114-page Olympic Guide Published

[soaringhigh650]

The 114 page guide to the London Olympics has just been published on the olympics website.

Pilots should study it very carefully, as well as all the other pages on the website and all other the downloadable materials.

Also read all the official AICs that the guide has been designed to supplement.

And the NOTAMs.

Information Overload and Procedural Complexity is King.

Remember - Your license will be suspended if you get it wrong. :E

[Unblonde]

Guide is currently at:

http://olympics.airspacesafety.com/media/9636/airspace_guide_june_22.pdf

[L'aviateur]

I'm taking a holiday in the UK in August with some flying involved hopefully, but I'll be heading North North North away from anything remotely resembling 6 coloured hoola hoops!
Planning to enjoy my flying and not worry about whether i'm going to be shot down...

[18greens]

I'm not sure why they bother with a 114 page guide. All they need is 2 lines

1) if it's your job, carry on
2) if you are doing it for fun we'll make it so difficult you won' t bother.

Meanwhile who is stopping all the joy riders driving through the red zone?

[pudoc]

Whilst it makes things harder, I for one am looking forward to the strict procedures. Will definitely make me a better pilot with the extra things to think about and making sure my navigation is top notch.

Not sure how flying clubs will operate..I assume one cannot perform general handling within the restricted zone.

[hobbit1983]

I'm not sure why they bother with a 114 page guide. All they need is 2 lines

1) if it's your job, carry on
2) if you are doing it for fun we'll make it so difficult you won' t bother.

Meanwhile who is stopping all the joy riders driving through the red zone?

I believe NATS/the RAF have put an awful lot of time, effort and money into ensuring we can still fly during the Olympic period, a point often missed by an ungrateful GA public.

[172driver]

I believe NATS/the RAF have put an awful lot of time, effort and money into ensuring we can still fly during the Olympic period, a point often missed by an ungrateful GA public.

They could have saved a lot of their time and our tax money by not bothering with any of this BS.

[A and C]

While knowing that the RAF have put a lot of work into minimizing disruption to GA it is likely that the remaining disruption will force some aviation businesses into bankruptcy.

The fact that the Olympic enthusiasts ignore because that bloke Coe and his mates don't want to pay any compensation to any business ( aviation or otherwise ) that is disrupted by the Olympics. The behavior is typical of Coe and his type, they want the glory and don't give a damm about who they disadvantage to to get it.

[peterh337]

What is the situation on IFR slots for Class G departures/arrivals which do not go into enroute CAS (basically Class A in the UK)?

ACL have recently changed the wording on their information leaflet.

Old (http://acl-uk.org/UserFiles/File/slot_leaflet230312.pdf)...

New (http://acl-uk.org/UserFiles/File/slot_leafletmay12.pdf)...

[hobbit1983]

Quote:
I believe NATS/the RAF have put an awful lot of time, effort and money into ensuring we can still fly during the Olympic period, a point often missed by an ungrateful GA public.
They could have saved a lot of their time and our tax money by not bothering with any of this BS.

Yes, they could have banned all GA completely, thus saving an awful lot of their time and money...

[WorkingHard]

OK Hobbit so please tell us what it has achieved apart from HUGE disruption to legitimate businesses?

[peterh337]

Hobbit does have a point, partially, because most other countries got so taken over by the olympic madness they shut down GA more or less totally for the whole period.

Not suggesting that is sensible of course, and I think a lot of the UK procedures are way OTT - especially the IFR slots.

I also think that the amount of olympics-related traffic which is "anticipated" is a figment of the imagination of the "business development managers" with their fresh University of Upper Warlingham MBAs. It's mostly bollox.

[hobbit1983]

Whether we like it or not, the Olympics are going to happen, and there are going to be security arrangements made for them. If the people that are organising the Olympics had their way, nothing at all would fly for months.

The CAA, NATS, RAF et all have diverted hundreds of personnel, put in a lot of work and spent a large sum of cash, to enable relatively hassle free flying for us over the period.

It's not about 'making it difficult so you won't bother'. They've done the best they can in a restrictive situation. Slating them for it ain't gonna change things either...

[abgd]

I showed the olympic supplement to my girlfriend, who fell about laughing. I suspect this is the best response, though I really feel for those businesses that are likely to go under.

As a relatively inexperienced pilot, I shall probably be avoiding the airspace due to the thought of losing my licence if anything should go pear shaped (e.g. like my recent radio failure). Which is a shame as, like pudoc I would have enjoyed the challenge.

[Piltdown Man]

If the people that are organising the Olympics had their way, nothing at all would fly for months.

