In article , (G Farris)
wrote:

[snip]
For all of these differences, flying in France is not that different from the
US - except for the fuel price, that is.

interesting statement, but it seems to me that your discussion
below contradicts that claim.

For the recreational and VFR pilot,
most of France is class "G" - below 11500ft - above this it is "D", and
they'll never let you in under VFR. But stay below that and you go pretty
much
where you want. Airspace restrictions require you to call for clearances
pretty often - but I've never had a request refused, and this keeps you in
contact almost constantly with someone or other - because information
services
(particularly weather reporting) are poor to non-existant. Once you get into
IFR and commercial operations costs are much higher than in the US, and there
are a lot of regulations. Only about 15% of PPL's in France are IFR rated,
against roughly 50% in the US. Typical cost for an IR rating is $20K (from
PPL). Night flying is not included in the standard PPL, and requires a
logbook
endorsement - there are special routes to follow, usually related to noise
abatement. Rental rates reflect the high fuel cost, but they include a sort
of
"nationalized" insurance which I understand is not bad (never had to use it).
Landing and parking fees are ubiquitous, but moderate. A $100 hamburger
becomes a $200 Cote de Boeuf. [snip]

--
Bob Noel
looking for a sig the lawyers will like