The Lea Valley
This topic came up in another thread and seemed worthy of some discussion in its own right.
I use to fly this route quite regularly in a single after it was introduced to me by a BA skipper and RAF fast jet pilot.
More recently I still fly the route in a twin, but hesitate to do so in a single, after reading comment that the CAA might want the tea no biccies type interview.
I keeping meaning to write to them to see what their "official" view is.
Perhaps I will following any discussion that hopefully follows.
Now for those of you with Google earth, and to refresh my own memory, it is worth turning up the Lea Valley imagining you were making a north south tranist.
I always looked for the reservoirs beyond Waltham Abbey which are easy to spot from the air. There are indeed ample fields around and to the east of Waltham Abbey as shown on Google Earth. The "transit" then follows the reservoirs through I would agree a reasonably well built up area. However, as long as you are prepared to get wet, should the unthinkable happen, the reservoirs present ample opportunities to ditch all the way down to Leyton.
Around Leyton there are some large playingfields and parks - and they are large, leaving only a very few miles from West Ham to the Thames and LCY. I have not calculated the distances but I would guess from West Ham to the Thames you are never out of glide distance should the donkey stop at the most unhelpful of moments.
Continuing south bound there is once again a short distance of high density housing from Woolwich to Welling - but also once again the distance involved is very short, and I doubt out of glide distance from either the Thames, LCY or the open country side beyond Welling.
I fully appreciate that Thames may have reason to "hold" you short of crossing the overhead of LCY. However, in my experience the "clearance" is down the Lea Valley. Therefore if for any reason they ask you to hold, it is quite reasonable that you would take up an orbit over one of the reservoirs, and no reason at all why you should depart from the corridor. You have not therefore compromised your ability to make a forced landing in this event.
I would be interested to know, from those who have flown the Lea Valley, and those that have not, whether it is you perception that the route would fail to comply with the ANO, or not.
I suggest it is well worth following the route on Google Earth which gives a very detailed pilot's eye view given the excellent topographical detail around London.
I also wonder if it is view that the route does not comply with the ANO, whether your view would change if the aircraft was fitted with a ballistic chute?