Just got an email from Skydemon confirming that from the beginning of April, we will no longer be able to file GARs through SkyDemon.
it adds "The primary reason for this is that government funding was withdrawn from OnlineGar’s maritime sibling. This has affected the viability of the whole business, and SkyDemon alone is not sufficient to support it. A secondary reason is that soon Border Force will start enforcing the need for pilots to receive specific “permission to travel” for their passengers before the flight can take place. OnlineGar as it currently stands does not support this new requirement."
Regarding the near future – “In the last few years the UK government have launched sGAR, which is their own service for filing GARs digitally and obtaining the same confirmation number that we have always given you. It works well, and it will fully support the new permission to travel requirements when they take effect. From April, SkyDemon will redirect you to the sGAR website when you go to file a GAR. Unfortunately, we will initially not be able to pre-populate the GAR with the details of your flight, as we have done in the past with OnlineGar. However, we have made it clear to Border Force that we wish to streamline this process for SkyDemon subscribers. We will keep you informed of any progress on this front.”
I also use the govt GAR service https://www.submit-general-aviation-report.service.gov.uk/welcome/index
It is a bit clunky but it can be filled in in a couple of minutes. One weird thing is that it doesnt report flights to ZZZZ fields to the appropriate border force unit yet. I only found this our when I got an agitated call from Bristol Border Force asking why I didnt file a GAR. So now I also send a quick email to them directly at the same time as the GAR is filed.
I don’t know the precise legalities. New legislation (currently in draft to come into force on 4 April) will require passport information to be provided and there will be a civil, monetary penalty for failing to do so. It does not say that you need prior permission to enter the UK.
The guidance says there are three possible responses:
I don’t see why I got a “authority to carry granted” – shouldn’t it have been “valid permission to travel” – because I have right of abode in the UK? I didn’t need to ask for authority nor does that authority give me anything in addition to what I already had.
I will email as you suggest …
Please email them and tell them the “authority to travel” is probably an illegal statement (for people not needing a visa).
We have been around this one before, when the police started phoning people at 3am with a “PFT” (“permission to fly”) number. I always told the officer this is illegal and there is no such thing. The law calls for prior notice only. There is however this possible exception which was laboriously unearthed a while ago.
If this is illegal we should all email them.
First time I’ve seen this on sGAR (only passenger is me, British passport holder) – took a few seconds to go from yellow (“checking authority to travel”) to blue (“authority to carry granted”). Arrival from the EU.
I’ve been always using sGAR.
I use the UK government’s sGAR service too. I think it works very well – I would say takes less than a minute to submit a GAR when using saved information.
I’ve used the government’s sGAR in the past. It’s ok. A bit like the UK tax service, it involves asking a question with a yes/no answer which then brings you to the next web page. So it’s a bit long winded. But you can store details and it works reasonably well (particularly if your details are already stored so you don’t have to reenter them).
Peter wrote:
what procedure are people here using?
I’m using the automatic email from AutoRouter. Often didn’t work as in “the local BF had no clue the GAR had been sent”, but since I showed them the email, I had fulfilled the legal requirement and I didn’t care beyond that. I hope AutoRouter switches to some still supported solution, else it will add friction to flying to the UK, and I’ll do it less. I’ll continue doing it, but less.
I have used OnlineGAR in the past, when AOPA membership gave one a free account that could be used for turboprop, but that is not the case any more.