Unfortunately, this stuff happens all the time. German AIPs are often not precise in this regard or at least they are misleading. In addition, the personell at those GA airfields sometimes doesn’t have a proper clue about customs and immigration. The result is that people do unnecessary at stops at airports that don’t really care about small GA and apply “handling” charges…
I called the Dinslaken police station and they returned my call after they had a consultation with the Federal Police Force (Bundespolizei).
You can fly direct to EDLD, but you have to tell the AFIS (Flugleiter) that you departed from EU but non-Schengen.
They will call the Federal Police and they will send an officer. You might have to wait a bit, but this will be quicker than a stop somewhere else.
All sorted. Have a nice flight.
Well done, mdoerr!
Thanks alot everybody.
Called the police on the number mdoerr gave me.
They told me the tower would call the police to come and check for immigration stuff. I will rely on them getting the flightplan and call the police.
Will go direct Norwich – EDLV
I hope to see a nice part of Germany tomorrow – and not the inside of a prison cell :-)
Ups….did’nt see your posting mdoer before now. We must have talked with the same guy.
Thanks alot.
No worries. I prepared him for your call. He had to ask Federal Police anyway.
Landed at EDLD this morning. On call to what I thought was an AFIS operator there was a reply from a machine with wind direction.
Could’nt ask the machine to call the police could I?
So after shutting down I went out of the aircraft and into the office. Tried to explain them the situation but we agreed that now I was already out – that was it.
No police – no prison this time.
San Sebastian – Customs/Immigration?
Looking here what does this
mean?
San Seb lost the ability for UK flights some years ago, for 100% sure.
What would “Customs” mean without “Immigration”? It seems almost totally useless. Does it mean that you can fly there from Norway or Switzerland only (or of course the normal Schengen+EU bunch)?
I recall a locally based pilot researching this a few years ago and discovering it is the result of one of two policemen not turning up for work, and it gradually became official… Actually it may be there has been no change for a while.
As I read it, it means that they have customs but no immigration during opening hours, which are:
summer: 0515-1950
winter: 0615-2050
They are using the Spanish abbreviation here, V (verano) for summer, I (inverno) for winter.
PPR for commercial ops only. What I don’t know is what the PS in the first two lines means.
What would “Customs” mean without “Immigration”? It seems almost totally useless.
A Swiss pilot would surely object to your statement. In many countries, immigration and customs are performed by different organizations. In Germany, immigration police duties can be delegated to ordinary citizens trained on the job (“Hilfspolizist”) which is why so many airfields here offer it. Customs authority is reserved to federal officers.