I agree... and if I had my way this expensive personal freedom infringing, corporate advertising and media junket would not be held in my country. But who asked me? Nobody. That warmongering, truth-bending B****** Blair decided on my behalf.

PM

[Tableview]

If those who profited from this absurd expensive personal freedom infringing, corporate advertising and media junket were made to reimburse the costs, there would be no profit, therefore there would be no Olympic Games. Of course that's not going to happen because the interests of corporate greed and government clerks (I believe officially they're called politicians) override common sense and decency and the well-being of those who voted them into 'power'. So much for 'democracy'.

[007helicopter]

Is it actually that big a deal to file a flight plan and fly the plan?

Understand very difficult for training and maintenance business's and have sympathy for those effected due to less demand and disruption but for GA pilots wanting to go anywhere should not be a problem and if it is get some instruction during this period to overcome.

[WorkingHard]

007 no it is no big deal to file a flight plan but why the restriction in the first place? there is pleanty of controlled airspace to ensure "London" is not on most peoples route and any thing more could be accomodated by way of a NOTAM for the appropriate period of the "games". Any thing more is just plain stupid. Now we hear (true or false?) the restrictions coming in even earlier. the games last TWO WEEKS so why restrictions for TWO MONTHS. I will ensure it does not affect me as I shall probably go on holiday for much of it but the point is it is another nail in the coffin of freedom that we all cherish so much.

[India Four Two]

The 114 page guide to the London Olympics has just been published on the olympics website.Also read all the official AICs that the guide has been designed to supplement.

And the NOTAMs.114 pages and it's just a guide? :eek:

I'm glad I don't fly in the UK anymore.

[NigelOnDraft]

I thought why another 114 pages on somehting we've already heard lots about :sad:

In fact, it's a fairly comprehensive summary of all the rules / procedures, adds some new info, and if you just VFR GA traffic, large sections of it do not apply.

Not saying the need for the restrictions is justified, but given the restrictions put in place, lots of effort is being made to help people comply and fly :ok:

NoD

[EastMids]

With any luck, it'll hiss it down with rain, there'll be a low cloud base, and strong winds throughout the games period - at least then, not being able to fly anyway, I won't feel aggrieved at all this Olympic nonsense and the restrictions it'll impose should the weather be good.

[Tableview]

With any luck, it'll hiss it down with rain, there'll be a low cloud base, and strong winds throughout the games period - at least then, not being able to fly anyway, I won't feel aggrieved at all this Olympic nonsense and the restrictions it'll impose should the weather be good. Aren't we miserable spoilsports!

(I agree 100%)

[BackPacker]

In fact, it's a fairly comprehensive summary of all the rules / procedures, adds some new info, and if you just VFR GA traffic, large sections of it do not apply.

The basic procedures can be described in one or two pages. In fact, the CAA has done just that and made sure those leaflets were sent along with magazines such as Flyer.

However there are numerous exceptions for various airfields, operators and kinds of operations. If the CAA would NOT have published a comprehensive, 114-page guide ("bible" would be more appropriate) with all the exceptions, we would all be bitching about that there's not one single document which contained everything.:ugh:

From my viewpoint from across the pond, I can only say that I find the way the MoD, CAA, AOPA and various other organizations involved have handled this remarkable. The security requirements that are laid down by the IOC are incredible and the fact that GA is allowed with, as far as I'm concerned, relatively few restrictions and procedures, is remarkable.:D

I seem to remember that in Greece, four years ago, GA was simply banned altogether, except for media helicopters covering the event.

[hobbit1983]

Quote:
In fact, it's a fairly comprehensive summary of all the rules / procedures, adds some new info, and if you just VFR GA traffic, large sections of it do not apply.
The basic procedures can be described in one or two pages. In fact, the CAA has done just that and made sure those leaflets were sent along with magazines such as Flyer.

However there are numerous exceptions for various airfields, operators and kinds of operations. If the CAA would NOT have published a comprehensive, 114-page guide ("bible" would be more appropriate) with all the exceptions, we would all be bitching about that there's not one single document which contained everything.

From my viewpoint from across the pond, I can only say that I find the way the MoD, CAA, AOPA and various other organizations involved have handled this remarkable. The security requirements that are laid down by the IOC are incredible and the fact that GA is allowed with, as far as I'm concerned, relatively few restrictions and procedures, is remarkable.

I seem to remember that in Greece, four years ago, GA was simply banned altogether, except for media helicopters covering the event.

BackPacker, I agree wholeheartedly. Exactly what I was trying to say in my previous posts! :ok: