Alderney

June 2000

Pilot: = Scott Forrest

e-mail = scoty@forrest47.fsnet.co.uk

Field Report = The weather was as good as it gets and the fresh seafood even better. If anybody is going there and fancies something a little different then go and stay on SAYE camp site. It is not busy at the moment, is very friendly, and backs onto it's own bay, with white sand and crystal clear sea. It is only £4 per person per night and the owners are very pro towards visiting pilots

I did have only one grumble however and that was how appaling a service every single British pilot was given by the French air traffic controller who was working the area directly south of 50N including the Cherbourg area, and I was wondering if any listers were flying in this vicinity on the weekend to hear the infamous words in broken English "G-B*** STANDBY I WILL CALL YOU BACK" Whoever this controller was he never did ! Not to me, nor any British pilot transmitting on his frequency and who was desperate to talk to him before ending up mid channel ! I could not believe how this man talked to every French pilot calling up and providing them with a FIS, but refused to communicate with the British registered aircraft. We can't give him the benefit of the doubt saying that perhaps his English was very poor, as when one British pilot had enough and became quite sarcastic he replied in more than adequate tongues !

For the sake of professionalism I simply turned his dulcet tones down and when I decided the time was right changed over to London Info who couldn't help enough Has anybody else had recent difficulties with our foreign counterparts, as this male showed a blatant disregard towards 50% of the aircraft in his airspace !

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Date of Visit = July 1998

Pilot: = Chris Belton

e-mail = chris@yarboo.freeserve.co.uk

We always try to make a point of stopping off on our international trips for a top-up of tax-free fuel. It seems to be the mosy rugged of the Channel Isles (those with an airport, that is), which is why we like it. It's also the nearest to the coast if you don't like long sea crossings.

Like all the islands we've been to, it's really laid back, though fortunately it wasn't too windy or I’d have filed my flightplan from below with a loud-hailer rather than make the death-defying journey up the open-plan staircase to the tower. Even the locals find this daunting at times.

The landing fees are modest, and you can buy duty-frees in the shop. I understand the local hotel does a special rate for pilots plus a free hire car. We were going to give it a try this year, but we were delayed in St. Malo, and since it shuts at 1830 during the week we had to go to Guernsey instead.

Like all the Channel Islands it's in Class A airspace, all flights are SVFR if not IFR, but that's no problem. Not surprisingly you need a flight plan. It's also in the Common Travel Area (CTR), which means you have to get a clearance from Police Special Branch. If you fly there from (and back to) a "designated airfield" (listed in Pooleys) its no problem. Otherwise you are supposed to inform Special Branch 24 hours in advance. We contacted them well beforehand and told them we wanted to fly occasionally to and from North Coates, and so now we just have to contact them with the details just beforehand, which is handy since the weather can be a bit tricky on the Channel Isles and you often can't keep to pre-planned departure times.

Bray harbour, Alderney