Dodgy NOTAMs
Just spent another fabulous weekend at Newbury Show. It’s always the third weekend in September and the headline display is always at around 1230 – 1300 and 1630 - 1700 each day be it the Royal Horse Artillery to the White Helmets to, this year, the Royal Navy Parachute Display Team.
This lunchtime’s display involved the first of the parachutists jumping out at about 1245, then the second, then the third … I then saw, I think, an A109 flying overhead whilst the fourth, fifth and sixth chaps were lepping out of their aircraft.
It looked close. Now below is the NOTAM – the timings are totally wrong so I’m not pointing any fingers. The 109 looked high enough to land clear and otherwise wouldn’t have caused any comment.
Q) EGTT/QWPLW/IV/M/W/000/055/5127N00118W002
FROM: 09/09/20 10:45 TO: 09/09/20 15:15
E) PJE WI 2NM RADIUS 5127N 00118W (NEWBURY, BERKSHIRE). CTC 07973
830853. AUS 09-09-0571/AS4
LOWER: SFC
UPPER: 5400FT AMSL
SCHEDULE: 1045-1115 1445-1515
H4265/09
Q) EGTT/QWALW/IV/M/W/000/025/5127N00118W002
FROM: 09/09/19 13:25 TO: 09/09/20 12:15
E) FLYING DISPLAY BY SEAFIRE ACFT WI 2NM RADIUS 5127N 00118W (NEWBURY,
BERKSHIRE) AUS 09-09-0636/AS3
LOWER: SFC
UPPER: 2400FT AMSL
SCHEDULE: 19 1325-1345, 20 1155-1215
H4343/09
So where would a pilot stand “legally” in such a circumstance? As far as I can tell, he acted within all notifications given but it could have been nasty. In the second NOTAM above, they have completely omitted the Swordfish flypast at about 1730.
Is it the responsibility of the show organizers to put out the NOTAM, or the owners/operators of the aircraft?
Cheers
Whirls