Flying in Europe

Europa Club Guide to Flying in Europe.

---

This guide was originally created by Dr David Joyce until retiring in 2020 . Now continually refreshed with input from Bob Hitchcock and Europa Club Regional Representatives. Should you spot any perceived error or omission please email the Club Secretary: Bob Hitchcock

---

This is not an official guide, you remain responsible for checking from official sources.

Information is from the perspective of the Europa Aircraft type only.. (None part 21 homebuilt, not Microlight, not Ultralight)

---

Analysis of certain country regulatory positions in respect of overflight by permit to fly aircraft. We cannot underwrite the legal position. Pilots are responsible for ensuring their flight is legal and should check & verify they have up to date accurate information.

 

 

The pleasures and satisfaction of flying in Europe are considerable. Much of the airspace is very uncluttered, the airfields are mostly attractive, well appointed and amazingly cheap to land at, and the variety of scenery is enormous.

A significant proportion of the Europa fleet is of course based  in nearly every country in Europe. Contacting locals can be an excellent way of getting country specific information and tips on the best places to go. When flying away from your own country it is also worth thinking of the rescue options that Europa Club Membership could facilitate, should you encounter problems.

Although much of the regulation is simple, there are rules and in some cases complexities that you should be aware of before embarking on European flights. We try to cover here what you need to know to travel anywhere in Europe in your plane. The information is to the best of our knowledge correct and up to date, but it is offered without guarantee and the Europa Club will not be held responsible for any problems you may encounter. We will deal with the following matters:

1. Flight Plans
2. Customs & Immigration
3. Permission to fly in European countries
4. Getting Airfield and Country specific flight information
5. Getting Weather
6. Notams
7. What equipment and documents you need
8. RT Communications
9. Excise Duty on Fuel
10. Air law
11. Security

1. Flight Plans:

It is in general obligatory to file a flight plan for any flight crossing an international FIR boundary, and this also applies to virtually all of the FIR boundaries within Schengen, even though the customs barriers have been removed on the ground. It is also required and simple common sense, if you are crossing hostile terrain or any appreciable stretch of water

SUBMITTING FLIGHT PLANS:

AFPEx
Official NATS UK System, needing prior registration with password & pass phrase (taking several days to set up!). Somewhat omplex, takes a while to learn to use, but very helpful people on the help-line! (0845 6010483). Worth getting on top of for UK pilots.

OLIVIA
Very straightforward French SIA system with English language option, needing no registration. Also has excellent Notam retrieval system giving summaries. 

DFS
Excellent German System with English language option. Needs registration but this takes only minutes. Also good Notam system.

Sky Demon
This excellent subscription system will file FPLs for you for no extra charge.

EURO FPL
This excellent flight planning system is free to those submitting 10 or less FPLs a month. Registration (rather complex!) is necessary

FILLING IN FLIGHT PLANS:
Sky Demon does this at the touch of a button, provided you have configured correctly. Relatively simple instructions for filling in flight plans are given at: Skybray

FPL
This French site offers an interactive Flight Plan Form which allows you to fill in and print off forms for your plane with all the basic details

CLOSING FLIGHT PLANS:

Updated 2023. In Europe FPLs are normally closed automatically if you land at your destination airfield with professional ATC. Otherwise you need to close it by radio with an adjacent ATC service just before you land, (although some ATCs decline to do this) or by phone. The relevant number should be in the country’s flight guide. Again using the Sky Demon one hit button is also possible, but caution there can be a quirk that prevents from time to time (especially Italy) . Execute by phone if uncertain.

2. Customs & Immigration:

You need to tell UK customs authorities you are going, and to tell them you are coming back! The relevant form is called the GAR form, previously known as a Gendec. There have been major changes in the regulations and organisation of GAR form submission starting September 2014 (and January 2022) . Full details of the new arrangements are here: GAR.

Check the status of your airfield of airstrip. Are you allowed to fly out of the United Kingdom and back. Does your airfield have Certificate of agreement status.

