TRAs: quick n' easy

[drauk]

There has been a lot talk of people busting TRAs recently, so I threw this together....

fly.dsc.net (http://fly.dsc.net) can now show you all known TRAs by visiting a single URL:

http://fly.dsc.net/tra

or graphically if such is your wont:

http://fly.dsc.net/trag

[IO540]

Excellent work, Drauk.

Will this still work if the notam generator mis-spells one of the "temp*" "restricted" "area" words?

[dublinpilot]

Drauk,

Such a brilliant job! You should make a fancy presentation to NATS, tell 'em it will take 6 months work, charge them £2m for it, and insist on an annual maintenance contract!

Thank you for doing this. It makes things much easier to see quickly.

dp

[High Wing Drifter]

Drauk,

Your previous comment of "well received" in another thread has to be understatement of the year - "Outstanding!" would be more appropriate.

Many thanks and much appreciated.

[PPRuNe Radar]

Great work Drauk. Anything which makes it easier for pilots to visualise the location of TRAs is a benefit to flight safety.

[GroundBound]

I think you have set a standard for the way things should be done - excellent, outstanding!

Any change of extending it to yurop? ;) ;)

Very well done!

GB

[drauk]

Simpler URL now (though the original one still works), plus by popular request, bigger markers on the chart to make them easier to spot.

http://fly.dsc.net/tra

and graphically:

http://fly.dsc.net/trag

[UV]

Drauk
May I forward your name to the CAA for their General Aviation Annual Safety Award?!!!
UV

[MyData]

Great stuff.

I was thinking about TRAs when watching the Red Arrows prog on the BBC on Monday. We get to know where they are displaying, but how do they transit between shows? Do they climb into upper airspace (i.e above the remit of most in GA) or could one expect to see 9 (or 10) red things going past at relatively high speed?

[drauk]

IO540, it doesn't do it by looking at the text of the Notam, so it doesn't matter how they spell it.

As for the Red Arrows moving around, one of my favourite RT moments was when they called Luton late one evening on Elstree's frequency and as Elstree was shut I got to tell them that they were on the wrong frequency and 'helpfully' offered 129.55 instead. We all make mistakes, though having seen their displays it seemed to me that they really don't make very many.

[Leezyjet]

We get to know where they are displaying, but how do they transit between shows? Do they climb into upper airspace (i.e above the remit of most in GA) or could one expect to see 9 (or 10) red things going past at relatively high speed?

Don't know about the R/A's but I passed the BBMF last summer, same altitude, 2 miles to North of them in the narrow corridor between LGW and LHR, all of us under control of Farnborough Radar who advised me "3, a/c same altitude opposite direction 2 miles South". Didn't realise it was them first, but then as they got nearer, I thought, that sure looks like a Lancaster Bomber - but then passed it off as being a figment of my imagination, but alas it was. My friend had his camera on his lap with a 400mm lense, but unfortunately he was on the wrong side of the C152 to get any shots. The Spit and Hurricane started climbing and decending behind the Lanc when they saw us. Was one of the best moments in my short flying career !!.

:ok:

[Penguina]

Thank you so much Drauk! I have been painstakingly plotting coordinates and drawing big red circles on my map all summer and it takes forever! I know it's unofficial, but perhaps the URL could be circulated to flying clubs and the magazines to get as much attention as possible? Or maybe this is already done.

:ok:

Re. R/As on the move, got a warning the other day while receiving a FIS that they were heading my way. What I said was 'roger, looking', what I wanted to say was 'what exactly am I supposed to do about it?!' :uhoh:

[Bravo73]

how do they transit between shows? Do they climb into upper airspace (i.e above the remit of most in GA) or could one expect to see 9 (or 10) red things going past at relatively high speed?

They don't seem to climb to upper airspace.

Everytime that they've passed me, they've been at about 1500ft AGL. On occasions, they've even been a little bit lower. :ok:

Look out for a couple of 5 ship 'V' formations, one after the other.


HTH,

B73

[chevvron]

The reds seldom transit above 1500ft amsl, usually lower; I think they get vertigo if they're straight and level any higher! BBMF usually transit at a similar level 'cos EVERYBODY likes to see and hear them.
By the way, if the reds spot you whilst in transit, they'll give a puff of smoke to tell you they've seen you.

[jdaley]

BBMF usually transit at a similar level 'cos EVERYBODY likes to see and hear them.

Well yes but - knowing the route of these guys would be useful rather than just the display Notams. Earlier this year they were displaying in North Wales near the coast and somewhere near Stoke. I was heading from Liverpool to Caernarfon and back.

Having checked the Notams I'd decided to route south and cut across the llangollen valley to minimise any chance of interfering ( it would have been 20nm south of their direct route between displays) - then wander back along the coast after a butty. Fine day but sct cloud ca 3500' - I was in a pa28 at 2700' talking to Hawarden - who have no radar at weekends.

They mentioned the BBMF were about, at 3000', transiting west east (which of course I knew) but gave no routing and I eased down to 2500ish which was about as far down as I wanted to go
- and of course the three pottered directly over my head at what felt like 300' separation - and I mean directly overhead - lancaster was directly in line with me.
sheesh - great view? - but obviously I'd rather it hadn't happened.

Thinking about what I could have done to avoid that -
a) realised that they might also have preferred the valley route
b) realised that they are also likely to be VFR so not particularly high given the cloudbase
c) phoned somebody? to get their route
d) any other options? (Display times don't help your planning as the display windows on the Notams are quite wide)

oh - and no brown trousers involved - it was over far too quickly for that!

[chevvron]

They're called RA(T) from 15 March

[hammerman]

nice job, thanks. cool cessna by the way wish I lived near EGTR

[007helicopter]

Really useful, great job, unable to try it straight away but will it display ok on a blackberry ?

[fisbangwollop]

Working as an Area Fiso in Scotland we are advised of TRA's or TDA's as soon as they become active...( these are mainly to protect SAR helicopters whilst conducting a search, see the TRA this morning over the Cairngorms) the best way to find out about them is to use the FIS service...here in Scotland 119.875, if we are talking to you and think you may be routing close to a TRA/TDA we would advise you!!! The service is there to be used, so please please come up on the fequency and say hello!!