So therefore we'll see a measurable improvement in safety. But just of interest, what are the starting numbers and what is the target improvement?
Interesting question ! Flights during the "day" ie when other people are flying
planes depart at 1000,1300 1500 1700
arrivals at 0900 1230 1330 1630
also a few helicopters
but those are weekend figures so a bit busier than mid week
If the flight crew fly defensively the risk would be as close to zero as one could get, a bit hard to improve on I would say. If the passenger planes are vectored all over the countryside at low level then they could increase the risk a bit. I guess all arrivals will be from FL50 in the overhead from March onward and that move itself would increase safety with or without any Controlled Airspace. Smart pilots would depart by climbing as quickly as possible to the top of the cumulus cloud tops where few planes fly, but how many do that?
Given the number of VFR flights in that general area on a nice day I hope Norwich International is recruiting more controllers to give the appropriate service in this otherwise empty airspace. If the airspace was smaller there would be fewer transits! If the outbounds spend 3 min inside CAS and arrivals 7 that means fixed wind traffic will be in the airspace for 40 min out of 6 hours, that's pretty empty ! I guess a second frequency will be needed other wise the commercials wont be able to get a word in. A light a/c flying at 80 kts will need 20 min to transit from one corner of the airspace to the other, and they need to be on frequency for quite a while before actually entering the airspace.Just one gaggle of 20 gliders calling for transits will totally block the frieq for 1 min each so 20 or more minutes.... solid and they will probably be transiting the western edge where there will not be any possibility of CAT when 27 is in use. Many pilots will have to call even if they are only near the airspace otherwise Norwich International will be bleating about people being near "their" airspace without calling. Still it will generate 5-6 extra controller jobs.I guess the reason for the March start is to give enough time to recruit and train the controllers?
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