Ensure you fill in a GAR. You will no longer (March 2024) be prompted to do this by your EFB such Sky Demon. And gain your confirmations

 

General Declaration and / or Advances Passenger Information required for flying in and out of the Schengen or between two non Schengen countries. 

The time in advance varies considerably. Depends on country. Usually 4 hours notice. But for some countries can be as little as 2 hours or as much as 5 days.

---

      Flights to Ireland, Isle of Man & Channel Islands have special requirements under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Broadly this requires departure from and arrival at one of a list of designated airfields, and also prior notification to Police and the Border Force with 24 hrs notice.

---

Notams may also advise that a Gendec is required for National Customs, Immigration or Health reasons. Even when in normal times it is not required.

---

Updated June 2023: If mandated by the sovereign country of destination,  a Gendec number must be included in the Flight Plan Remarks (see image below)

3. Permission to fly in European Countries:

Back in 1980 there was an ECAC agreement to the effect that EU countries would allow Permit aircraft from other EU countries to fly in their country without restriction or prior permission. Unfortunately not all countries implemented this agreement fully, but there have been concerted efforts recently to make Europe a 'Single Sky' for Permit aircraft. Most countries now allow unrestricted access for all EU Permit aircraft, without any prior process of approval, whilst a few still insist on owners seeking prior permission (usually requiring copies of Registration, Permit, Conditions, Validity and Insurance documents). The ECAC site gives a 2012 survey of the state of implementation of the ECAC Agreement, but we know that several countries have changed their position since then. 

Check country specific section for latest information 
    Changes are under way in European aviation that may well get rid of these anomalies within the next year or two. Despite the fact that a number of planes have flown through some of the countries on the list above, without getting permission and without experiencing problems, it is clear that the view point of the country’s CAA should be expected to be different from that of an airport operator (for whom you offer income). There is the distinct possibility that if your plane was involved in some incident in such circumstances, then the country’s authorities might decide to throw the book at you, leaving you locked up somewhere unpleasant in the meanwhile! So my advice would be to always apply for permission, but I might well be tempted to go anyway if there was no reply! If you are seeking permission, the chances of a swift reply are likely to be improved if you include a translation of your request, which can be produced free by various on line apps.

4. Getting Airfield and country specific flight information:

All available through your EFB such as Sky Demon

Charts: Most countries publish their own ½ mill VFR charts. Jeppesen previously published charts for virtually every European country, but stopped doing so in 2014, possibly to encourage everyone to buy their very expensive electronic charts. SkyDemon and rival Flight planning services offer  cheaper electronic chart services.  As in this country your charts should of course be current, but we are led to believe that an up to date electronic chart counts in this respect, so I have personally kept my old Jeppesen charts and cross refer to SkyDemon when planning.

     More extensive information on accessing information is in the next but one section below.

5. Getting Weather:

All available through your EFB such as Sky Demon.

Sky Demon and EasyVFR  give excellent weather actuals and TAFs.  Sky Demon's presentation of GAFOR weather for Alpine routes is nothing short of brilliant!
6. Notams:

All available through your EFB such as Sky Demon

 

UK NATS

Needs registration, not especially user friendly

SIA
Superb user friendly French site, no registration

DFS

Good German site, easy free registration

Sky Demon Light
Excellent free site but for UK only.

Sky Demon

7. What Equipment and Documents you Need:

Equipment can be considered under two headings, what you are legally required to have and what it is advisable to have:

Legally required kit:

Life Jackets – required by UK and France to fly over the Channel.
Mode S Transponders – Required in controlled airspace in most European countries.
PLBs or ELTs – compulsory in UK if travelling more than 10 mins from land.
8.33 KHz Radio. As from Jan 2018 we all need an 8.33KHz radio to fly in controlled airspace in Europe.

