Steve Freeman wrote:
I got up at 3:30 am so I could call and was told that the French
government has cracked down and that I need to send not a copy of my
pilots license but a "certified" copy which they indicated had to be
signed by a government official. I could not get a better description
of exactly what they wanted so does anyone know what they mean. I
wonder if a notarized copy would suffice?

I suppose this means a copy certified by any french authority, for
example the french consulate somewhere. Here in France you get a
certified copy by going to any town hall and it is of course free.
This means they make a photocopy of the document at their office, they put
the seal of the town hall and they sign it, nothing more.
Presumably a copy certified by any american authority would be as good,
but as always in such cases it is less clear. This is to try to avoid
fraud on counterfeited photocopies for official documents.



Also, since I fly out of Houston which is flat as a pancake and
therefore hotter means better soaring, can anyone explain why they are
booked solid in April? What type of conditions should I expect the
first week of June?

In principle very good conditions. June and July are the best months for
soaring here. Too late and the crops are high which causes problems
for doing cross country. When crops are harvested it is also good but
at the end of August conditions begin to decline markedly. Depending on
the years, April and May can be good. At least these are the usual
conditions in Paris region. In the South people use ridge flying and
wave to fly in winter.



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Michel TALON