That was indeed my point Andy. I haven't been to Elstree for well over a year, but was under the impression that they had received, ahem, "guidance" about the meaning and limits of a Flight Information Service (with perhaps a reminder of the right-hand traffic rule in the open FIR). I wouldn't call being north of the M25 but heading east (ie "downwind" for 26, but outside the ATZ) particularly safe.
PS: I do appreciate that Elstree has a severe nimby problem. I was once accused of performing aerobatics at five hundred feet, in the days when they still had a circuit (this was whilst chugging downwind in that noted low-level aeros beast, the Pup 100, and a very clapped-out one at that). All credit to the FISO, who backed me up.
Last edited by FNG; 12th May 2004 at 13:19.