Passport
Flying licence & RT Licence (& 2023 visible Pilot  ID card for access all gates). Including proof of english  language level 4 or higher
Permit documents including conditions & validity documents
Copy of your GAR (immigration border security) and possibly Gen Dec (health and goods) yes a GAR and a Gen Dec is not the same thing 2023.

Copy of a permission to travel to the U.K. received after filing the GAR (new 2024)

Certain countries require slot time arrival.(In some countries you must carry a printed copy of the permission)

Certain countries require a General Declaration for inbound and outbound flights. (In some countries you must carry a printed copy of the permission)

Certain countries require Advance Passenger Information. (In some countries you must carry a printed copy of the permission)
Insurance Certificate
Registration Certificate
Noise Certificate for some countries. See Country Specific Info in Flight Briefing Menu
For completeness – Proof of owner’s permission to use plane if not yours.
Interception Procedures – It is a legal requirement to carry a copy of the ‘ Interception Procedures’, or the equivalent. 

And dont forget to take maps to back up your electronic flight bag. Some countrieds accept EFB (SKyDemon) as a befing sufficient, other don't. 

The above assume major importance if you are ramp checked.

 

Advisable kit:

Survival suits – There is no doubt that a survival suit considerably increases your chances of survival if long immersed in cold water.
The floating Europa: Europa Classics have floated indefinitely. Europa XS was known to have ditched floated long enough to be towed ashore with the occupants. Another unoccupied Europa XS  floated evantually reaching the shoreline and beaching itself. Prognosis, a Europa normally floats as opposed to something like a PA 28 which sinks in 3 mins.
Dinghy – Assuming you have time to get it out and inflate it and can get into it, a dinghy offers much greater advantages. One could hope to survive for days in a covered dinghy. necessary for long cold crossings, and not for a short Channel crossing in the warmer months of the year. Unless you fly an XS with exposed holes in the wingtips a Europa ought float. 
Back Up Radio & GPS – A good case can be made for carrying a back up hand held VHF radio and a small GPS, to avoid the significant problems that arise if your main bit of kit fails, especially if you are flying unaccompanied by other aircraft
Documents you need:

8. RT communications:

One of the universal languages ICAO languages is English. RT language is of course English, and European airfields with Air Traffic Control  offer an excellent standard of English using phraseology that we are all familiar with. Outside International airports RT services will generally speak to their own nationals in their language and to others in English. At small airfields without formal ATC all the RT may be in the local language, and as a matter of practicality and courtesy it behoves visitors to make an effort to get on top of the standard phrases for describing movements within the circuit. For France a list of standard phrases appears in the Pooley’s Delage Flight Guide, or on line at: http://flyinfrance.free.fr/ under the RT section. Be aware that French language requirements have been tightened for airfields listed as French only, and speaking loudly in English will no longer work! 

 

Can you speak the local language well enough to be understood by other pilots. When you listen out can you understand the local language to the legal requirement. Can you speak the appropiate international language, does the ATSU offer a service in the international language. More infomation here

 

9. Excise Duty on Fuel:

It is possible to claim back the tax on any fuel you take off with/ Example a UK Citizen flying to the EU in their Euiropa

Forms can be picked up from operations at airfields or downloaded (with full instructions) from: Drawback It is necessary to have the VAT receipts for the fuel purchase.

fhttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/excise-claim-for-drawback-of-duty-paid-on-oils-used-as-fuel-on-foreign-going-aircraft-ho60

 

 

10. Air law 2023 update

Please remember that post Brexit the SERA Standard European Rules of the Air, may become less standard if EU EASA and UK CAA interpretations and national interest continue to diverge.

11. Security (2023): Most large airports require not only hi-viz jackets but also pilot ID card to be on display (And on demand a Pilot Licence and passport). Now essential to pass through gate. 

12. Jamming and spoofing (2024): If you are travelling in eastern Europe the instances of GPS jamming and spoofing are increasing. You would be well advised to carry paper maps in addition to your GPS. Plus if you have a VOR device as a back-up even better (Some handheld radios have VOR capability built in