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Using Colmar (LFGA) for over-night stops (flying into FR-only airports)

I’m toying with the idea of using Colmar (LFGA) for over-night stops. Has anyone here recent experience with the airport and the facilities (hotels, restaurants) close to it?

My Jeppesen manual tells me that the airport is open during weekdays until 2100LT. However, the airport website mentions 1730LT. I’ve send them an email to inquiry. My assumption is that 1730LT is the time when the administrative staff goes home but ATS is available until 2100LT. Jeppesen also mentions that one can request landing outside those hours and there is PCL. In any case 2100LT works for me. When I arrive, I want to refuel, have a light meal, a beer and get some sleep.

Frequent travels around Europe

There is a hotel on the airfield – Novotel – and across the road is the much better Le Roi Soleil Prestige

EHLE / Lelystad, Netherlands, Netherlands

Stephan_Schwab wrote:

Jeppesen also mentions that one can request landing outside those hours and there is PCL.

Yes but you have to speak french then.

Absence ATS: A/A FR uniquement. Obtenir QNH local sur STAP ou QNH auprès de ATIS STRASBOURG 126.925 ou ATIS BALE 127.875

Stephan_Schwab wrote:

My Jeppesen manual tells me that the airport is open during weekdays until 2100LT.

Well, french airports often have different ATC opening hours each day, so better check the NOTAMs:

AD CONTROL HOURS OF OPS :
- FM 01-03, FM 06-10, THE 13, FM 20-24: 0630-1700
- FM 15 TO 17, FM 27-31: 0530-1800
- OTHER DAYS : UNCHANGED

LSZK, Switzerland

Yes. There also seems to be a F1. I usually stay with Mercure hotels. Novotel seems to vary in quality. And I read good things about the Le Roi Soleil Prestige.

What about the aviation related things for an IFR arrival around 2030LT and refueling after landing?

Frequent travels around Europe

Stephan_Schwab wrote:

When I arrive, I want to refuel

That might be difficult, out of hours:

MON-THU : 0700-1100, 1300-1630, FRI : 0700-1100, 1300-1600
SAT, SUN and HOL : 0700-1100, 1200-1500 in january, november and december.
0700-1100, 1200-1600 in february, march, september and october.
0700-1100, 1200-1800 from april to august.

LSZK, Switzerland

Have been to LFGA twice in the past weeks. Excellent hassle-free airport, but note that the fuel station requires an Air BP card outside of the attendant’s duty hours.

If you are willing to take the short taxi ride downtown (ca 12 Euros), I can absolutely recommend the “Hotel Quatorze”.

LOAN Wiener Neustadt Ost, Austria

Apart from that, I’m not aware that you need to “request” a landing outside of ATC hours. The aiport simply turns into an uncontrolled field like most (all?) airfields in France. You just land there making blind transmissions.

I can PM you a brief document with the usual french expressions that I have compiled for myself.

LOAN Wiener Neustadt Ost, Austria

blueline wrote:

I can PM you a brief document with the usual french expressions that I have compiled for myself.

Certainly helpful. I’ve flown IFR through France twice last week. I was able to understand a few of the French radio transmissions using distant memory from French lessons at school. Being fluent in Spanish did help also. I’m actually interested in learning a bit more French.

The other thing I’m interested in is using airports outside ATS hours. I read about it (here on EuroGA) and want to explore it sometime in the near future. So there is no restriction at all? It’s not like in Germany where landing on an airport outside its operating hours become a violation/infraction?

Frequent travels around Europe

Exactly, they don’t have this foolish German and Austrian “Flugleiterpflicht”. Instead, they rely on blind transmissions which French pilots do very diligently in my (limited) experience.

Quite a lot of fields have become “French only” in the past years. However, with a basic knowledge of the language and the necessary specific vocabulary this shouldn’t pose a problem.

LOAN Wiener Neustadt Ost, Austria

The other thing I’m interested in is using airports outside ATS hours.

There is not a whole lot to it.
Just a couple of notes:

1. while it does work almost everywhere in theory, it does not work everywhere in practice. That has usually to do with airside access / egress and security. In other words: (as a non-based pilot) you can’t arrive or depart when there is no “ground personell” there. Clubs have special arrangements such as codes gates etc.

Examples are Dijon Longvic (where this is actually published by AIP/NOTAM), and Annecy (where this is not published, but was explained to me by the ground personell).

2. Where you need runway lighting, you will often pre-arrange this (depending on the set-up, the AFISO might have to switch on the PCL system before he leaves).

3. IFR approaches at airfields without an active ATS are generally possible, but there is a whole set of special procedures for that case. As an example, straight-ins are normally not allowed, you have to make a circling maneuver. It’s all in the AIP.

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany
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