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Fly On Track - Keeping the G.A. Pilot InformedLast Updated: May 7th, 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hot News:'Scottish Information' 7401 Squawk NB: Scottish Info has been trialling the Squawk '7401' for a number of weeks, with excellent results, BUT some pilots do not fully appreciate their part in the process. The Scottish Squawk (7401) when talking to “Scottish Information” (Sc Info) on 119.875 MHz is ONLY set by the pilot when asked to do so, and is NOT actioned voluntarily. Likewise, any pilots further South should not use the '1177' London FIS Squawk until so instructed by London Information. These are not 'listening out' squawks, they are given as required by the FIS unit, and are not set until requested. The use of this '7401' code with 'Scottish' does not mean that a radar service is being provided by Sc Info; Sc Info does not have a radar display; it provides a non-radar service. The same applies to '1177' and London Information. However, when asked to squawk '7401' by Scottish, or '1177' by London, remeber to set Mode Charlie if you have it. To read a letter (pdf) to local clubs and flight schools which gives more information, click on the 7401 parrot on the left. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hot News: Summary of Future Restrictions - Updated May 2nd, 2008 There is list of relevant information of all types of events - RAT(s), CAS(T)s, West Wales restricted area, EUFA Cup Final, Southend, Queen's Birthday Flypast, Duxford and Old Warden ATZ dates, Red Arrows, - AND MORE - any that produce some sort of temporary restriction - including 'schematics' of the airspace changes where appropriate. This time, there are even Doncaster (Robin Hood) VRPs. Obviously, more than these listed could exist as the year goes by - this list was compiled on May 2nd, 2008 - you must check your NOTAMs on the day, but this is an early 'heads up' on significant events. Click on the pair of 'eyes' on the left to see what awaits. NB: The RED ARROWS displays have STARTED for 2008, please check NOTAMs and telephone 0500 354802 before every flight and see if we can keep OUT of their way this year! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hot News: New Red Arrows Article! Both for safety and security reasons, and also on behalf of the general paying public at Airshows and displays, please let's 'let the Red Arrows perform'. It's not only cancelled displays and anti-GA feeling, can you imagine the problems of suddenly splitting up 9 tightly formatting aircraft at a moment's notice if an infringement happens during the display? Here's some interesting reading for you - there's an article by Pat Malone in the April Issue of AOPA's General Aviation magazine, available from I-AOPA's website: click here to read it in pdf format. This AOPA article complements the piece sent to FlyOnTrack from "Red 10", which you can see read here We've got to stop these 'display busts', it's going to turn the paying public against light aviation if we don't! See the 'pair of eyes' above for a look at all the Red Arrows displays known about at the date indicated, but keep checking NOTAMs and 0500-354802 on the day of your flight in case of changes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hot News: National "Visit Air Traffic Control" Month (May)
An initiative from the Aviation Infringement Working Group (AIWG) through the Airspace and Safety Initiative brings qualified pilots a chance to visit an Air Traffic Control Unit. Civil and Military units are participating. Understanding how ATC works in practice can only enhance your airmanship near Controlled Airspace, whilst at the same time, ATC personnel can learn from you! The first round of visits is being held in May 2008. Click on the radar image on the left to see the CAA announcement. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hot News: FREE CAA CHARTS (Winners) THREE free copies of the brand new England and Wales (Southern) 1:500000 scale VFR chart (New Edition 34) AND THREE of Borders 1:250000 chart (ed. 6) have been won by lucky draw. BORDERS Chart Winners: Kevin Armstrong, of East Yorkshire, who seems to get good use out of his Quick Flexwing microlight all around the North, and has done sorties deep into France. Eugene Morgan of Northern Ireland, who flies a Thruster and gets over to the Northern mainland to visit family, and Dave White, who flies one Jodel out of a farm strip and another Joel out of a large military base in Wiltshire, but has experience in seaplanes, Yaks, and Robins. He chose the Borders competition rather than the Southern as he flies in Northumberland too where he as family. SOUTHERN Chart Winners: First out was Leia Fee, a Tomahawk pilot in the Swansea area who has a JAR PPL gained in the last 3 or 4 years, who claims never to have won anything before! Second out was Peter Oglesby, a retired airline pilot, also won, and he flies a Chipmunk out of Thruxton and a Yak at Popham. John Coote won the third copy, he flies out of Shoreham mainly in Pipers, having had a licence since 2005, and has flown a Tiger Moth a few times too. He hopes to use the chart to expand his horizons this year. The next CAA VFR chart issues will be offered in the same way - 3 copies, 3 winners. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hot News: LARS for North Of London NOW HERE A LARS service for North of London has arrived, see NOTAMS and AICs - it's called Farnborough Radar, but it really does give you a service between the Heathrow, Luton and Stansted CTRs - see publicity for actual area and frequency. There are now 3 different Farnborough Radar frequencies depending on where you are around the London area - the one you know and love, a newer one further East you are slowly getting to know, and this brand new one. More details including a schematic of coverage and frequencies are available from a pdf revealed if you click on the yellow smilie on the left! (Note for dial up users, it's nearly 3 meg!) