RAF Wittering Active or Not?

[GBOZR]

Hi Chaps,

Just wanted to clarify this up a little bit.

Could anyone tell me and the rest of us GA pilots whether RAF Wittering is actually active? I've called them multiple times for a basic service and MATZ penetration on 130.200 but no reply so I've opted to navigate around their area just in case any airspace is busted.

I've heard a few rumors that they aren't active and you can fly through the 'MATZ' zone without clearance and just with blind calls. It would make life easier if this was the case but I don't want to do it and get punished.

I await replies,

GBOZR

[7of9]

RAF wittering is active at weekends with gliders launching to 2000 feet.
Also keep a look out for gliders soaring & thermaling.
Not sure during the week, but they sometimes have gliding comps or soaring weeks in the summer months.
I am a glider pilot, I avoid wittering when flying GA aircraft.

Hope this helps.

Trev

[GBOZR]

Thanks Trev, Is there any type of MATZ Penetration needed?

[7of9]

Sorry in wouldn't know on that, I avoid it anyway.
You wouldn't want to penetrate MATZ on the weekends while gliding taking place anyway.

Trev

[NorthSouth]

Wittering still has a MATZ but the AIP advises "This aerodrome is open on very limited occasions when advised by NOTAM or Supplement". There are currently no NOTAMs advising of activity at Wittering so no need to worry about penetrating the MATZ. However it does have an ATZ, 2.5nm radius, which is listed as being permanently active in daylight hours, so you'd need to have RT contact with Wittering Radio to penetrate that legally.
NS

[Heston]

Holy carp! Come on guys, did you pass Air Law?:ugh: A MATZ is not controlled airspace - you are not "busting airspace" by flying through it. Call on their frequency and if you get no reply carry on, by all means making blind calls and of course keeping a good look out (but you'd be doing that anyway).

And as to leaving a MATZ sized area around every gliding site, well Jeez... On a poor day the gliders will be in the circuit and on a good day they will be many miles further away than that anyway.

The ATZ itself is a different matter though - always treat that as active even if no reply on the radio.

[GBOZR]

Thanks for all the replies guys, I feel more confident about heading that way now. Was just unsure but I always knew to turn to the ppruners!

Thanks

GBOZR

[S-Works]

I live under the circuit of Wittering.

The MATZ is only activated by NOTAM as is the tower. The ATZ is H24.

So reading the NOTAM will tell you if you need to call....

[austerwobbler]

Flight training will resume there in 2014 , it was in the local rag and all so on the Raf web site, 20 Grob tutors moving in


Austerwobbler

[High_Expect]

Heston... Whilst you maybe correct do do you not think the original poster deserves some credit for exercising sound airmanship. If the majority of GA had any idea of the manoeuvring jets do inbound and outbound of a MATZ they'd avoid it by at least 10nm! (clearly not always practical) but if you are going within say 20nm please call them. We far rather hear from you than not. I fly a fast jet with TCAS and it's certainly helps but has major flaws operating in such a dynamic environment. It certainly can't be relied upon to save the day.

We had a paraglider the other day that decided to fly at 1500' 2.5nm round the zone sightseeing. He did a complete 360 of the zone at about 1000am. Two instrument approaches broken off, one aborted practice engine failure after take off (after a very late visual spot) and I had to manoeuvre my 3 ship in close formation quite aggressively to avoid smearing the chap all over us. Legal - yes. Sensible - you decide.

[Heston]

I certainly don't advocate using the uncontrolled airspace of a MATZ without being in radio contact with the military airfield in question. I don't think my earlier post said that? I agree it would be madness. Yes, to be fair, the OP was erring on the side of caution which can't be bad.

But - and its a big but - the OP used words like "busting airspace" and "clearance" with respect to a MATZ penetration - neither of which are appropriate and indicated to me a lack of understanding of the nature of a MATZ.

And gliders are not the same as manoeuvring fast jets - by all means give gliding sites a wide berth, but to imply that a MATZ-sized circle round a gliding site is appropriate is mad overkill (except perhaps during the launch and start of a competition task - but these are usually notammed)