Professional Pilot, May 2016
INTERNATIONAL OPS Hints on European bizav flying Plan long in advance Dont break the rules Expect tight parking and slow ground service Have patience and bring lots of money F lying to and within Europe is a more challenging proposition today than it was 15 or 10 years ago This is due to ever increasing regulations airway congestion parking and infrastructure limitations and new security awareness issues We like to say that flying in Europe is not much different than in North America But the truth is that it is different in part because the region follows different international procedures and has many different and unique regulatory mandates explains UAS Regional Dir for the Americas Ryan Frankhouser Operators need to be aware that although the European Union EU is a single entity each country has its own applicable rules regulations and procedures Youll be dealing with multiple languages and operating styles 84 PROFESSIONAL PILOT May 2016 but overall its a very rewarding experience and youll be immersed in a wealth of different cultures Europes evolving regulatory environment with its myriad of assorted requirements must be kept at top of mind awareness International Trip Planning Services Ops Mgr Ben Fuller says The European environment has always been very congested but theyve been adding regulations to manage traffic You need to be aware of 3rd party operator certificate TCO requirements European Union Emissions Trading Scheme EU ETS and UK Advance Passenger Duty APD obligations as well as document intensive charter permit preconditions that can take weeks or months to fulfill Meanwhile parking for visiting aircraft has become more challenging at certain destinations and the operating environment is more expensive Avoiding issues Many airports in Europe do not have FBOs or general aviation terminals GAT so GA passengers need to get used to working with handlers out of main terminals Furthermore infrastructure support services and operating options are more limited when operating to secondary or less mainstream destinations The common thread we see with operators who run into problems in Europe is lack of advance planning and not requesting and confirming required services with sufficient lead time comments Avfuel Account Mgr David Kang At many destinations in Europe you really do need By Grant McLaren Editor at Large NCE Nice France becomes a magnet for business aviation every summer season particularly around the time of the Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Prix Confirming overnight parking at this airport can be challenging extended stays can become extremely expensive and fuel availability runs out from time to time
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