What's it like having the sky to yourself today?

Michael Brooks · Post by **Michael Brooks** » Fri Apr 16, 2010 10:36 am

Anyone out there able to go flying on a Friday? Must be awesome having pretty much the entire sky to yourself with glorious weather (at least that's what I'm looking at here in County Down) and no CAT. Are ATC even bothering to worry where anyone goes today? Hope you enjoy it whoever gets airborne.

G.Dawes · Post by **G.Dawes** » Fri Apr 16, 2010 2:29 pm

Bet you could get a special VFR across Stanstead/ Gatwick etc they still would want control.???

Chris B · Post by **Chris B** » Fri Apr 16, 2010 3:30 pm

I enquired about an SVFR across the Heathrow CTR from Fairoaks this morning. Sadly, the CAA has a blanket ban on flight in Class A airspace, which precludes SVFR.

Hopefully the restrictions will be lifted in time for Duxford tomorrow, otherwise it's the long way around for me.

How things have changed. It wasn't that many years ago that you could obtain permission for a "low and go" at Heathrow on Christmas Day (radio and transponder required)...

Chris

Bob F · Post by **Bob F** » Fri Apr 16, 2010 7:55 pm

Up this afternoon from Liverpool Airport, straight from the GA to Holding Point, not having to give way to heavies, flew down Welshpool / Shrewsbury area and after re-entered the zone & being handed over to the tower I was given the longest "Report Finals No 1" I could ever have dreamed of. It must have been like this in the early days.

Bill McCarthy · Post by **Bill McCarthy** » Fri Apr 16, 2010 8:14 pm

I have the sky to myself every day of the week in the far north of Scotland - vulcano or no volcano.

Steve Brown · Post by **Steve Brown** » Fri Apr 16, 2010 11:21 pm

"Sadly, the CAA has a blanket ban on flight in Class A airspace, which precludes SVFR. "

I genuinely wonder what the justification for that is. A low level piston engine a/c with a filtered intake is not at risk anyway, and is hardly likely to know the difference between Class A & Class G airspace and suddenly become in danger if it enters Class A.

Gaznav · Post by **Gaznav** » Sat Apr 17, 2010 7:40 pm

Steve, I agree about the airspace. I did hear that a 9 ship of Pipers (callsign "Piper Formation") flew down the approach at Gatwick and then flew out again under the permission of their controllers yesterday.

However I question whether "A low level piston engine a/c with a filtered intake is not at risk anyway". Does not Carb-Heat pull un-filtered air direct from the heated area around the exhaust manifold? I guess fuel injected aircraft are OK, though.

All the best

Gary

Steve Brown · Post by **Steve Brown** » Sat Apr 17, 2010 10:08 pm

This is the ICAO stuff they are following.

http://www.skybrary.aero/bookshelf/book ... dium=email

I think the ICAO IFR clearance ban looks like an intention to ban a/c that would require an IFR clearance going into the Ash cloud (Ie effectively IMC) or within 120 miles of it. It doesnt seem to envisage a blanket UK airspace ban unless UK air space is covered with an ash cloud (IMC conditions)

Ash Cloud is not defined here but isnt a cloud only a cloud if it is visible and thus when within it there are no external references ?

The ANO says 'cloud must be visible' . If so, it seems the blanket ban in areas where it is CAVOK & viz easily 20 -30+ km - like SE England inc Heathrow & Gatwick at present !!!! is somewhat excessive.

Trouble is by over reacting, they now have a problem rescinding the ban all the while the eruption continues & the situation remains much as when the ban was put in place.

Risk now is that someone will try a court injunction on NATS / CAA (or ask for a judicial review) later or sue for recovery of financial losses due to non proportional response or failure to follow due process - after all it worked by BA against Unite & thankfully that strike didn't happen - imagine all the disruption that strike would have caused.

And a ban on an IFR clearance shouldn't prevent an SVFR clearance in Class A cos a SVFR clearance is not by definition an IFR clearance is it?

ChampChump · Post by **ChampChump** » Sat Apr 17, 2010 11:59 pm

Plenty of us doing this today...

Gaznav · Post by **Gaznav** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 12:33 pm

Steve, I think you're right - this is an uber over reaction and someone should be sacked over this! There are plenty of work arounds, for example flying outside of the danger areas (ie. <10,000ft) and transiting to somewhere where they can "gas and go" and then fly at height to the destination. Also, if the Govt hadn't scrapped the Met Hercules ("Snoopy") then we could have mapped this and flown around the problem areas.

Chris B · Post by **Chris B** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 1:42 pm

There are lots of turbo prop Kingairs and the like that would be doing fantastic business into Europe VFR. However, in most cases, their insurance companies aren't willing to accept the risk - so the fleet is effectively grounded.

On a lighter note - get out there while you can. ATC at Gatport Airwick have been extremely helpful in allowing zone transits and transits on runway QDM not below 400'.