Okay, let's have a look, here are what we have for today's London FIR kite warnings:
Q) EGTT/QWCLW/IV/M/W/000/018/5244N00225W001
KITE FLYING 1NM RADIUS 5244N 00225W (LILLESHALL, NEAR NEWPORT,
SHROPSHIRE). ON-SITE CTC, TEL 07966 361181. 11-11-0216/AS 5.
LOWER: SFC
UPPER: 1800FT AMSL
Googling that phone number is interesting - it does show anything against kite flying, but it does show as belonging to a Gerry Plant, a bit more googling shows his details on
this webpage which seems entirely legitimate to me.
Q) EGTT/QWCLW/IV/M/W/000/016/5149N00219W001
KITE FLYING 1NM RADIUS 5149N 00219W (NEAR LONGNEY).
ON-SITE CTC, TEL 07970 038169. 11-12-0061/AS 5.
LOWER: SFC
UPPER: 1600FT AMSL
Again, a mobile number is given. That seems to belong to a Ben Long who runs
falconry training courses. So legitimate again, although I'm fascinated that we have two sets of people using kites to train falcons - what a fun occupation! You can certainly see why they don't want us flying through the middle.
Another one...
Q) EGTT/QWCLW/IV/M/W/000/009/5228N00133W001
KITE FLYING 1NM RADIUS 5228N 00133W (NEAR CORLEY).
CTC FOR FLYING TIMES, TEL 07792 728376. 11-12-0079/AS 5.
LOWER: SFC
UPPER: 850FT AMSL
Again, a mobile number. Googling that, apart from NOTAM sites, the only place that number comes up is a second hand car advert (for a Ford Ka at £6,500, which seems a bit steep to me, but I don't like them much anyhow). So, without phoning him up, no wiser.
Another one then:
Q) EGTT/QWCLW/IV/M/W/000/011/5359N00131W001
KITE FLYING 1NM RADIUS 5359N 00131W (HARROGATE).
ON-SITE CTC, TEL 07768 690458. 11-09-0169/AS 5.
LOWER: SFC
UPPER: 1100FT AMSL
Again, a helpful mobile number. Or it would be if anything came up - although a bit more googling tells me that there are two major kite display teams based up that way, the "Wigley's Wings" and the "North East Kite Flyers", so let's give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they were flying bloody big kites around Harrogate this weekend.
Another one...
Q) EGTT/QWCLW/IV/M/W/000/010/5257N00001E001
KITE FLYING 1NM RADIUS 5257N 00001E (BOSTON LANDFILL SITE).
CTC FOR FLYING TIMES, TEL 07961 242988. 11-10-0027/AS 5.
LOWER: SFC
UPPER: 1000FT AMSL
Googling that phone number shows the number belonging to an Ashley Clarke, who is another falconer. Given that, and that I can't honestly see many NIMBYs living next to a landfill site worrying all that much about aeroplanes when there's all that landfill to complain about. This one seems legit to me as well.
Next one...
Q) EGTT/QWCLW/IV/M/W/000/012/5344N00027W001
KITE FLYING 1NM RADIUS 5344N 00027W (SW OF KIRK ELLA).
ON-SITE CTC, TEL 07411 187435. 11-10-0074/AS 5.
LOWER: SFC
UPPER: 1200FT AMSL
That mobile number belongs to a second hand car dealer in East Yorkshire. So, maybe he's a kite flyer, maybe (like one or two dealers down my way) he flies a blimp to advertise his wares. I can't see "second hand car dealer" = "nimby" somehow, just doesn't seem to quite fit. So, I'm going to vote legit, and would put 2:1 odds on something flying over his car dealership.
Next...
Q) EGTT/QWCLW/IV/M/W/000/011/5221N00006E001
KITE FLYING 1NM RADIUS 5221N 00006E (NEAR HADDENHAM, CAMBRIDGESHIRE).
ON-SITE CTC, TEL 07710 802009. 11-09-0327/AS 5.
LOWER: SFC
UPPER: 1100FT AMSL
That mobile number gets me nowhere. However, a bit of googling shows that at Gog Magog hill - roughly that location, there's a popular kite flying site. So, again, seems legimate.
Next...
) EGTT/QWCLW/IV/M/W/000/016/5437N00131W006
KITE FLYING AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
5434N 00130W (N OF BARMPTON)
5433N 00129W (E OF BARMPTON)
5440N 00133W (S OF FERRYHILL)
CTC FOR FLYING TIMES, TEL 07710 031032. 11-12-0251/AS 5.
LOWER: SFC
UPPER: 1600FT AMSL
This seems to be a company doing Kite Surfing lessons -
here's their website. 1600ft seems a long way up - but they certainly seem to be legitimate.
Q) EGTT/QWCLW/IV/M/W/000/025/5147N00329W001
KITE FLYING 1NM RADIUS 5147N 00329W (NEAR ABERDARE).
11-12-0128/AS 5.
LOWER: SFC
UPPER: 2500FT AMSL
No mobile number to go on. Googling I discover that there is an orphanage called "Flying Kites" at the foot of the Aberdare Mountains.... in Kenya! Interesting, but not much to go on here.
A bit more Googling, and there's a major kite flying site - where they hold an annual festival - at Margam Country Park, which seems to be about at those co-ordinates. So, this one looks legitimate to me as well.
Another one...
Q) EGTT/QWCLW/IV/M/W/000/006/5416N00125W001
KITE FLYING 1NM RADIUS 5416N 00125W (KIRBY WISKE, NEAR THIRSK).
CTC FOR FLYING TIMES, TEL 01845 587522. 12-00-0093/AS 5.
LOWER: SFC
UPPER: 600FT AMSL
Gosh, our first landline number. It belongs to a
falconry centre near Thirsk. So clearly legit - another place where they're apparently using kites to train falcons. Or just flying falcons - I can't say I want to meet either, and the 600ft seems a sensible number.
I got bored at this point. But, all evidence is that these NOTAMs are pretty much all legitimate. I was I confess surprised that such a high proportion are really falconry sites. Well, whether it's a red kite, or a kite on a string - I'm quite happy to avoid flying into it, and reckon these NOTAMs are all pretty sensible.
Question solved! An interesting half hour that was.
G