Skywatch - hazard?????

[Small Rodent Driver]

dare I say it anti-microlight feeling on the part of posters.

Anti microlight. Certainly not.

Anti anorak. Perhaps.

[EvilKitty]

Why does being a member of SkyWatch (or CAP or the RNLI) make someone an "anorak"?

[Small Rodent Driver]

Come on. Use your powers of observation.

Edited to say:

Just noticed the ref to RNLI and CAP (CAP. who are they?)

Skywatch can hardly be compared to the RNLI who are a thoroughly professional and entirely creditable organisation to whom many a mariner / airman and a great number of ordinary folk owe their lives.

[LH2]

I think it's a great idea, after all here is a group of people who are merely wanting to help out in life.

Where I come from those are called squealers, and get dealt with in a variety of ways

You want to help out in life you join the ambulance / fire service, the army, or even the real police if need be.

[Captain Smithy]

Solar said...

"Hi Capn Smithy
I've been called a lot of things in my day but that is definitely a first.
I think that skywatch is a great idea when used for serious matters but not as suggested reporting bonfires unless they constituted danger.
The point I tried to make was that if the word gets out that pilots are reporting such things then most if not all will be tarred with the same "tout" brush which where I come from is not a life enhancing prospect.
PS I usually bring out the handheld to ask the pilot/s if they would like to drop in for a cuppa and that includes yourself."

Ah, I see, I apologise for my judgment, glad to clear that up my friend.

Thanks for the offer, I may pop in sometime if I'm over your way! You can too if you're ever out by Edinburgh

Smithy

[znww5]

I live in Molten Kones so inevitably I missed this story. But hang on, snitching on illegal bonfires - that would be at night wouldn't it? And microlights are not permitted to fly at night, so how are they going to do that?

I sort of assumed that each aircraft would carry a pilot and an observer, I can't see single crew operations being particularly safe over a built up area.

I support the idea if i) it is done safely (ie dual crew) and ii) it is for some important 'life saving' function - but chasing bonfires? Seems a disproportionate use of resources.

[Small Rodent Driver]

I sort of assumed that each aircraft would carry a pilot and an observer, I can't see single crew operations being particularly safe over a built up area.

Cant fly over a built up area in a microlight

Come to think of it, cant fly over a built up area in me permit aircraft either. Bugga.

[charliegolf]

I would prefer all private pilots to focus on flying the plane, seeing and avoiding, navigating and communicating on aviation matters.

Must be a barrel of laughs flying with you. I like to chat and even look out at the ground from time to time. Don't you?

As for bonfires built by ferral kids whose parents should should be controlling them- that happens in the day; and reporting it isn't squealing.

They're 'dealt with'. Very mature.

CG

[clearfinalsno1]

Local BBC News videos on Skywatch

Skywatch Northeast - 24 Oct 07

Skywatch Thames Valley - 23 Oct 07

[EGCA]

Small Rodent driver:

Are you sure about microlights not flying over built-up areas? They do here, with regularity, north-south and vice-versa, which puts them potentially in conflict with the heavily used east-west helicopter approach to our local military base.

EGCA

[pembroke]

Microlight permit to fly

I also saw the item on the news and a classic requirement of a microlight permit is " no flight over built up areas" ie no 1000' or land clear rules. As most of this flying will be over large urban areas, I question its legality

[LH2]

As for bonfires built by ferral kids whose parents should should be controlling them- that happens in the day; and reporting it isn't squealing.

Of course it's always someone else's kids, some other parent who is at fault, and of course those kids need to be controlled (while our own are educated I presume?).

"Reporting" a member of your community is for the unprincipled and weak of character. Dellusional individuals who think they are somehow better than the rest. Unfortunately that seems to have become a bit of a staple in some of the increasingly individualist societes in northern Europe.

I for one I'm happy to live in a place where people still deal with each other face to face. OTOH, bonfires are seen as an excellent opportunity to share baked potatoes and a bit of conversation, and we are far more likely to take the neighbours 'feral' (one 'r' suffices) kids out flying than report them to the police.

