Rotorblades
Re the British CAA and Airspace.
Just about everyone raves about ICAO on this site – as if it’s some type of God-like organisation that must always be obeyed.
For example, when it’s mentioned that ACAS might be used as a safety mitigator, everyone leaps in and says, “ICAO does not allow ACAS to replace air traffic services” – or words to that effect.
Most posters would support the ICAO decision on classifications to assist in standardising flying all around the world – a bit like the internationalisation of road rules. In most places you can hire a car and as long as you understand which side of the road to drive on, you can pretty-well understand the signs and the procedures. This is important for safety in a globalised world where more and more people travel.
Let’s look at the British CAA. Over two decades ago, ICAO sensibly came up with a classification system for airspace – we all know this – A, B, C, D, E, F and G. The sole reason for this classification system was so that pilots flying in different countries would have a reasonable understanding of what particular service was provided and rules that existed in a particular category of airspace.
Wait for it … what does the UK do? Once again, I say they are so incompetent that even thought they have Class A, Class D, Class E and Class G, the classifications hardly reflect what ICAO intends.
For example, they actually control IFR airline aircraft in uncontrolled airspace.
Rotorblades, whether you like it or not, the last time I flew into Plymouth – and it’s just one example of many non-radar towers in the UK which service RPT aircraft – the airspace was Class G and they were actually controlling IFR aircraft in the G, ie. controlling aircraft in uncontrolled airspace. Doesn’t this mean something to you?
Many Australian ATCs will be amused to find that there’s a country which provides a full control service to flight planned aircraft in Class G airspace when IMC exists, and to other aircraft in the same airspace no control service is provided – in fact, IFR aircraft do not even require a radio!
The reason I mention Plymouth is that it is one of many non-radar towers in the UK that does not have a local radar unit, and when the nearby military unit closes for the weekend, you have IFR airline aircraft shooting an ILS in uncontrolled airspace while being controlled by Air Traffic Controllers in the tower.
When I last looked, the G airspace above Plymouth went to flight level 245, ie a huge amount of G airspace.
All it needed in the UK was leadership when the ICAO classifications were promulgated to change the British airspace so it reflected the ICAO classifications.
The British don’t completely ignore ICAO – the last time I looked they had actually notified ICAO that they do not require radio for IFR aircraft in G airspace. Amazing!
And Rotorblades, by the way, I don’t believe the CAA is incompetent because “they offer a RAS service to aircraft in G”. Such a service would be fully compliant with ICAO. However, when they actually offer an Air Traffic Control separation service in uncontrolled airspace, that’s incompetent.