This concession applies to genuine emergencies and diversions to airfields other than
the destination and the filed alternate airport.
Wide awareness means that GA pilots in a difficult situation can at least eliminate
the cost factor as a potential worry. Publishers of Airfield Data have been asked to
highlight this safety concession and so far Aerad, AFE and Pooleys have agreed
to do this in their “VFR Flight Guide”. No Response from Jeppesen/Bottlang.
Unfortunately
15 Airports/Airfields have so far decided that they will not implement the CAP
667 9.2(c) recommendations. Hopefully they will have a change of heart and join the
majority of UK airfields that have.
Belfast-Intl., Biggin-Hill, Birmingham, Cardiff, Carlisle, Dundee, Exeter, Filton,
Gloucestershire, Humberside, Leeds/Bradford, London-Luton, Manchester,
Norwich, Teesside.
And
3 Airports have not been approached - London Heathrow, City and Gatwick.
In recognition of their outstanding contribution to UK General Aviation
Its interesting that it refers to EMERGENCY and DIVERSIONS other than the destination and FILED alternative. There is no reference to whether the flight is VFR or IFR. It discounts filed alternatives but appears to refer to diversions as well as emergency diversions which would imply that ordinary diversions are acceptable as long as they are not filed alternatives on a flight plan.
I think the principal seems to be to encourage pilots to land and not be deterred from doing so by cost rather than attempting to make a destination which could jeopordise the flight.
Hence Farnboroughs policy of paying the charges and writing in for a refund so you can make a case for your landing there.
My flight although not on a flight plan with filed alternatives was using Farnborough as a genuine alternative and part of my plan for not getting into fairoaks. This would not have met the spirit of what the agreement was put in place for.
My arguement is more on the minimum cost of £360 rather than the weight costing on the aircraft and the fact that there are less and less practically useable airports around the southeast which have low costs for GA and full instrument approaches.
Pace