Farnborough Airspace Grab

[C Rule]

It would seem that TAG Aviation is starting the consultation process to establish another large block of Class D airspace in the South.
There reasoning can be seen at
www.tagfarnborough.com/airspace-change-proposal

[James Chan]

Yes, I've come across it as well.

While the controllers from NATS at Farnborough are excellent and friendly, I'm somewhat wary of the airport management itself (TAG) which charges almost £500 for landing a Cessna 152 there.

The airspace is clearly to benefit their own instrument / passenger traffic - only the ones who can afford to pay those crazy rates to land there.

I'd be more inclined to warm towards their airspace change proposal if the airport management has a change of heart and opens their highly unused runway up to the lighter end of GA as well.

[tnowak]

The landing fee for light GA shows that they don't want that category of aircraft at Farnborough...

Tony Nowak

[James Chan]

... which makes me wonder whether they want our category of aircraft in their airspace...

[C Rule]

On their website they imply that their flying is Air Transport Movements when it is almost exclusively GA. There has as far as I am aware been no Airprox incidents in the local Class G airspace with any Farnborough traffic. I have a feeling they are positioning themselves to be the 3rd Runway for Heathrow. They have the surface (both road and rail) communication links.

[Frank Parker]

And to think that I used to tow gliders there on a week end n a non-radio Tiger Moth forty five years ago! Having lived for many years in the USA, I have only ever paid a landing fee once, at Republic on Long Island, a whopping five dollars! The idea of a five hundred pound landing fee is outrageous.

[Damian]

We should all be extremely concerned.
I also fly gliders out of Parham airfield. Over the last 10 years I have asked at least 20 times to enter Farnborough temporary class D airspace, and have been refused every time. On one occasion during the Olympics (on a day when Farnborough had fewer movements than average for the time of year) I was near Membury services/mast (M4 between Newbury and Swindon), and asked to climb five hundred feet into their airspace for five minutes. The controller refused instantly, and also refused to explain why.
After landing I found the tower's phone number on their web site. The radar assistant I spoke to said they did not have enough staff on duty to cope with the additional traffic!

So there you have it. On past performance Farnborough will grab a huge volume of airspace, but not employ enough staff to work it.... the result being instant refusal of most VFR transit requests.

On average they have 60 jet aircraft movements a day, and they are open 15 hrs a day, so at an average of 4 movements an hour they should be doing better! To me it points to a culture of exclusion of 'other' traffic.

[John Price]

Hi Damien,

I know its a bit of a faff, but if you feel strongly about it put a formal complaint about it into Mark Swan and Andrew Haines at the CAA. Rattle their cage a bit.
1. You may get an answer and get a resolution.
2. If they have a formal complaint in the system they are going to look a bit silly when they try to use the old chestnut in there ACP that Controlled Airspace does not deny anyone access.

John.