The pilot had to some extent been let down by the system. He had been misled in some ways by the system and in what he had been shown in the past.
the pilot told the jury in his evidence that knowing what he did now, he would not have carried out some of the previous manoeuvres at the altitudes he did and would have sought additional training.
I am not familiar with the prevailing UK regulations as they apply to aerobatic flight. As required when I fly aerobatics, I
am familiar with the
Canadian regulations which apply to me:
Aerobatic Manoeuvres — Prohibited Areas and Flight Conditions
602.27 No person operating an aircraft shall conduct aerobatic manoeuvres
- (a) over a built-up area or an open-air assembly of persons;
- (b) in controlled airspace, except in accordance with a special flight operations certificate issued pursuant to section 603.67;
- (c) when flight visibility is less than three miles; or
- (d) below 2,000 feet AGL, except in accordance with a special flight operations certificate issued pursuant to section 603.02 or 603.67.
Aerobatic Manoeuvres with Passengers
602.28 No person operating an aircraft with a passenger on board shall conduct an aerobatic manoeuvre unless the pilot-in-command of the aircraft has engaged in
- (a) at least 10 hours dual flight instruction in the conducting of aerobatic manoeuvres or 20 hours conducting aerobatic manoeuvres; and
- (b) at least one hour of conducting aerobatic manoeuvres in the preceding six months.
Perhaps the UK regulations let the pilot down by not specifying the "minimums" for aerobatic flights - I honestly do not know the UK situation. But, the pilot took the responsibility to inform himself of the regulations which did apply to him before the flights (as weak as they perhaps might be) and assure his compliance?
Would a person familiar with the UK equivalent (if there is/are such regulations), present them here, so those of us not familiar with the UK "system" can understand the information available to the pilot? With our understanding of the "system" available to him, and trusting that he would have availed himself of it, maybe some of the skeptics here would understand better....