Interesting thread, viewed by me both as an ATCO and sometime private pilot.....
Ahem, well, I fly from a very pleasant airfield near Salsibury plain, very adjacent to a BIG Army Air Corp base (the biggest grass airfield in the Uk I'm told) and a large R and D airfield with lots of noisy fast pointy things flying into /out of it.
All THREE airfields (four if you count Salisbury Intl) are in CLASS G airspace, not withstanding the MATZs (which presumably Mr. Spey doesn't recognise anyway, because in the Civil world it counts for 'nowt
)
Anyway, my point is : we all rub along together quite nicely thank you, with PROCEDURES in Class G (including ALT restrictions) which let everyone, by and large, get on with what they want to do. In relative SAFETY.
Yes we're all in class G, and therefore outside the 4 ATZ's there's no actual compunction to follow the various procedures but...... you'd look a bit silly if you didn't follow them and had a close encounter of the fast jet / helicopter / C130 / VC10 etc etc kind.
I don't think the explanation that "I was VFR and exercising my rights in Class G" would cut much ice at the subsequent board of enquiry (or inquest
) Any barrister would have a field day.
The phrase "Duty of Care" doesn't only apply to controllers, pilots should be aware of the implications also.
Never met an ATCO that delayed traffic (IFR or VFR) for anything other than SAFETY reasons. Percieved or actual. Doesn't matter. They have YOUR safety at heart.
Back to gazing at the low stratus.......
rgds BEX