Well, if you intend to do what you say, you'll have to talk to either Farnborough radar, Essex radar or Stansted to get permission to enter the transponder mandatory zone which is 'restricted airspace'.
It's a
Transponder Mandatory Zone, not a Radio Mandatory Zone (at least not until the Olympics
).
No need to talk to anyone to go thru' the TMZ, just Squawk inc. 'C'.
but this also illustrates the need for really accurate navigation, which is possible only with a GPS
Curious where this is written down? Currently have no GPS. Quite happily navigate the LTN/STN gap, to N, SW, SE, TMZs, in/over/around Stapleford/Panshanger. Find looking out of window and using coloured paper thing more than adequate. Find my students in this area just staring at GPS, blindly "following" it (i.e. not using it as a "navigation" tool to plan forward track), negating lookout.
I don't disagree that a GPS is useful in certain circumstances. However, it is rarely taught as part of the nav syllabus, and as a consequence, few use it as part of a normal navigation cycle of events
NoD
PS Re the original qu. If you do not know the airfield, then close to the ATZ might be "prudent" to give them a call. No rule to say so, but airmanship / AIRPROX board, might suggest it is good. Certain airfields, as you get familiar, might lead you not to bother next time. Alternatively, maybe just listen. Inside Stapleford ATZ is probably as safe as it gets, its circuit traffic tends to be outside
