Uk and "cat B" traffic

[t-bag]

Having just spent a pleasant 15 minutes on a tour of the Sussex countryside (not knocking atc) because there was a "cat B" aeroplane wanting to land at LGW, can someone in the know please explain who qualifies as a cat B... its
a "code" I have not come across before. We were told it was not emergency traffic, and the atcer on approach sounded as chuffed as we did !

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

There various categories of priority in ATC. In this case Cat A has absolute priority and B is the next one down. A typical Category A flight would be the air ambulance responding to an emergency. It has absolute priority over everything. Cat B has priority over everything except Cat A flights...

[ATCO Two]

t-bag, check your PMs.

[spekesoftly]

who qualifies as a cat B...Flights operating for SAR, or other humanitarian reasons. Post accident flight checks. Other flights, as authorised by CAA.

[t-bag]

Thanks guys/gals....not categories that pilots in general seem to be aware of, was just intrigued.

[Dan Dare]

The reason that the ATCOs often do not expand upon the reasons for the dealying Cat A/B flight is that usually they do not know its exact purpose and know that they are not expected to ask. It is sufficient that it is notified as Cat B and tasked to fly circles round London TMA and that everything has to get out of its way (you can imagine how difficult that can be to accomodate!).

If the reasons are for public consumption they would normally be broadcast - e.g. emrgency traffic, ambulance flights, certain state flights (you probably wouldn't notice anything other than being overtaken unuasually badly), security checks etc.

[Spitoon]

Thanks guys/gals....not categories that pilots in general seem to be aware of, was just intrigued.In reality they are guidance/rules for controllers and I wouldn't expect a pilot to know about them. Knowing this, I wouldn't use the term myself on RTF........

[t-bag]

Spitoon, fair enough,but we inquisitive piots are bound to ask why when broken off a base leg vector and asked to orbit right hand for "5 minutes or so", last time I did that was trying to land a tomahawk at Manchester !

[Dan Dare]

Category
A Aircraft in emergency (e.g. engine fault, fuel shortage, seriously ill passenger). Aircraft which have declared a 'Police Emergency'. Ambulance/Medical aircraft when the safety of life is involved.
B Flights operating for search and rescue or other humanitarian reasons. Post accident flight checks. Other flights, including Open Skies Flights, authorised by the CAA.
C Royal flights Flights carrying visiting Heads of State which have been notified by NOTAM/Temporary Supplement.
D Flights notified by the CAA carrying Heads of Government or very senior government ministers.
E Flight check aircraft engaged on, or in transit to, time or weather critical calibration flights. Other flights authorised by the CAA.
NORMAL FLIGHTS
i) Flights which have filed a flight plan in the normal way and conforming with
normal routing procedures.
ii) Initial instrument flight tests conducted by the CAA Flight Examining Unit.
(RTF callsign EXAM)
Z Training, non-standard and other flights.
I believe that Air Defence Priority flights are also Cat A (but who is going to argue with a heavily laden fighter anyway?).
Notice how far down the list normal commercial IFR traffic comes?

[Spitoon]

Spitoon, fair enough,but we inquisitive piots are bound to ask why when broken off a base leg vector and asked to orbit right hand for "5 minutes or so", last time I did that was trying to land a tomahawk at Manchester !t-bag, I wasn't having a go at you. If my post sounded a little critical it is of the controller concerned (although this was not intended - but I did have a glass or two of a rather nice red before having a look at Pprune so maybe that's my excuse!).
What I was trying to say was that because a pilot is not expected to know about these categories (which anyway I do not think are explicitly stated in ICAO etc.) I would explain the reason for the delay rather than saying there's a Cat B aircraft about. As Dan Dare pointed out, the problem is that sometimes it's not going to be something that can easily be discussed on RTF or, occasionally, the controller may not even know much about the situation (just to keep his or her aircraft out of a particulare are for a while).

[DFC]

Notice how far down the list normal commercial IFR traffic comes?

I do not think you will find "commercial IFR traffic" specifically listed anywhere on the list.

What you will find is that all normal flights are grouped together having equal priority be they IFR or VFR, Commercial or Private.

Regards,

DFC

[t-bag]

Spitoon, controller concerned sounded as peeved as we felt, and did a good job---all stop at LGW in a reasonably busy period must be a little taxing!
Interesting though that our orbit started just south of Horsham and finished south of Shoreham because of a 40+ Kt northerly wind ! Must be why they invented those newfangled holding thingys.