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hot News:Thames/Gatwick to Have Listening Squawk! The 'listening squawk' trial is spreading. Anyone flying around the Gatwick CTR or near London City BUT remaining outside controlled airspace, not wanting a service, and listening in to Thames or Gatwick will soon have a listening squawk capability. Details such as frequencies and 'start date' to follow. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hot News: EXCLUSIVE for FLY ON TRACK - RADAR REPLAYS! Radar Replay Number 7 Manchester LLR -> CTR Now Available. Thanks to some forward thinking and very cooperative people in NATS, Fly On Track brings you the edited highlights of real Controlled Airspace Infringements, with learning points. You can watch the consequences of a real infringement by a G.A. pilot. There will also be a written commentary on what is happening and why, usually with the pilot's explanation of 'what went wrong' so you can repeat the sequence whilst learning how it all works when something goes wrong and an aircraft infringes. To reach the new clip, click on the radar head on the left. There is a lot to be learned from these replays, (a new one will appear every few weeks until we hopefully run out). They usually make clear the disruption and cost of infringements, but also the reason for Controlled Airspace and how the processes and professional actions of the controllers keep the whole situation safe, if somewhat frustrating for those involved. Click on the image on the left for some sobering thoughts and 'video'. All previous radar replays are still available too via the radar head on the left - the older ones are listed at the bottom of the linked page. Good News: Anecdotal evidence from controllers suggests that a number of infringements have been avoided or kept at 'low impact' by the trial 'squawk code' schemes mentioned below. Hopefully, a 'report' or 'stats' may come out of each trial soon. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hot News: Chart Amendment Notifications Did you know you can now get email notification when changes are made which affect your current chart? Register via the CAA site for free notification of chart amendments, (not just 'new charts due out' - this is notification of amendments to the chart you have). For example, you would be notified if a new parachute site springs up 3 months after a new chart has been released, or perhaps a danger area is 'removed', or what about a frequency changing? You get automatic notification so you can change your own chart yourself. Click on the spotlights to get to the CAA site to register. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hot News: SQUAWK 'CHARLIE' There's a new AIC and a Power Point Presentation to point out WHY you should squawk 'Charlie' if available. Click on the parrot to see a copy. If you have a transponder, set it to ALT on 7000 or on any assigned squawk UNLESS the controller tells you specifically not to do so. If they do not mention 'Charlie', then still set it! Now, there is even a power point presentation on WHY Mode C is needed. Click HERE to view. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hot News:Transponder Trials - Manchester, Luton Stansted Manchester is already trialing a new idea - a listening out squawk for pilots flying within 5 miles of the Manchester CTR boundary (outside it, of course!) and also monitoring Manchester Approach 118.575 Mhz just as a "listening watch" - without actually talking to Manchester - you are asked to Squawk 7366 (Charlie if possible) to show you are listening in. (NB: The listening-out frequency has changed during the trial! You are not in receipt of any formal service, you cannot cross into controlled airspace, but of course you can be 'addressed' if there is any reason to do so as ATC know which frequency you are listening out on! Remember to squawk 7000 (Charlie if possible) as you move further away from the boundary, or if you switch to a different frequency. Luton and Stansted will be bringing in a similar new procedure from Monday 12th February 2007 for pilots close to (but outside) controlled airspace around Luton and Stansted and listening out. You will be able to select squawk 0013 (prefereably with Charlie) to show you are listening in to either Luton Radar on 129.550 Mhz or Essex Radar on 120.625 Mhz but have not contacted them. Same rules apply as for Manchester, no service, no entry, and Squawk 7000C when moving away or changing frequency, you can click on the 0013 squawk on the left to see you will see the provisional text of the AIC from a discussion forum. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hot News:London Information Squawk 1177C When Instructed! Anyone receiving a Flight Information Service from LONDON INFORMATION will be asked by them to squawk 1177 (with Charlie if possible) at the moment in a trial, whilst receiving the flight information service. This 1177 should only be set when asked to do. How will that reduce Airspace Infringements? Click on the 1177 squawk on the left to read a pdf about it. Remember that London FIS do not have a radar screen, so it is important that you are even more careful about setting and then checking the digits you have set. