CAA: £500 Charge to ALL Pilots.

[UV]

CAA: £500 CHARGE FOR ALL PILOTS

I understand that that the the CAA are shortly to announce a one off charge to ALL Licence holders of £500.

Apparently this is to cover their costs of converting to the ICAO proposed DNAC Navigation System.

The DNAC (Decimal Navigation and Compass) System will apparently simplify all Navigation proceedures in the next decade, by removing the need for deviation, variation and other complex proceedures.

The new system is based on GPS which, of course, can work irrespective of Magnetic, True, or Grid Systems. All Future Navigation will apparenly be based on True North, and a Decimal Compass of only 100 degrees.

There will, of course, be advantages from the new 100 degress latitude and longitude measurements which will be 100 degrees only of Latitude measured up from the South Pole to the North Pole and 100 degrees only of Longitude measured East from Greenwich back to Greenwich. No more mixing up East and West or North and South if near the meridians. Also much simpler plotting and measuring etc. and, dare I say it, Exams.

Another advantage is with runway headings. An easterly runway will become 25, Southerly 50, Westerly 75 and so on. Instead of only 36 designations 99 will be possible. Far more accurate.

The one off charge is designed to off set costs of mapping, runway re-numbering, Nav Aid re-calibration, Radar re-calibration and numerous other changes which the CAA say will be justified in the long term.

The charge will be collected at the next Licence Validation or Renewal.

We need to nip this one in the bud asap because not only will we have to pay this £500 but we will also have the greater costs of removing and replacing every Magnetic Compass, VOR, ILS, HSI, ADF, etc., etc.,

UV