We fly from Fairoaks to Annemasse (LFLI) quite often. It’s about a 3-hr flight. I’d like the option, particularly in the winter, of leaving Fairoaks in the early evening (17-1800) and stopping en-route overnight.
Does anybody know a GA-friendly airport in Central France that’s open late? (19-2000) Needs to have instrument approach and hotel/motel close by.
Airports in France don’t usually “close” during the night. However, if you want ATS, then that’s a different story…
Quite a few have PCL indeed, but not all of them. Also Fairoaks to Annemasse requires customs so that’s probably going to be the main issue. I am not sure about customs as they have suspended customs at a number of them, but on your route I would consider Lille, Troyes, Auxerre, , Clermont Ferrand and Lyon. Further west, depending which way you route around Paris , Rouen , Bourges and Poitiers.
Lyon-Bron is probably your best bet, excellent GA airport. Lille or maybe Beauvais if you want a quick hop from Fairoaks, Troyes half way ish.
Troyes has a Novotel on walking distantie and PCL.
Thanks guys.
Chateauroux, a bit off track but free landings. Lighting would probably be charged
http://www.chateauroux-airport.com
Sorry to revive this old thread but I’d like to start flying down into France late on Friday nights through the Spring and Summer. I’d be departing Biggin Hill around 8pm, after work, with a view to ultimately reaching Annemasse / Sion / Lausanne first thing on Saturday morning.
What is the deal with customs at airfields such as Troyes which are accessible but ultimately closed from a general ops perspective? If I provide advance notification, will customs come out to the airfield when I’m landing around 1030-11pm local time?
I guess landing at Calais (which I understand has similar pilot controlled lighting?) with a 2 hour PN of customs before proceeding down to Troyes is also a possibility?
I’d be interested in how people do this practically, if at all? i.e. how do you get out of the airport if it’s all shut?
how do you get out of the airport if it’s all shut?
I would phone the aeroclub (French is strongly recommended) and ask them how you get out. My experience of this is limited but I have found myself in that situation a number of times. Bergerac in total darkness was the hardest and almost impossible unless you discover the fire crew room. There is in fact a hidden button which opens the door. Poitiers was similar but different… These are Ryanair-size airports but they de-staff after the last commercial flight.
What is the deal with customs at airfields such as Troyes which are accessible but ultimately closed from a general ops perspective? If I provide advance notification, will customs come out to the airfield when I’m landing around 1030-11pm local time?
A good and interesting question. Myself I have no direct experience, since I don’t fly between France and the UK very often (On the occasions I did, the respective French airports where open from an ops office POV), but I assume that this is possible. Customs, after all, like police is a 24/7 “agency”.
The tricky thing (not directly the pilot’s problem, but still) would be for the customs people to get airside so they can expect you at the ramp. No idea how to solve that.
Why not email a PN for out-of-hours immigration at Calais, and see what they say?
I’ve never been inspected on the way into France, and only once by Border Force on the way home.
