Luton - Stansted corridor

[Captain Pulsar]

I keep hearing rumours that the corridor between these two zones adjacent to Stevenage and Panshangar is to be a 'virtual' TMZ (transponder mandatory zone) with effect from this month.

I have been unable to find any definitive reference to this, only hearsay.

Can anybody confirm or not?

Unfortunately, having just rattled a few loose coppers from my piggy bank, it does not have a spare £2000 for a mode S transponder.
Rob Freestone

[Brian Hope]

Hi Rob, it is just the stub between just past Stapleford, past Harlow and on up to Ware that you can fly underneath at up to 1500ft. It will become a TMZ on 24th (as will a similar stub on the eastern end of the Stansted zone). With Mode C transponder on you can go through unnanounced, or you can get cleared through by talking to Farborough North on 132.80.
From the south, routing Brookman's Park, past Panshangar and then east of Stevenage keeps you clear of the stub and you can fly at up to 2500ft, no change. There was a map published in the August issue of the magazine, page 32, showing the TMZ's.

[Steve Brown]

Is this what you are referring to?

Effective 24th Sept

http://www.nats.co.uk/text/252/stansted_tmz.html
http://www.nats.co.uk/uploads/StanstedTMZMap.pdf

Regards
Steve

[John Brady]

I have emailed DAP on this because the Statutory Instrument (ie the law) says non-transponding aircraft may only fly in the TMZ with specific authority from one of 3 ATC agencies. This appears to be a problem for these aircraft wishing to take-off from an airfield or strip within the TMZ and also for such non-radio aircraft wishing to land within the TMZ. I will tell you when I get a reply.
John

[Jonathan Smith]

As the result of an overriding safety concern in relation to number and severity of airspace infringements in the vicinity of London Stansted Airport, the establishment of two Transponder Mandatory Zones (TMZ) has been approved by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and will take effect on 24 September 2009.

Transponder Mandatory Zone

A TMZ is defined, as a volume of airspace where aircraft wishing to enter or fly within the defined area, will be required to have and operate secondary surveillance radar equipment. TMZs are notified for the purpose of Air Navigation Order 2005 Article 20(2). This equipment must include a pressure altitude reporting transponder capable of operating in Mode A and Mode C and has the capability and functionality prescribed for Mode S Elementary Surveillance (general exemption for VFR flights for aircraft equipped with Mode A/C until March 2012). The pilot of an aircraft that wishes to operate in a TMZ without such serviceable transponder equipment may be granted access to the TMZ subject to specific ATC approval.

London Stansted Transponder Mandatory Zones

The London Stansted TMZ are detailed on the chart below.



Transponder Mandatory Zone Access

Suitably equipped aircraft may access a London Stansted TMZ without ATC approval although such traffic is strongly recommended to afford itself of either an ATSOCA service or make use of an appropriate Monitoring Code (A0013).

The pilot of an aircraft that wishes to operate in a London Stansted TMZ without serviceable transponder equipment as defined in paragraph 2.1 may be granted access to the TMZ subject to specific ATC approval. This approval may be obtained from Farnborough Radar on frequency 132.800 during their hours of operation (0800-2000 Winter (Summer 1 hr earlier)) or from Essex Radar on frequency 120.625 at other times.

Statutory Instruments

Stansted TMZ is implemented by means of The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (London Stansted Airport) (No. 2) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/2020) which come into force on 24 September 2009. The SI is available at: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si-2009-index

A copy of the AIC is available at http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/aip/curre ... 076_en.pdf

[Steve Brown]

And for field or airfield within the TMZ, if they dont have a radio or cannot contact ATC before take off due to out of range, is there a telephone number that ATC can be reached on for obtaining clearance prior to take off?

Could the next CAA maps show the transponder monitoring code appropriate for the TMZ (ie 0013) and perhaps London etc too

[Nigel Hitchman]

Once this TMZ is in operation, if I say want to fly to North Weald, am I going to be guarenteed access from Farnborough North? If not what am I supposed to do? circle around the M25/M11 junction asking every 2 minutes for permission to enter the TMZ? Will there be a version of the "strasser scheme" where I can divert to Stapleford if Farnborough wont let me in and get a free landing due to the diversion due to TMZ!?
If I approach North Weald from the M25/M11 junction, then I really need to be talking to North Weald before I get into the TMZ, from a flight safety point of view, it is much more important for me to know the traffic at North Weald and them to know Im coming, rather than for Farnborough to know Im going to fly 2 miles inside the TMZ to North Weald. So presumably the only way to do it is call Farnborough when outside in the class G, when I dont need to talk to anyone and get them to hand me over before I actually enter the TMZ.

All seems quite rediculous considering Ive just flown in and out of White Waltham 3 times today doing young eagles flights, closer to LHR than North Weald is to Stansted and its right on the centerline. Everything seems to work fine there with air to ground radio only and non radio allowed.

[John Brady]

Nigel,
NATS have worked out letters of agreement with North Weald, Wethersfield, Andrewsfield and Hunsdon which would allow non-transponding aircraft to come and go provided they remain within certain areas. Andrewsfield have their details on their website where it says the ATZ below 1500ft QNH is ok. I understand that the draft agreement with North Weald is currently with the legal department of Epping council which owns the airfield. It may be there for some time.

I am aware that the details of all these areas are contained in a NATS document (SI 109/09 LTC for reference) but the CAA DAP has told me that this is NATS confidential information and cannot be released. Words fail me.

Moreover, the SI (see earlier post) which is the law on this and the AIC which explains it, clearly say that non-transponding aircraft may only enter the TMZ when the commander has "specific ATC approval" from Farnborough or Essex radars. There is no provision for a general exemption nor for NATS Ltd to issue one so I believe that the agreements NATS are setting up are outside the law and I have told DAP that. DAP have said that they think it is ok but the SI that has been issued is quite specific.

Overall, this does not seem to be coming together as we might have liked but there it is.

John

[Captain Pulsar]

Thanks Brian et al for the responces. I was aware of the stubs on the Stansted zone, however I had heard that it was to be extended to cover the entire area north of BPK VOR. Thankfully it appears not to be the case.
Reading in Loop recently, it appears they now plan to charge us to use the radio on any aviation frequency. It seems the authorities greed and stupidity knows no bounds. I had thought NATS wanted us to use the radio more, if they are going to charge then its certainly an incentive not to call anyone.

Whatever next? Premium rate zone transits where a toll must be paid to enter????
Rob Freestone

[mikehallam]

You're sooo mistaken !

It's all a cunning move to make we pilots fly more safely.

Removing free access to radio and its navigational aids means we will need to spend nearly all our time looking out of the window, instead of head down trying to see the dots on the GPS display.

No more airprox's or worse as the MkI eyeball will be in proper use.

OFCOM beaurocrats will take their time mind you, as if they finish us off too soon they'll be jobless. [Can't have that you know !].
Unless they can ease themselves into EASA sinecures and plague us for ever... and ever....

[J.C.]

Having fought half the world and perfected the aicraft as a fighting weapon in the last century in the search of freedom,it seems that we now have none!

[John Brady]

Rob,

just in case anyone takes your post seriously "they" are not planning to charge you to use the radio or navaids as far as I know. I suspect the "they" you refer to from the article in Loop is OFCOM who are charged by government with charging everyone who uses spectrum. You may think that a tax but I could not possibly comment.

As to the area around BKY north of Stansted, if infringments reduce there is no threat of an extended TMZ. If they increase, there is.

John

[John Price]

Does that imply that if the amount of infringements remain constant NATS/ CAA would be disposed to abandon the TMZ experiment or do you feel that they are here to stay?

John.