Clipperstorch wrote:
When there is no Flugleiter anymore, who will tell the pilots if the airfield is open? Sounds silly but I fear that this will be the reason to still have one even if it’s not required anymore.How does this work in countries where no one is required on the ground? Does this automatically mean that the airfield is open H24?
In the UK at my airfield (EGTR) you have to book in/out normally if you are within the normal operating hours (as per AIP or can be confirmed in advance).
And if not, then in addition to the normal PPR form you also do an out of hours form, that way you also say if you need the lighting to be left on.
I have landing card for Dornoch. I must email Highland Council Airfields within #days with my details. Airfield is unhumaned as far as staff is concerned. Just avoid the dogs and their walkers.
Peter wrote:
A website?
That’s obvious but not what I meant. What I mean is: How to make sure that aerodrome users stick to the rules which have been negotiated between the operater of said aerodrome and its neighbors? Filling out a form doesn’t help there because I would write 1900 into the form as departure time but actually depart 10 minutes later. Hmm, maybe CCTV will be the answer to that.
Does this automatically mean that the airfield is open H24?
In France, yes 99% of airfields are open H24
AFAIK, there are only 4 airports with opening hours: Quiberon, Toussus, Nantes, Orly…the rest is just open without ATS, to operate after SS+30 you need “approved lights” that are operated by ATS (if they are left ON by someone or pilot controlled this usually require PPR)
You can also install your own DIY lights and get DGAC to approve their restricted use by based pilots for NVFR training (we had them in Dreux), also one can land on ILS at 1am without TWR
Same in UK, lot of airfields are open H24: you can land private flights at night with “ limited cultural lighting”, it looks bad in an accident report,
How does this work in countries where no one is required on the ground? Does this automatically mean that the airfield is open H24?
It might mean that it’s never occurred to most people that an airport should ever be closed, or perhaps that it would be NOTAM’d if it was.
I get the “neighbour problem” but almost every country has got that. The AIP can publish the hours and if the national CAA refuses to publish via the AIP, you can have a website.
The real issue is how one is going to sanction somebody who is breaking the rules. The Flugleiter can’t (I assume) just beat up the pilot. And a ban (i.e. the police doing the “beating up” instead) cannot be imposed unless there is a framework for a criminal offence. Does the Flugleiter have a police officer status?
Clipperstorch wrote:
When there is no Flugleiter anymore, who will tell the pilots if the airfield is open? Sounds silly but I fear that this will be the reason to still have one even if it’s not required anymore.
The same way as in all other countries, I guess? The person to ask does not actually have to be on the airfield. Then there is published hours (AIP or web site), NOTAMs, or even (shudder) PPR. It really isn’t difficult, it’s just a different mindset.
Clipperstorch wrote:
How to make sure that aerodrome users stick to the rules which have been negotiated between the operater of said aerodrome and its neighbors?
In any country with a reasonable justice system (as I believe Peter puts it) the airfield operator can’t be held responsible for rouge actions by pilots who break the rules as long as these rules have been made clear.
It’s a lot more complicated than that.
Say I run a model aeroplane club, and one of the flyers crashes into somebody’s window.
Who is responsible?
There are plenty of lawyers here but on past record nobody will spend time typing up a long post. But I can tell you it depends on how the club is run, on details like whether the club takes membership fees, and on public policy stuff (e.g. in the UK, if you park your car on a public road and a tree, growing from a private land, falls on it, you can’t sue that landowner, unless this has been a regular occurence, etc, etc). And the whole thing is country dependent.
Re breaking airfield rules, there are obviously sanctions but they depend on the legal framework in, in this case, Germany. I am sure the position is known, and I am equally sure we are unlikely to see anybody posting it 
I can tell you the UK situation (which depends on the type of License, if any, and you get into complicated trespass laws) and here basically the offender gets banned / kicked out but that is because the airfield is on private land.
Maybe in Germany the Flugleiter is by definition an agent of the landowner? There would have to be a legal framework for that. Otherwise any pompous knob who can pick up a handheld radio could order people about. And the human race is packed full of pompous knobs who like to order people about… they normally gravitate to “enforcement” type professions.
