Intruder interrupts Reds Display at Silverstone Grand Prix
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Reported on KeyPublishing Aviation Forums on 1 July 2013: Red Arrows Silverstone display halted
Red Arrows display at Silverstone disrupted by infringement | Airspace & Safety Initiative
Red Arrows display at Silverstone disrupted by infringement | Airspace & Safety Initiative
Red Arrows display at Silverstone disrupted by infringement July 1, 2013
A flying display by the Red Arrows, ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday 30 June, had to be halted when a light aircraft entered the temporary restricted airspace put in place to protect the display team. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is now investigating the incident.
Temporary airspace restrictions RA(T) are always the subject of a NOTAM, which every pilot is obliged to check as part of their pre flight planning routine. As well as the Reds having a specific RA(T) in place for their display, a separate restriction existed over Silverstone protecting the Grand Prix itself.
The CAA today issued a call to all general aviation pilots to thoroughly check NOTAMs and, if possible use a pre flight planning website before every flight. The plea was backed by all the major GA member associations.
Geoff Weighell, Chief Executive of the British Microlight Aircraft Association, said: “With the ease of access to the internet to obtain NOTAMs, and tools like SkyDemon Light to help pilots prepare for flight, an infringement of Red Arrows airspace just should not happen. We encourage all pilots to take a responsible and professional approach to all aspects of their flight and flight planning.”
The CAA receives around 800 reports of aircraft infringing RA(T)s, controlled airspace or Danger Areas every year. The Airspace & Safety Initiative is currently engaged in a major education campaign to raise awareness of the risks involved.
As well as being the subject of NOTAMs, RA(T)s, are also listed on the NATS website as ‘Mauve’ Aeronautical Information Circulars The list includes the full Red Arrows display programme.
SkyDemon Light can be found at www.skydemonlight.com
For further information please contact Jonathan Nicholson or Richard Taylor in the CAA’s Corporate Communications Department on 020 7453 6027 or at [email protected]
A flying display by the Red Arrows, ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday 30 June, had to be halted when a light aircraft entered the temporary restricted airspace put in place to protect the display team. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is now investigating the incident.
Temporary airspace restrictions RA(T) are always the subject of a NOTAM, which every pilot is obliged to check as part of their pre flight planning routine. As well as the Reds having a specific RA(T) in place for their display, a separate restriction existed over Silverstone protecting the Grand Prix itself.
The CAA today issued a call to all general aviation pilots to thoroughly check NOTAMs and, if possible use a pre flight planning website before every flight. The plea was backed by all the major GA member associations.
Geoff Weighell, Chief Executive of the British Microlight Aircraft Association, said: “With the ease of access to the internet to obtain NOTAMs, and tools like SkyDemon Light to help pilots prepare for flight, an infringement of Red Arrows airspace just should not happen. We encourage all pilots to take a responsible and professional approach to all aspects of their flight and flight planning.”
The CAA receives around 800 reports of aircraft infringing RA(T)s, controlled airspace or Danger Areas every year. The Airspace & Safety Initiative is currently engaged in a major education campaign to raise awareness of the risks involved.
As well as being the subject of NOTAMs, RA(T)s, are also listed on the NATS website as ‘Mauve’ Aeronautical Information Circulars The list includes the full Red Arrows display programme.
SkyDemon Light can be found at www.skydemonlight.com
For further information please contact Jonathan Nicholson or Richard Taylor in the CAA’s Corporate Communications Department on 020 7453 6027 or at [email protected]
Last edited by GreenKnight121; 10th Jul 2013 at 17:29.
Previously discussed here: http://www.pprune.org/military-aircr...lverstone.html
Good to learn that, contrary to meeja comment, the Reds did NOT 'intercept' the intruder.
Good to learn that, contrary to meeja comment, the Reds did NOT 'intercept' the intruder.
Shades of moments past!
Little Rissington in the 60s, CFS celebration of something not now remembered - Arrows did their signature final bomb-burst and hied off, leaving brightly coloured smoke trails, through which gently puttered a Glos AirTourer - obviously totally happy and unaware of anything untoward!!!
Perhaps he (or she) commented on the lovely and unusual coloured clouds in the area that day.
There's General Aviation and Professional and, maybe, one day they'll coincide!
Little Rissington in the 60s, CFS celebration of something not now remembered - Arrows did their signature final bomb-burst and hied off, leaving brightly coloured smoke trails, through which gently puttered a Glos AirTourer - obviously totally happy and unaware of anything untoward!!!
Perhaps he (or she) commented on the lovely and unusual coloured clouds in the area that day.There's General Aviation and Professional and, maybe, one day they'll coincide!
Similar thing happened at Eastbourne some years back - Reds in full flow manoeuvring out to sea for their next sequence. Enter stage right a French registered light a/c, who proceeds to fly straight down the crowd line, completely oblivious to the fact they've just interrupted Britain's finest during one of their biggest displays. Spotters' airbands erupt with what sound like expletives from Red 1, shortly followed by a call from Red 10 (Steve Underwood??) over the commentary tannoy for anyone who'd photographed said offender to come forward so he/she could be banged to rights.
They'll even break off for a helicopter air taxying; at one display at Dunsfold when I was still at Farnborough, I advised them of an intruder and one of the synchro pair broke off and chased it to get the registration!
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Before we all get too self-righteous it's not just GA pilots...not so long ago a USAF F15Eagle pilot carried out a superb display to open the Fairford IAT....unfortunately over a nearby light aircraft training airfield
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....did anyone track down the miscreant and keelhaul him?
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There's General Aviation and Professional and, maybe, one day they'll coincide
ShotOne - true. I have a vivid memory of a RN Jetstream flying happily through the NOTAMed aerobatics competition at Compton Abbas a couple of years ago just as the competitor pulled up into the vertical element of the sequence.
It really annoys me too that people do not read NOTAMs or, if they do, they either do not understand them (ask someone!) or think they do not apply to themselves. Some do not read the airfield information provided for landing away - a basic necessity when flying to a place not previously visited and a good idea anyway if it is some time since the last visit. At the excellent MACASD at Shawbury a few years ago I cringed when I heard a supposedly well experienced pilot talking about the overhead join at Sleap - as most of you will know it doesn't exist, it's a centre line join.
Last edited by DX Wombat; 14th Jul 2013 at 11:11.
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Shot One. Just to jog your memory, it was an F.4 Phantom from Lakenheath that was supposed to be opening a Duxford show. It shot down the runway at Cambridge very low, before realising it's mistake, and turned up rather late for Duxford. As the comedian Max Boyce used to say 'I know, 'cos I was there!!.
I don't think an F.15 ever opened the show at Fairford, and if it did, it would have already have been on the airfield the previous day. Apologies for pedant mode.
I don't think an F.15 ever opened the show at Fairford, and if it did, it would have already have been on the airfield the previous day. Apologies for pedant mode.
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Shot One. Just to jog your memory, it was an F.4 Phantom from Lakenheath
that was supposed to be opening a Duxford show. It shot down the runway at
Cambridge very low, before realising it's mistake, and turned up rather late for
Duxford.
Last edited by soprano54; 15th Jul 2013 at 16:35.