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hot News: Stats for Investigations Available By kind permission of the CAA, the annual statistics (2003 - 2007 ytd) for airpsace infringement formal investigations are available, with accompanying explanatory notes. Click on the frowning face to be positioned on the data. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hot News: Revamped LINKS and TIPS on this site, plus 'freebie'! The AIWG has produced a "reminder" to fit on your kneepad - preflight and airborne reminders, but also a 'mask' for a radio call to cross any control zone, ATZ, etc for when you get tongue-tied. Click on the image on the left to see the new 'freebie'. You can use this pdf, but you will be seeing these kneepad inserts distributed free with magazines, safety evenings, etc over the next few weeks. To go with this initiative, a new section TIPS has been added to the tags above, and the LINKS page has been refreshed and grouped into logical sections. Click on the tags above, highlighted in yellow to see the new pages. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The General Aviation Airspace Infringements Website Two free checks before flight: |
Did You Know?How Much a 'break off' costs a 747? If you don't, there's a new poster to tell you - go to the 'infringer stats' tag above and read towards the bottom of the page.How to find Chart Updates Between Chart Issues? The list of amendments or errors or recent changes since chart publication on any of the 3 UK half-million charts can be found hereon the CAA website. The equivalent list of amendments or errors for the quarter-mil series can be found here. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The only UK website devoted solely to Airspace Infringements - run by GASCo, the General Aviation Safety Council, thanks to funds supplied by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). GASCo is entirely independent of the CAA and welcomes your informed and responsible opinion. The site was originally set up to collate information and ideas from every corner of UK aviation on the subject of airspace infringements. Links to that report, and the CAA response, are at the bottom of this page. We are still keen to hear from anyone in General Aviation on airspace infringements, their causes, preventing them and related issues. If you want to see the latest forum postings, just jump to the bottom of this page. You will see no names are actually needed - anonymous contributions are equally welcome, as are comments either supporting or opposing postings already made. If you want to make sure the personnel in the CAA and NATS (National Air traffic Services) who are concerned with preventing airspace infringements see you ideas or read about your experiences, this site is the place to post them - by all means duplicate them on your favourite aviation forum too whichever that may be, but if you want to ensure your posting is read by the correct people, this is the place to post. To join in, look for the "Your Say" tag at the top of this page, or contact the new administrator, Irv Lee - just click on his business card for contact details. or by post to Irv Lee, (GASCo
Flyontrack), If you wish to make a formal report, connect through our links page to submit MOR or CHIRP reports. Have you seen the 'top tips'?: How NOT to infringe
| Autumn 2006: The Fly On Track Website has changed.... Since a major data and information collection exercise which produced a project report on airspace infringements, this website had been reasonably dormant whilst the report was digested and actions planned. From mid 2006 onwards, this website has been slowly developing as an information and feedback centre and there is more to come. As well as the "HOT NEWS"
and "Did You Know" sections above, recently, the links page has been reformatted
and split into logical sections, with all the links checked for validity. Working with the AIWG, there has been a kneeboard
insert produced for preflight planning and a 'mask' for a generic radio call you can use to request
permission to cross any sort of zone without getting tongue tied. A laminated version of this
kneeboard insert sheet (link here) is now being
distributed to UK pilots for free. Have a look at it, and the tips associated with it, by clicking on
"TIPS" in the header above.
We want you to contribute to our forum if you nearly had
an airspace 'bust' on a flight. Other mechanisms would not capture the
'nearlies' and they can be as important as the 'actuals'). Why not
tell us here on the forum why you think it (nearly) happened!. Our forum "Your Say"
is the only way to ensure senior NATS and CAA personnel see your posts - by all means put them on your own favourite forum, but write them
up here as well.
We also recognise that there is a huge intelligent
resource pool in the UK just waiting to help if allowed to do so.
It's not as if pilots WANT to infringe! Have a look at the VFR guides through either the "TIPS"
or "LINKS" tag above. These guides help you plan ahead and know what to expect and see if you have never been on one of the chosen routes before.
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Click on the subject title to read the latest postings and join the debate
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Using the tabs
at the top of this page, you can now find details on the work of
the CAA’s Airspace Infringement Working Group and the
complete response of the Group to the On Track report. The site
also includes background information on nature and scale of
airspace infringements and enhanced links to safety information on
the CAA, Aeronautical Information Service and other websites. |
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