Links

The government have amended the proposed Olympics flying (security) restrictions previously announced in March 2011. Click here for the new proposal (made July 2011). Note this is a change to the security proposal, it does not change the separate NATS proposal for temporary controlled airspace around some airfields which normally do not have it. The security area (inner prohibited and outer restricted areas) are shown in graphical form here for the two contiguous periods: July and August and August and September  

The CAA is making a series of audio podcasts explaining the temporary changes to airspace in the south east of England, Weymouth, and the football tournement venues around the time of the London 2012 Olympics. There will be further podcasts as we get closer to the Games.
Click here for the podcast released Sept 2011
Click here for the podcast released Nov 2011
Click Here for the 'Flaps' podcast released Nov 2011, including "File a Flight Plan Day"

Use the link on the left for access to various downloads from the Airspace Safety Initiative site for -

• A powerpoint presentation on Olympic airspace with speaker notes designed for flying instructors or others to present to pilots
• Everything you need to know about the London 2012 Olympics airspace security restrictions.
  
• 'Slot' reservation guide for aircraft needing to reserve a slot at any of the airfields in the South of England which have applied for and been approved for 'slot allocation' for inbound and outbound IFR traffic.
  

Video with Jonathan Penny and Irv Lee flying various routes around (under) the London TMA, with short briefings for each, and then video of actually flying them. The en-route video also has radio interchanges, with various 'gotchas' and good visual features pointed out to keep you on track. The link will reveal a map of the UK, just click on any part of the yellow route encircling London (and up between Luton and Stansted) to play the video footage for that particular route.

There's a new guide out for the TMZ at Stansted - remember that is the 'Class G' under the Stansted CTA stubs that start at 1500' amsl. Also, the TMZ requires 'Mode C' use, not just a simple Mode A 'squawk' - there's also advice on how to gain access without Mode C. "Read All About it!" via the link on the left.

The excellent airspace guide to the Bristol area, complete with pictures for easy identification of important features, has been revised now that Lyneham no longer has any controlled airspace. The diagrams in it take account of changes of airspace 'current' in early October 2011, ie: after Lyneham CTR/CTA airspace has gone, but whilst Lyneham could still have an ATZ activated by NOTAM

A pictorial and text guide to visually flying the Manchester Low Level Corridor, with photos of features en-route, written by a 'local'. On the left is the full guide, and there is a Manchester/Liverpool CTA guide further down this list, but a new 2009 initiative is the double sided kneepad 'insert' to help the pilot with the low level route, plenty of advice and photos of what you should be seeing as you progress. The two sides to the kneeboard insert are here, thanks to the Barton airfield site: side one and side two

A guide locally written by a pilot in Solent ATC, highlighting the airspace around the Solent.  A 30 page pdf with great photos of the Solent area, with pilot's eye view of recognising the boundaries.

A pictorial and text guide (pdf) to visually flying in the East Midlands around an in the controlled airspace en-route, written by a 'local'.

This is the Summer 2011 version of the Brize CTR (there is no CTA).

A pictorial and text guide to visually flying in and around Glasgow airspace written by a 'local'.See also the 'Scottish' airspace guide (in this section) written in a standard CAA format

Plenty of visual information about flying the area in and around Newcastle CTR and CTA - photos, GPS coordinates, etc

A CAA standard format guide to the Lancashire area, but see also the specific 'low level route' guide for Manchester.

In addition to the locally written guides above, the CAA produce 'standardised format' guides to flying near and through airspace around the country. The link on the left gives you access to their list of available standardised guides.

A poster produced by Prestwick CC for Sleap, as a noticeboard reminder for departing visitor (and locals) of the airway nearby.

The area covered by Farnborough LARS around the London area is shown on this pdf on the left, with frequencies.

The NATS Frequently Asked Questions about CHARTS – with further NATS links on the subject.

The link on the left takes you directly to the NATS page for half-million scale (10 nm to the inch) VFR charts, including lists of recent amendments.You'll find you can subscribe to get emailed directly with any updates to your chosen chart, or even get an RSS Feed to your browser.

The link on the left takes you directly to the new NATS page for quarter-million scale (5 nm to the inch) VFR charts, including lists of recent amendments.You'll find you can subscribe to get emailed directly with any updates to your chosen chart, or even get an RSS Feed to your browser.

A list to 'catch up' from for changes which affect you in navigation, notams, flight plans and more. This is a maintained list of  'things which have changed over the past 2 years or so' that can be used as a basis for ground school when a G.A. pilot meets an instructor for the bienniel training hour. It also mentions future content expectations - for example EASA and the Olympics.

Click on the left to access the new shorter CAA multimedia interactive guide (CAP413) for G.A. radio users - see/read/hear the radio calls.

An A5 sized kneeboard insert - side 1 gives the preflight planning tips to avoid infringements, side 2 gives a typical 'mask' or 'boilerplate' for better zone transit radio calls, you just fill in the blanks for your aircraft and position, etc. Helps the tongue-tied!

Timetable for coming CAA Safety Evenings. Dates/Locations.

A comprehensive look at all the topics for simply VFR flying in the UK. All those things that have been puzzling you about symbols on the VFR chart, rules and regulations, explained in one VFR Guide. On the same link, you will also find links to various CAA advice posters, free to download

A great way of looking at a guide including pictures and advice if you happen to be flying near one of the UK's CTR/CTA combinations – i.e. near one of the UK's main provincial or London airports. The readable guides include photos of VRPs so you know what you are looking for, and suggestions of any VFR routes through or nearby. These guides form a great library for the VFR pilot flying near controlled airspace around any main airport around the country. Well worth reading the one nearest to you to see what information it contains. (See the "Local Flight Guides" entry on the CAA page linked on the left.)

