...should not the occupants of an IFR flight flying an instrument approach to an instrument runway, regardless of the number of such movements, regardless of the aircraft type, expect a degree of protection while flying IMC, i.e. separation from other IFR flights and at least a known traffic environment as regards other, VFR, flights?
CORRECT!
The ICAO Recommendation is that all instrument approach procedures shall be protected by controlled airspace (Class A, C or D). Regrettably, the UK does not comply with this Recommendation.
The provision of radar advisory whether or not aircraft are equipped with (a) SSR, (b) Mode-C encoding and (c) TCAS is NOT a substitute for the known-traffic KNOWN-INTENTIONS controlled airspace environment it offers ATC and flight crew.
The CAA's Directorate of Airspace Policy is staffed predominately by serving and ex. military personnel none of whom have a clue about public transport flights operating in Class G airspace.
The CAA's Director of Airspace Policy (an ex. RAF type) claims to be the guru of radar advisory but providing this service to a military fast-jet or helicopter is completely different to providing it to a Boeing 737 or Boeing 757 full of fare-paying civilian passengers.
Unfortunately, the CAA (supposedly the UK Safety Regulator...) just slopes its shoulders saying that it's "...up to the airline operator to satisfy itself as to the suitability and safety of a particular airport having regard to its planned operation." This is complete bull**** and the CAA knows it!
The trouble is that the advice given by the staff at the CAA to the Minister and the Department of Transport is that radar advisory provides the necessary safety assurance and that everything's 'hunky-dory'.
Try telling Eastern Airways, Flybe or the crews involved in various AIRPROXs at Doncaster/Finningley and Coventry...
Interestingly, this autumn, the Class D CTR at Brize Norton is being retained whilst the station's fixed-wing aircraft are detached to nearby Fairford during re-surfacing of the Brize runway, in the words of OC Brize "...for the protection of our aircraft into and out of RAF Fairford."
Quite.
Of course, controlled airspace doesn't have to exclude VFR ops by GA because Flexible Use of Airspace agreements can easily be put in place.
But it needs the CAA to pull its collective head out of the sand!!
