When you fly from South America back to the Caribbean, Cayenne is a must stop on the way. As a pilot point of view, the infrastructure of the airport is very good. They offer a nice runway, good support, radar coverage and good fuel.
As shown in a previous post, the approach is somehow daunting on paper but easily done in reality.
After complaining of the hight cost of taxi...50 Euros or $68.00 for a mere 20 mn ride to town each way and each cab...( this is close to the price you pay in Paris......) I was not ready for the filing of the flight plan.
While escorting a group, I often arrive at the airport ahead of the participants to settle the bills, make sure all is ready etc...
In this case I even check with Control about the flight plan procedure for our Sunday morning departure.
"No Problem" I was told, just come to the window with your flight plan and we will file then on the spot.
Upon arrival the next day we had to wait for Immigration and Police (PAF) to clear us on the ramp...about 20 mn wait time...which gave plenty of time for the participants to catch up with me.
Then we had to drop our luggage on a moving carrousel to have them checked before boarding our plane. we then walk at the other end of the room to go thru the checkpoint...there we are told that the backpay and purse need to go also on the carousel. Back track to the carousel and then back to the checking point.....Don't you think they should know the procedure before making us all walk back and fourth in the EMPTY terminal.
Then it is time for me to file the flight plan......I go the office, lights on, computer on, car parked in front, ring the bell.....no movement.
After a third attempt i go across the hall to get the weather brief for our leg.
Back to the bell. ring again no answer and no movements
Went back to the terminal to pay the landing fees and inquire about the flight plan.
The Chamber of Commerce Representative call in front of me the 4 digit extension of the "Bureau de Piste" to see if he gets an answer....
After several ring, we have a voice on the phone answering as "Martinique"
The local employe had forwarded the calls to more than 1000 nm away since he was taking his sunday off...may be to offset his RTT.... a french term meaning to recoup the hours your have worked above the 35 hours you are suppose to do in one week.....
I was handed the phone over to file the flight plan over the phone...when he learned about the 3 airplanes, he asked me to fax them to him....
The Chamber of Commerce had a fax available and they very nicely fax them over but not before me emailing them to the Chamber for them to print and then fax..
Are we leaving in the 21st century? how come a center does not have an email address? how come no one at the airport is aware of the opening hours of the bureau de piste? I do speak fence and all of these make it easier for me to start to try to understand....imagine the foreigner dealing with this.
Bottom line...Can France offer a service to the Public like it is claiming or is it the continuation of the trend of the past 30 years....the public is not part of the "Public Service".
I did speak with that service the day before, I was not told it would be closed on Sunday, no one at the airport was aware of the closure etc.....
Why does the French government spend millions in infrastructure, millions in salaries to public employe and when they are needed no one is there. Do it properly or fire everyone and save some money for needed program...This is really ridiculous....Can someone tell me how many flight plan are filed by this office on a monthly basis and how many people do work there?????
And of course there is no one to express this "situation" and of course no one is in charge or responsible.
I guess next year we will file for Surinam or the other Guyana, we might get the same service but at least we will be expecting this.
