London restrictions post bombings

[mickjoebill]

Can anyone refer to or hint at an intelligent reason for the flight restrictions that has been in place for the past three days to news aircraft over London?

In times of crisis a few extra eyes in the sky immediatly after an event is surely (sometimes) benificial to all concerned?

There are only two or three networks that can film over London anyway at a height well clear of medivac and police.


Commments?


Mickjoebill

[headsethair]

And they've expanded the TRA to cover the Lea Valley. Latest NOTAM says active until 11z Monday.To answer your question - very unusual circumstances. I understand that the initial "Exclusion" was ordered at Govt high level - which hasn't happened for years.
Surely the "event" has happened ? There's nothing to see. The Tavistock Sq bus site is largely tree covered and everything else is going on underground.
London HEMS alone did 32 sectors on Thursday - the Police must have done a lot more time in the air. I'm pretty certain that the addition of G-OITN and Skynews One to the mix would not have assisted in any way. Additionally there was a lot of mil traffic in and out of various barracks and Royal flights and Blair moving back and forth.
Battersea has stayed open - and I can only guess that H4 was closed past Vauxhall to IoD as a security precaution due to sensitive areas beneath.
Skynews got lucky having returned from Edinburgh on the Wednesday ready for coverage of the Olympic arrival. They got in before the TRA went up.
BBC repositioned Newsflight One urgently from north of Edinburgh (G8) and had it (G-PIXX) up for most of the afternoon.

[AlanM]

As HHH says, the closure of H4 is probably to the sensitive nature of what is below.

The TRA is such that it effectively stops transit aircraft, as Battersea/LCY/LHR can fly through it.

[mickjoebill]

Could I have a go at summing up the possible scenarios for the TRA being implimented thus:

1/ Political;
keeping media out of the way (for usual reasons)

2/ Security;
keeping civvy aircraft away for security related reasons, ie disclosure/fiming of secret stuff.

3/ Physical Security
Banning civvy aircraft for fear of use of AC in attack.

4/ Sound aviation based reasons;
Congested airspace atc workload risk of collision.

5/ No specific reason:
it was just done as it was in someones emergency planning procedure?


Any other categories?





Mickjoebill

[helicopter-redeye]

Seems a reasonable thing to do given the circumstances.

Surprised there was not an immediate and more draconian restriction as after 9/11

[AlanM]

Exactly, the procesures for turning the LCY zone Class A and the standard TRA up to 6000 feet were not exercised.

At least we can keep traffic that needs to be there moving.

[Letsby Avenue]

As usual certain people were taking liberties and getting in the way.... I heard that Sky were being particularly annoying and as we all know - one out - all out!

[TheFlyingSquirrel]

I felt sorry for the old bill who spent all day hovering over Heathrow on Thursday - they must have been bored ****less !!

[AlanM]

all day hovering over Heathrow

All day???

[headsethair]

Letsby: as you appear to operate from Scotland, I can only assume that you have reacted to a third party telling you something that may have happened. And I'm pretty certain you will be aware that evidence along those lines is not proof.
Sky reacted very quickly to the initial news that the tube system was suffering power spikes. They were flying over London before the TRA was even established.
By lunchtime a "sort-of" TRA was established - not under police control and NATS seemed to be unaware of its existence. But everyone respected it and the 3 media helicopters operated from the edges of the TRA. It is an enormous piece of airspace, so there is no way that any traffic can "get in the way" of the emergency services.
I have close experience of the attitude some Police ASUs have towards the media helicopters. They regard them as an annoyance. Only last week at G8, a colleague was told by a police observer that media helicopters get in the way of AWACs planes. According to the police the AWAC was at 10500. The G8 TRA topped at 3500 - so any media helicopter would be at 3600. In the way ? And police helis aren't ?
The public pay serious money for emergency services and police operations - they have a right to see how that money is spent. At times like last Thursday, with immense confusion emanating from ALL corners, the public needed clear information. They needed a feeling of security. So, some live shots from a tv helicopter showing what was really happening would at least serve the public with some truth above the confusion.
Dp you really know that Sky "got in the way" or are you simply redigging the ditch that the police have put between themselves and the media ?

[delta3]

Without any prejudice to the seriousness of the attack, and the great loss to many people,

it has become very predictable that AFTER the attack restrictions come in place, something like putting a burgar alarm after the facts.

Perhaps

- looks good that the governement does something, be it a little late
- good moment to take away some remaining civil liberties

D3

[Letsby Avenue]

You asked and I told you - Don't shoot the messenger...:rolleyes:

[headsethair]

Sorry Letsby. That's a bit lost on me.

[effortless]

5/ No specific reason: it was just done as it was in someones emergency planning procedure?

That is the most plausible in my limited experience.

[headsethair]

10nm RADIUS centred on Charing Cross to 10000 ft AMSL.

H4 closed east of Battersea, H10 closed east of Gutteridge, H3 closed east of Sunbury Lock.

NOTAM J3335/05 & J3334/05.

Until 1100Z 22/7.....possibly.....

[rotorcraig]

For some reason NOTAMPLOT is only displaying as 1nm radius?

Q line problems maybe?

RC

[SoundByDesign]

Hi,

Heard a Quantas helicopter towed banner flew over London yesterday, did you get any picyures?

G..

[CRAZYBROADSWORD]

The flag heli is from cabair and it was ment to do the same thing today and tomorrow but with the TRA it may not happen.

[AlanM]

Saw it over Vaux Bridge when I was at Battersea on Tuesday of this week

http://www.pbase.com/kbmphotography/image/46433943.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/kbmphotography/image/46433944.jpg