Having said all that, this is not to criticise that "Skywatch" group whose real activities I ignore. It's the idea that it's somehow Ok for people to be ratting on each other that I find repulsive.

Rant over for now (slow day here)

[Humaround]

Most of you are missing the point about Skywatch - it isn't PILOTS who fly along with their eyes on the ground, the PAX does that - either a Skywatch volunteer, or your regular passenger if he/she wants to. Anyone can volunteer, you simply agree to keep a look out at pre-arranged times - Skywatch give some basic guidance, none of which has much to do with spoiling kids' fun.

[Solar]

Capn Smithy
I assume you have figured out that I am from the NW of Ireland, if ever over this way drop me a PM and we'll have that cuppa/beer whatever.
GBZ
My location is such that I can use several fequencies without fear of interference then switch to an agreed freq.
I would never abuse my RT privlige perish the thought.

[shortstripper]

Ive been a member of Skywatch for about a year now, and I'd prefer not to be called a tosser.

I joined as I thought having a good observational type a/c on a private strip in an area with a lot of coastline would place me in an ideal position to help if called upon. So far I've heard very little from the area co-ordinator. To be fair they did have an excercise earlier in the summer, but F&M had just been announced and I was too busy making tyre and footbaths to go flying. I'd been led to believe that Skywatch is used to take over when a search has been downgraded or deemed too expensive, if of dubious nature (possible false info). For example, over the years in this area their have been numurous cases of elderly folk "missing" having gone walking on the beach. The SAR may have a look, but usually these people turn up and it's a false alarm. That's where Skywatch are ideal. You'd don't hear about these low priority cases as just a casual observer so why would you be watching out? (or rather why would you be inclinded to report every time you see some old fella walking the beach miles from anywhere?). If Skywatch are asked by the police to keep an eye out for such a person, you are fore-warned, so DO look. I certainly don't fly around "looking" for things to report! Anyway, like I said, I've heard nothing since I joined, so it's either very quiet on the Super Hero front or I'm not deemed worthy

SS

[Final 3 Greens]

Shortstripper

As the OP let me make it clear that the context was the use of microlights in the MK area as a police tactic to counter anti social behaviour.

Seems to me that we should all be grateful to people such as you who are performing a valuable service out of the goodness of your hearts.

[J.A.F.O.]

no minimum hours requirement for pilots because attitude is more important than total flight time

I must alert my local constabulary; I believe that they require 1500 hours P1 and provide two trained observers. This is clearly a waste of tax payers money and any PPL could carry out a search in both an effective and safe manner without all of that other nonsense.

Sorry, I just don't quite get it. If you're out and about and spot something (and I mean something worthwhile, not a bonfire) then you let someone know. If a dedicated search is required then that's a job for someone who has been trained to do it. Or am I missing something?

[micromalc]

micromalc

a quick funny and true story
many years ago i flew microlights, hence micromalc, i now fly a super cub and cap10c, anyway, a friend of mine was flying around oxfordshire, looked down and saw a car towing a microlight, he recognised it as being mine and knew i was in london working, so he followed car to a farm. Then flew home,

rang me, i rang police, we met at said farm and the guy was nicked for taking property without permissiom..i got my plane back happy ending

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

I must alert my local constabulary; I believe that they require 1500 hours P1 and provide two trained observers. This is clearly a waste of tax payers money and any PPL could carry out a search in both an effective and safe manner without all of that other nonsense.

That may be an attempt to avoid an action replay of piling a perfectly good publicly owned aeroplane into the scenery, so stigmatising that aeroplane that its manufacturer goes out of business. I think the phrase "hire or reward" has some relevance as well.

[J.A.F.O.]

I think the phrase "hire or reward" has some relevance as well.

I don't think so, that would be relevant to the type of licence and not the number of hours deemed to be a minimum requirement for this type of work by the people who carry it out every day.