Barrack o'Barma visit - London heliport restrictions

[ShyTorque]

If anyone is planning on flying to London Heliport over the next few days, best you ring them first to find out the restrictions that are being put in place, as of this evening.

P.s. GENDEC and ID needed, by the sounds of it.

[sycamore]

More like another No-Fly zone....

[JimBall]

Check NOTAMs: very complex, very last minute RA(T).

Try this chart (http://forums.bmaa.org/attach.aspx/7467/39_%20POTUS_2011.pdf) - timings may have changed due to POTUS schedule change.

Apparently no Mauve AIC because AIS only got notification on May 19.

[ecureilx]

Maybe Mr Obama need to think about "NO DRIVE" zones as well ..

President Obama's armour-plated car 'The Beast' is scuppered by a ramp in Ireland: Let's hope it doesn't hit any in London | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1390180/President-Obamas-armour-plated-car-The-Beast-scuppered-ramp-Ireland-Lets-hope-doesnt-hit-London.html)

[chopper2004]

May 23rd to May 26th

RESTRICTED AIRSPACE (TEMPORARY). *RESTRICTION OF FLYING *REGULATIONS MADE UNDER ARTICLE 161 OF THE ANO 2009 (MIL ACFT SHOULD COMPLY WITH JSP552 201.135.9). 1. BETWEEN *0430-1000 ON 26 MAY NO ACFT IS TO FLY BELOW 2500FT AMSL WI AREA BOUNDED SUCCESSIVELY BY A STRAIGHT LINE FROM 514508N 0001309E TO 514055N 0000652E,A STRAIGHT LINE FROM 514055N 0000652E TO 513232N 0000055W,AN ANTI-CLOCKWISE ARC OF A CIRCLE HAVING A RADIUS OF 17 NAUTICAL MILES CENTRED ON 512812N 0002713W FROM 513232N 0000055W TO 513611N 0000311W,A STRAIGHT LINE FROM 513611N 0000311W TO513611N 0001830W,A STRAIGHT LINE FROM 513611N 0001830W TO 515101N 0000025W,A STRAIGHT LINE FROM 515101N 0000025W TO 515146N 0000006W, A STRAIGHT LINE FROM 515146N 0000006W TO 515155N 0000120E, AND AN ANTI-CLOCKWISE ARC OF A CIRCLE HAVING A RADIUS OF 8 NAUTICAL MILES CENTRED ON 515306N 0001406E FROM 515155N 0000120E TO 514508N 0001309E. EXCEPT ACFT MAKING AN APPROACH TO, OR DEPARTING FROM LONDON STANSTED AIRPORT, OR RAF NORTHOLT WHILST UNDER THE CONTROL OF EITHER THE LONDON TERMINAL CONTROL CENTRE AT SWANWICK OR RAF NORTHOLT APPROACH OPERATED BY THE METROPOLITAN POLICE SERVICE, ESSEX POLICE, THAMES VALLEY POLICE, OR THE HELICOPTER EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES OR OPERATED WITH THE SPECIFIC AUTHORITY OF EITHER CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT PETER TERRY OR CHIEF INSPECTOR STEVE OSBORN OF THE METROPOLITAN POLICE SERVICE. CONTACTABLE THOROUGH THE METROPOLITAN POLICE SERVICE AIR SUPPORT UNIT ON TELEPHONE 0208 345 4888 2.BETWEEN 1900 ON 23 MAY 2011 AND 0900 ON 26 MAY 2011, NO AIRCRAFT IS. 23 MAY 19:00 2011 UNTIL 26 MAY 10:00 2011. CREATED: 23 MAY 16:22 2011

[lynx-effect]

Sounds like his plans are extemperaneous.

[HeliChopter]

Was going to take some buddies down the lanes today, what a doomer :{

I hope the Pres enjoys his helicopter free day.

I'm surprised the men in dark suites with curly things in their ears haven't turned up outside my house for just thinking about going down there!!

On a more serious note, how does a RA(T) improve security? Surely someone wishing to cause harm wouldn't be calling up for a SVFR anyway. Or is it purely operational, keeping us out of the way of support aircraft? Is there a couple of F15's on the prowl waiting to sort out any infringements?

Just curious.

[darrenphughes]

Over here in the US the fighters generally hang out at 10,000ft for the duration of the TFRs. THe TFRs are normally up to 18,000ft here too though. It looks like it's a little more lax there though with the no fly zone extending up to 2,500ft.

