Changes to Southampton and Bournemouth approaches

[sedburgh]

The Southern Echo are getting hysterical about proposed changes to the approaches to Southampton and Bournemouth without giving any concrete information as to what is actually changing. Could someone knowledgeable post information about what these changes actually are?

From http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/display.var.1547978.0.fight_begins_to_divert_jet_flight_path _away_from_new_forest.php
(http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/display.var.1547978.0.fight_begins_to_divert_jet_flight_path _away_from_new_forest.php%3Cbr%20/%3E)

As reported in Friday's Daily Echo, the controversial scheme has been drawn up by Swanwick's National Air Traffic Services (NATS), which wants to accommodate more aircraft by moving the flightpath boundary by five miles.
If the scheme goes ahead the planes will be able to fly at just 5,500ft across much of the New Forest and over built-up residential areas, including Totton and Romsey.

[tribekey]

As an atco at one of these units i have no knowledge of any 'flight path' changes. both units have relatively little airspace to vector aircraft around so MAYBE there's a proposal to increase the lateral limits of solent CAS thus allowing wider vectoring.
as for 'planes flying at just 5,500 ft over the forest' - they already fly much lower than that over the forest whether in to bournemouth or southampton.

[mocoman]

They're refering to these changes I guess:

http://www.nats.co.uk/uploads/TCSW_cons_ExecSummaryWeb(1).pdf
(Executive Summary)

http://www.nats.co.uk/uploads/TCSW_cons_Issue1_Web_Final.pdf
(Full Report)

There is an Appendix available as well that includes the noise impact analysis.
http://www.nats.co.uk/uploads/AppendixL.pdf

The NATS site appears to be a bit slow at the moment but the documents are worth a read.

I doubt if the journalists involved have even tried that before writing their piece...:mad:

hth

[Widger]

TC South West. Full consultation and environmental impact studies have been carried out. If you fly to the Solent airfields, it should reduce delays.

You can already fly that low over the New Forest, the new fillet will be in Wiltshire.

[sedburgh]

Widger & mocoman

Thanks for that - just what I was looking for - some facts on the subject to help argue with the anti-airport lobby.

[tribekey]

mocoman , thanks for posting the articles , makes sense now and the proposals are not before time!

[fireflybob]

Its amazing how ridiculous some of these "environmental" restrictions are becoming. If you operate into East Midlands Airport they are not allowed to fly aircraft over Leicester (even at circa 5,000 ft !) otherwise it might upset the locals sitting in the garden drinking their G and Ts!

[ShyTorque]

FFB, Wheresitsayzatden? :confused:

The 1000ft rule is the only rule I've ever been told about! Cat D airspace doesn't even begin until FL45, or FL 55 depending on whether you're north or south of the city centre.

[fireflybob]

It's not stated anywhere but, I understand, this is a local instruction to ATC for "environmental" reasons. If you are not under control of EMA below the airspace then Rule 5 etc applies as normal.