All CAA Safety Sense Leaflets and Safety Posters. The index to a free comprehensive library of easy to read advice - something for all aviators. Also available: Posters on 'hot topics', free to download.

Poster giving basics of Airspace Infringement – what it means, what it leads to, what it costs and why you should KNOW YOUR AIRSPACE.

For the multi media educational material for the new ATC Services Outside Controlled Airspace, have a look at the information stored on the Airspace Safety Initiative.

The well-known one sheet poster diagram giving all the legal minimum visibility and cloud separations for VFR at various levels, and if/how ATC separate traffic, in each classification of airspace and Radar Advisory Service.(updated 2009 version)

There's a new 'reminder' to tell you about VFR in different classes of airspace. It's actually an A4 'portrait' sheet and can be printed as such for the clubhouse wall, or fold it in hal and it forms an A5 double-sided reminder to fit on your flying kneepad.

A pictorial and text guide to visual navigation - part of the Safety Sense series by the CAA.

A pictorial and text guide to the radio, including typical calls to Air Traffic Units en-route. One thing not included yet is the London D and D phone number – 01489 followed by 612406 – which you can put in your mobile phone in case you are flying and have a complete radio failure and want to communicate with them. (NB: mobile phone signals can affect GPS and Nav equipment.)

Safety Sense leaflet on ATC Services Outside Controlled Airspace (FIS, RIS, RAS are GONE - Read about 'Basic', 'Traffic', 'Deconfliction' and 'Procedural').

A pictorial and text guide to sensible GPS use, part of the CAA Safety Sense series.

Note: The link on the left can change frequently. It should go to the index of En-Route Section of the UK AIP and you need to find Section ENR 1.6 in the content list. Within ENR 1.6, find paragraph 2.5.6 within it for the official list, which is reproduced below with matching frequencies.
(If the link on the left is dead, go to www.ais.org.uk and Select 'IAIP' from the tags, and then 'Enroute Information - ENR Index' from the side list.)
There is now also a pdf of  a graphic to print, cut and keep on your kneeboard -Listening Squawk Graphic. The way it works is:
If you are passing  nearby (but not entering) airspace as listed below, and not requiring any sort of service, you may use a 'listening squawk'. 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!  Tune into the relevant frequency, set the appropriate squawk, and say nothing - don't even announce you are there. If ATC need to contact you for any reason, they now know you are listening and on which frequency. Remember to squawk 7000 (Charlie if possible) as you move further away from the area, or if you switch to a different frequency. 

There is a mine of information on the Royal Institute of Navigation Site  - whether it's  about Satellite Navigation or just aviation news, there's plenty to read and learn.

A summary guide by NATS of all the Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) available to pilots, including contact numbers and web addresses.

The official live NATS/AIS site for checking Notams, the UK AIP and AICs. Free registration for checking NOTAMs, other access doesn't need registration.Remember also the daily freephone of restrictions: 0500 354802 (+44 20 8750 3939 from abroad)

The Swanwick Air Traffic Control Centre will manage the Parent AFTN function alongside the ‘flightplanningonline’ facility which uses AFPEx to give you your own online flight plan filing system (registration required). Registered users can use the link on the left to access the system, or pilots wishing to register will find details there on how to go about it.  Pilots who do not have a ‘flightplanningonline’ (AFPEx) account should fax FPL and associated messages to 01489 61 2793 ensuring that they are correctly addressed.There is a 24 hour Helpdesk for all enquiries 0845 601 0483 or 01489 612792. The Helpdesk AFTN address is EGGGYFAJ.

The Distress and Diversion Cell (London Centre, 121.5 MHz) have created a pamphlet to describe their services and contact details. Printed 2 sided onto 1 sheet of A4, it folds into a pocket sized reference.

When flying back from the EU, 4 hours notice is normal for submission of a GAR (General Aviation Report) form. The form is available as an Excel spreadsheet or PDF via the link on the left, and can be submitted as an attachment to an email to NCU@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk. The subject of the email should be: 'GAR, airfield registration, name of airfield, postcode of airfield (if known)'. Full instructions also available on that page (see right hand side of linked page)

A sister site, part of the Airspace Safety Initiative (ASI) project, containing news and video resources (eg: heli routes across London, and VFR routes around London)

A 'unique to the UK' charity organisation looking after the safety interests of UK aviation, provider of safety courses and safety seminars too.

A Eurocontrol site dealing with many issues of safety, including airspace infringements (click on the link on the left for the SKYbrary home page, and one of the safety icons visible will be "Airspace Infringement

This article appeared in the April 2011 edition of Sailplane and Gliding magazine following infringements into a Red Arrows RA(T) in 2010

UK Airprox Board (Airprox is the official term for the old ‘Air Miss’.

CAA Mandatory Occurence Reporting System – for bringing serious incidents formally to the attention of the CAA.

Air Accident Investigation Board – Reports of previoous accidents, how to report one.

Report a Bird Strike. (Reporting is Important to help prevent future ones.)

UK Confidential Human Factors Incident Reporting Programme – Report a human factors incident confidentially.

UK CAA Interpretation of rules and regulations - it's normally a large PDF, but this link takes you to a list which allows you to select chapter by chapter.A list of updates to it, issued Nov 2011, is available as an AIC White 43 of 2011. As the actual AIC changes web-address monthly, please look for W 43/2011 within the index of White AICs

UK Air Navigation Order – the official law published by the CAA as 'CAP393'.- this is available online for free, or a printed copy can be ordered (for payment)

JAA States – Current List of 'Recognition Countries' from the JAA. Licences (FCL-1), medicals (FCL-3), etc.

Ten year selected extracts from the UK Airprox Board concerning GA, 1999-2008