Originally Posted by
ATCOJ30
Bath Gap situation now? Great! No longer am I having to constantly scan the screen to see what's likely to conflict with you guys in the open FIR and (frequently) have the difficult choice of where to turn you for avoiding action to ensure the biggest "gap" (or just any gap) from other traffic. It's totally changed the way we operate and has increased my thinking-, speaking- and scanning capacity enormously. That said, we have made significant airspace sharing concessions to the gliding- and paragliding folk (amongst others) and have agreements in place which let them have access to the Bath Gap CTA up to 4500 feet and over the Mendips up to 5000 feet on good-gliding-weather days, non-radio. We've simulated it plenty but have yet to work it for real on a regular basis.
Can I just say, on behalf of the Avon HGPG Club, of which I've been a committee member for what must now be a decade, that everyone from the club who has been dealing with you guys over this has found it a very constructive process. As SLF who's also used to seeing the world from 3-6000 feet from a bucket seat below a mass of cloth and string, I'm well aware what height we are coming in over Bath towards BRS from AMS on my regular commute and, for a while, have been doing my level best to caution others before the introduction of the new airspace.
I'll have the Crib Sheet, that we ran past you guys this afternoon, on our website tomorrow and we'll be publicising it throughout the free flying community.
Cheers,
Rich.