Just my understaning of the rules, but here goes. Like you said, I'm only going to discuss the rules, not the sense.
1) What can they do? Neither ATC nor the CAA know the details of your aircraft's gliding performance. If you ask for a clearance, you will get it if possible. It's up to you to establish whether it's legal or not.
2) As above. The rules clearly state that you must be able to land clear of a built up area. The CAA can not tell you whether a specific route is legal or not, because they don't know your aircraft.
3) In the UK, the rules are that you must be able to glide "clear of the built up area." I interpret that to mean that I must be able to glide to somewhere that is outside the built up area, and that landing in a field in the middle of the built up area is not acceptable. (I understand that the rules in the USA are different - the requirement there is to be able to land safely. The rules for helicoptors in the UK are also to be able to land safely.) I have often thought about whether City airport, the Thames or the Lee Valley would be valid, and I can't make up my mind.
4) In theory, yes. In practice, no. There will be a point, slighly before half way across the built up area in still wind, where it will be safer to continue than to turn back. With a tail-wind, this point would move further forward. With a head-wind, it would move backwards. It would only make a difference to the legality of the flight in a cross-wind (which is effectively a head-wind whichever direction you fly in, if you bother to do the maths) but the numbers would be so small as to be negligable.
5) I don't think there's any legal requirement to be able to land "properly", but I can't see a situation where you can reach a field but not land in it. On the other hand, if the built up area were surrounded by trees it is conceivable you could glide clear from the built up area, but would be forced to crash into some tress. I don't think this is illegal. (I did say I wouldn't comment on whether it was sensible.)
Now, let's see how many people disagree with my interpretation!
FFF
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Last edited by FlyingForFun; 10th May 2003 at 01:22.