I'd file the GAR for the earliest likely return, state on it that the flight may be delayed, and not worry about it.
The current GAR instructions controversially say that you have to give 4 hours advance notice of arrival at ANY airport in the UK. So if this is valid, arrival at a "designated" airport doesnt make much difference.
Where is the primary legislation for GAR submission for designated airports? Peter knows first hand that was written on the forms does not count, the law does, whether in your or the authorities' favour...
I know the AIP now contains the GAR from procedure, but again the AIP is not legislation.
The current GAR instructions controversially say that you have to give 4 hours advance notice of arrival at ANY airport in the UK
Where is this stated (as written above)?
AIP GEN 1.2, section 1.10.2.2
All aircraft have to report their expected arrival to the Border Force at least 4 hours prior to arrival. Aircraft commanders and operators should report their expected arrival by completing and submitting a General Aviation Report (GAR) form. The GAR can be submitted over the internet using an approved GAR submission portal. Details of approved GAR submission internet portals are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/general-aviation-operators-and-pilots-notification-of-flights.
The way this is written it applies to any flight; designated airport [or airline, for that matter...] makes no difference. Most likely not backed by legislation, nor actually intended that way...
I just "know" this has to be bollocks.
Most of the business jet community would be finished if that was true.
It's probably true for the likes of Shoreham, but not for Bournemouth, Luton, Gatwick etc which have permanent customs/police facilities.
But finding an authoritative reference... no idea.
The 2013 Guidance Notes are difficult to work out because of the crappy way the information is set out.
The authorities are probably deliberately misleading because they want a GAR from everybody. It's like the GAR for the CTA (Ireland, etc) which requires 12 or 24hrs notification but the police are constantly trying to pervert "notification" into "permission", even to the length of issuing a "permission number".
Personally, I stick a GAR in for every trip abroad, by email, and then forget about it. The CTA ones are viciously enforced but the others nobody seems to care about very much. All my foreign flights between 2002 and about 2005 were done without the GAR; I didn't know anything about it...
I would file it for your expected time. Ask your airfield for the number for your local border force (I call Farnborough) and if delayed, call them and say you are late. They are sensible in my experience. Or just file an online GAR when you are ready to leave.
Or just file an online GAR when you are ready to leave.
Do you mean 4 hours before you are ready to leave, or are you assuming the flight time is at least 4 hours?
Yes 4 hours or cancel the earlier and just file an updated time even if less.
For my flight to Leeds/Bradford which has permanent customs, the handling agent wanted to do a GAR 4h in advance to not have to go through immigration. I was surprised because I thought the border police would want to take the opportunity to do a proper check if it was there already but it seems that the UK police are generally not interested in GA travel and want it all handled by the GAR process.
PS: Neither are the German border police, in my experience they never come out to the airfield for a UK departure/arrival unless there are people of "dodgy" nationality on board (you have to submit names + birth dates + nationality in advance).