[John R81]

After 2500ft you are in class A air space interfering with the TO/Landing patterns for Heathrow and London City. So very controlled airspace from 2500 (lower in some parts).

FLYMAP plots the NOTAMS downloaded from the internet so the restrcited zone shows red. I do have the impression that if you "accidently" wander in then someone has the capability to act against you.

Flew along the edge of the restricted zone today for 30 min - not attempting to go inside. Beautiful, sunny, quiet day, aside from the Lufthansa Heavy who called in - wrong frequency.

[FlightPathOBN]

The car got stuck because the trunk was full of junk.....

I will offer the Queen a download card for that iPod if she wants....

Regards,

An Embarrassed American

Over here in the US the fighters generally hang out at 10,000ft for the duration of the TFRs. THe TFRs are normally up to 18,000ft here too though.

bull****, they scramble them on 2 min notice (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012647005_sonicbooms18m.html)....

[rotorfan]

bull****, they scramble them on 2 min notice (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012647005_sonicbooms18m.html)....I wouldn't call BS on that. They might indeed be scrambled at times, but I'm sure that they are loitering at times, too. I've heard them here in my city. The noise wasn't loud, but was quite perceptible, and was continuous for hours on end.

To our friends across the pond, sorry for the inconvenience to your flying. These TFRs chap my hide. When the president has been here in my city, there were more than 30 airports affected. Most of the aircraft that were grounded would not have been near the president, so no threat. These TFRs have been effective for years now, but it seems like the current president is less courteous when it comes to impacting many people. It's often for holiday, not national business, when his presence disrupts the local aviation scene. Sometimes the TFRs are mobile. Exactly how can one avoid a moving target while in the air?

[ShyTorque]

Seems ironic that visitors to our country result in more restrictions to aviation than do the movements of our own government and Royal Family. The latter don't get any protected airspace in many cases.

[Pandalet]

Probably because our lot don't refuse to enter the country if there isn't any protected airspace for them. Although, if they did, at least we'd have a bit of peace and quiet while they stormed around outside our borders.

I'm still not done being shocked by the olympic airspace buggery. At least the Yanks are only here for a few days!

[Gordy]

ShyTorque:

our own government and Royal Family. The latter don't get any protected airspace in many cases.

It has been many years since I flew in the UK, so I may be wrong----but I seem to remember "Purple Airspace".....Did that get revoked?

Rotorfan:

Sometimes the TRFs are mobile. Exactly how can one avoid a moving target while in the air?

One of the most common moving TFR's was the one around the Cheney ranch during his tenure. He would go fly fishing in a drift boat out side of his ranch in Jackson, WY. The TFR would "float" down the river with him. I flew fire contracts in the area and it was always fun trying to get into smoke reports. Luckily we worked closely with the protection details and would be granted permission into the TFR.

[ShyTorque]

It has been many years since I flew in the UK, so I may be wrong----but I seem to remember "Purple Airspace".....Did that get revoked?

It did. Those responsible probably realised it was counter-productive for security because it gave away the route and timings of the flight.

[zorab64]

ST - concur.

Whilst we used to get NOTAMs for Royal Flights, they would tell everybody where & when the aircraft (potential target) would be. Now that the powers-that-be have grown up to the threat posed by publishing target data, they just get on with it. Life is easier and, whilst the local Police will know that a VIP is arriving, by one means or another, it can be dealt with locally and not shut-down huge swathes of airspace for no reason.

It's a massive improvement for everybody, IMHO, as well as being significantly more cost-effective to manage, I'd suggest? :ok:

[cladosporangium]

JimBall,

Thanks for the link to that chart, massively helpful! :ok:

Now why didn't AIS publish it on their website, where everyone could see it? :mad:
A picture is so much better than trying to plot 18 map-references. :ugh:

Anybody from AIS care to comment? :*

Not impressed with AIS!!

[JimBall]

To be fair to AIS, I understand that they weren't given any notice until the night of publication - so they did the best they could. Ideally, it would have been a Mauve AIC. I, like many others I'm sure, thought it strange that nothing was published in advance - I'd kept checking AIS knowing that POTUS was on his way. But, whilst we can have Mauves months in advance of tiny airshows........

The age in which we live means we're going to see more and more of our airspace being handed over to "the spooks" at certain times. And with no notice for reasons discussed above.