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Old 21st Mar 2010, 08:44
  #9 (permalink)  
tmmorris
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Oxford
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Airfield overheads aren't too bad if you can speak to them on the radio first. Otherwise it's a bad idea as stated (and if they have an ATZ, illegal below 2000' AGL, anyway).

The problem comes when you are speaking to e.g. East Mids for a radar service or just general situational awareness and need to transit e.g. Leicester overhead. You can change to Leicester quickly and then back; better if you have two radios and a newish audio panel is to use both frequencies at the same time but that can increase the workload beyond a sensible level. Easier to avoid the airfield.

I remember once flying back IFR from Sleap to Benson and taking a vow I would never again do single-pilot IFR with only a four-year-old in the right hand seat, as I was fielding questions from:

a. the four-year-old (my son)
b. Shawbury on box 1
c. Gloucester on box 2

at the same time as trying to aviate and navigate. At least I was VMC on top!

Tim
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