Come on guys we all know that the military think they own most of the airspace in the UK......Take a look at the TRA's over the north sea, they book them on a daily basis often causing UK civil enroute traffic to have to fly extra track miles to avoid but how often do we see them actually using the area,s they have booked!!!
How often do they activate D701 causing oceanic traffic to reroute and then often never actually use the area!!.......try getting the powers to be to create a new airway to protect civil traffic from the fast jet boys and all they do is throw their toys out of the cot...!!!
Not sure I totally agree,
fisbangwallop. You need to remember that the activities taking place in the TRAs often involve large and rapid changes in height or azumith, and can take place over large areas. Just because you don't spot anything happening doesn't mean it isn't there. And having listened to a recent presentation by a Not-Entirely-Western Airways spokesperson, sometimes it comes across like the regional airlines think they own the airspace too.
Anyway, this is getting away from the point. To add my tuppence worth, I would just point out that just because you can do something, doesn't mean it is to be done! I agree that legally it is permisable to fly a civilian aircraft in a MATZ, in the same way that it is legal to fly at 2000' at ten miles on the extended centreline of, say, DTVA. It doesn't make it sensible to do so! I think it's probably the attitude which is most worrying - it seems that some posters on here have an almost provocative attitude to a notion which is deisgned with safety in mind, not to divy up the airspace as part of a greater p1ssing contest.
I must remind myself yet again that military aviators are always right and us civvy chaps are just useless
Chuffer, again I disagree. My personal experience suggests that a great many FJ aircrew are also holders of civilian licences in one form or another, and well understand the conflict inherent in airspace allocation in such a crowded island. The simple fact is that those of us who fly fast jets - which is almost exclusively undertaken in Class G airspace - understand the limitations and hazards of our job far better than civilians can. Nobody wants to clap hands with another aircraft. When FJ aircrew say it's not a good idea to fly in a MATZ then you can bet it's not just to inflate their egos.
Anyway, it's late and I only swung by to look for some info about re-validating my PPL. Just had to add my thoughts on this!
Blunty