved it with a phone call or two.
Don’t the self serve pumps need the TOTAL card
Only at TOTAL airfields. Then there are BP airfields.
which needs a French bank account (somebody recently reported a way around that one).
All I can say is that mine is now finally on its way to me via mail. 
I have twice forgotten to close the flight plan by phone
My guess would be that 80% of these events in Europe involve Brit pilots on their first few ventures abroad… 
Does an airfield need runway lights for an IAP?
No. But it affects the minima. And it greatly affects your chances of landing there in poor weather. On a typical three degree glideslope with a typical 400ft non-precision minimum you will be more than a mile (over 2km) away from the threshold when reaching the minimum. Even class G VFR minima will be insufficient to see a runway without approach lights from there. Proper approach lights that extend the centreline into the approach can make a big difference.
My guess would be that 80% of these events in Europe involve Brit pilots on their first few ventures abroad
1st I am not Brit and 2nd this was in 2013 – 10 years after I started flying abroad. Clearly the mistake can be made, somehow… airfields with a tower unmanned at the relevant time.
No. But it affects the minima.
It may be a useful solution however (to publish generous min vis minima) because more often than not there is perfectly good vis below the cloudbase. An approach survey might cost 30k (pick your currency) but anything resembling good approach lights will cost way more than that, and with an ongoing service contract cost in regular testing of the lights, etc.
But not every airport will be operating their lights “the German way”. A few years ago, I was at a certain Italian airport (which did AOC twin TP passenger flights, and had an NDB approach to legalise it) and they asked a friend of mine to fly over the runway while I was photographing the lights. A lot of the lights were not working, and probably had not been working for years.
1st I am not Brit
No worries. It was a general statement and a hint to the fact that in UK, flightplans don’t need to be “closed”. (I understand this might change in December…).
I understand this might change in December
That would cause havoc…
[[ off topic ]]
But there has always been a strong resentment of glider pilots vs. powered pilots in this country, I remember that from my own gliding days.
I find it curious that at a good many German glider fields, microlights are also operated but “E-Klasse” is not allowed. Here in BE we have either glider only, or gliders mixed with everything else. And yes, we have some faction friction here too, PPL vs. ULM vs. glider.
It may be a useful solution however (to publish generous min vis minima) because more often than not there is perfectly good vis below the cloudbase.
That probably depends on the climate zone a lot. I fly into an east German airfield with only a GPS procedure once every week, all year round. The minimum is 450ft AGL. Very often, on can see the ground below when reaching the minimum, but almost nothing straight ahead, especially when it is raining (or snowing even lightly). Luckily, they have some rudimentary approach lights there because otherwise there would be only the runway lights to help you get in. And when you see those, you will be much to close and much to high for landing.
