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Corona / Covid-19 virus - airport and flying restrictions, and licensing / medical issues

Peter wrote:

What I don’t get is that all of Europe, France included, is full of bizjet flights. I am sure they are not all repatriating French citizens, or carrying PPE In France, are the operators “purchasing” some permission, or just have a “good contact” somewhere?
Also, is overflight of France prohibited? I can’t see that it is. I could fly, certainly IFR, UK to Croatia for example, crossing all the usual countries as normal. Currently one cannot leave airside in certain countries. The UK has been allowing it but I heard something about this stopping soon (there will be a quarantine for airline arrivals).

I think this was addressed in the thread earlier on. French airspace remains open to VFR and IFR traffic. Travel is allowed for reasons given on the government website within France with a form filled in and signed, but as tourism/leisure/sport activity is NOT a permitted reason to leave your house, then going to the aerodrome for the reason to fly is the problem – the flight has to be for the specified allowed reasons. If an EU citizen wants to enter or leave France they may do so for the same reasons or to return to their main residence – you DO need to download and fill in the correct form and have some kind of corroborating evidence for your entry or exit, be it by car or train or aeroplane. You also need to remember that Shengen is suspended. The irony is that after the lockdown ends there probably will be quarantine on entering/leaving, which isnt the case right now between the UK and France…

Regards, SD..

Regards, SD..

Could you stop in France to refuel, without getting locked up for 14 days or whatever?

I think you can in most of Europe, so long as you do not leave airside.

I am aware of the “PNR Customs/Immigration” scenario which is a big potential issue for a fuel stop, in theory… on one occassion a French speaking passenger phoned up the police at Colmar (24hr PNR) to make sure they didn’t care.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

Could you stop in France to refuel, without getting locked up for 14 days or whatever?
I think you can in most of Europe, so long as you do not leave airside.

Certainly right now, according to the French Govt website, you need to download and fill in the correct form (with relavant reason/documentation) to enter/exit France even on a commercial flight, but do not need to do this if “in Transit”. This should be the same for a GA flight, but we all know sometimes GA is treated differently…
There is no quarantine right now, but after this lockdown is eased, who knows…

I know a GA aeroplane flew into Bergerac, fuelled, and left for Spain at the weekend, but Im pretty sure it was not a leisure flight…

Regards, SD..

OK; the key thing is whether that refuel stop had to get some “essential flight” PPR, or not. If yes, you have a problem because you have absolutely no control over what the aiport police will do to you.

In the meantime, IAOPA are pushing for some sort of improvement, but IMHO won’t get very far because exactly 50.000% of GA pilots are all over social media slagging off everybody who wants to fly with the usual justification given that the locked-down public is not going to be very happy seeing little planes in the sky (which is true).

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I didn’t want to tell anyone here before it actually happened, but this must be the best corona related aviation “restriction” ever It’s soon 17 of May, which is the national day of Norway. Usually there are lots of stuff happening. The most important thing being people walking in parades with orchestras, with all the kids, barbecue, ice cream etc etc. But, this year will be different, due to this virus. Restrictions on gathering of people will stop most of it, no parades, no gathering of people anywhere. It’s the parades that IS the main thing. So people are being inventive, how can we do something to make this a special day.

I got an e-mail from the local 17 of May committee asking if the flying club could do some flying. WOW I thought. Of course we can. So what we are going to do is to fly in a “parade” fashion around my town and in the Trondheim fjord area as well (since we are already up in the air). We are going to be 8-9 planes, flying 2-3 seconds apart, with the Safir in front. I will most likely fly a Cheetah.

That is the plan, if weather etc allow. Who would have thought this as a result of the corona restrictions? A few weeks ago we weren’t even allowed to fly

There will be other “parade substitutes” as well. All the “blue light” vehicles in the county will drive in “parade fashion”, and i think oldtimer car people also will do the same. The fjords will also be crowded with boats doing the same thing. I think what sparked the idea was that a couple of weeks back when it was apparent that things would be OK, that all the restrictions had payed off, the “blue light” vehicles drove around in a parades doing short burst on the sirens and with big banners of “things will be OK”. I don’t know if I am getting old or what, but when they did that, I got all warm and fuzzy inside and I guess I was not the only one.

If things go as plan, there will be lots of pictures and YouTube films for sure

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

the French DGAC have just published this

Basically, if you have a specific type rating instrument rating etc. your license can get extended by up to 8 months or until Dec 12th whichever comes first. Briefing with an instructor (important not an examiner so an CRI would suffice for an instrument rating) would suffice.

The full legal shebang is here local copy

Needless to say I will be renewing my IR on the 12th before we’re in the second phase of the lockdown :-).

Also as of May 11th GA flights in France within 100NM from base will be allowed again…

Last Edited by LFHNflightstudent at 01 May 12:32
LFHN - Bellegarde - Vouvray France

LeSving wrote:

I got an e-mail from the local 17 of May committee asking if the flying club could do some flying. WOW I thought. Of course we can. So what we are going to do is to fly in a “parade” fashion around my town and in the Trondheim fjord area as well (since we are already up in the air). We are going to be 8-9 planes, flying 2-3 seconds apart, with the Safir in front. I will most likely fly a Cheetah.

That’s awesome and will hopefully boost the local reputation of the club.

Lockdown maintained until at least May 19.
Wednesday I went to the hangar where the avionics shop did some FAR Checks. Also had a COM1 problem which hopefully has been fixed (antenna bolds loose).

Also enjoyed looking at nice warbirds in the hangar.


Jean
EBST, Belgium
EGBM, United Kingdom

Jean wrote:

Also enjoyed looking at nice warbirds in the hangar.

@Jean looks you are in good company over there , the Fouga Magister & Mirage 5 are privately owned and still flying?

Last Edited by Ibra at 01 May 14:42
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom
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