It is heartening to see thoughts rapidly crystallising in this thread now. I think there has always been a somewhat undefined problem with airspace and approaches like this - witness the few feathers on the VFR chart - they are only there surely to indicate a hazard, but what exactly? I don't know when they were first introduced but they've been on the half mill for at least twenty years to my knowledge. Generally each one is quite different. Pilots have generally needed to go to a particular aerodrome with a feather and talk to locals to see what it really might mean.
However, the hazard also varies with each one according to particular aerodrome use from day to day. For some years in the last twenty I can even imagine that one or two of these aerodromes have been so quiet that local flyers barely give the feathers a second thought. But UK wide I guess we are busier than ever at the moment. Incidentally, slightly countering IO540's experience, many UK PPLs will be familiar with sometimes very busy airfields sur le continent not dissimilar to this, so although we obviously have much higher population density, it may not simply be a UK problem.
As to the hazard itself, traffic density coupled with effectiveness of radar oversight is key, of course, as is the knock on effect of interventions in neighbouring airspace use and design.
I am sure all those mourning the loss of the five at Coventry (and I am sure there are many near and far) will be pleased to see that in the space of just a couple of days the informal analysis (like this thread) is already helping thousands of flyers re-evaluate and sharpen up pending official AAIB conclusions.
Ultimately I am sure it will boil down to 'just one of those things but it was the third that tipped the scale' but irrespective of the exact cause of this accident, safety around aerodromes will already be improved by awareness generated here.
The variation in existing understanding may surprise some, but focussed learning or re-learning of the MO of other flyers and of what improves the odds of avoiding future upset in local areas or elsewhere is a valuable lesson for all.
It remains to be seen what, if any, firm changes may be required after AAIB reports in due course.
Last edited by slip and turn; 20th Aug 2008 at 09:56.