Light aircraft down off Essex coast 3 June 2009
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May have been G-BVKM, 450nm, probably no problem, and it was a VariEze, not a Longeze;
Photos: Rutan 33 VariEze Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net
Rod1
Photos: Rutan 33 VariEze Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net
Rod1
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The aircraft was on a test flight from Cambridge for a permit renewal which I had just done.
Raises the question if you PPR somewhere ( no flight plan filed),does the intended field start an alerting procedure whether they are A/G,AFIS or APP/RAD/TWR?
The obvious question would be how one arrives in Switzerland, a non EU state, without a flight plan after traversing the whole of the Republic of France?
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“the test confirmed as ok and the paperwork signed off before departing abroad?”
If the old permit was current then, provided the aircraft had been signed off, “the test flight” is not terribly relevant. All that would happen is the pilot would fill in the flight test section, along with the rest of the permit stuff and send it to the LAA for approval for the next period. No requirement to show the test flight results to the inspector, it is up to the LAA. In order to do the aircraft inspection and sign off the logbooks would have been inspected and signed, so one hopes they were not in the aircraft.
Rod1
If the old permit was current then, provided the aircraft had been signed off, “the test flight” is not terribly relevant. All that would happen is the pilot would fill in the flight test section, along with the rest of the permit stuff and send it to the LAA for approval for the next period. No requirement to show the test flight results to the inspector, it is up to the LAA. In order to do the aircraft inspection and sign off the logbooks would have been inspected and signed, so one hopes they were not in the aircraft.
Rod1
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Out of interest if it was on a test flight for a Permit Renewal should it not have returned to where it started to have the test confirmed as ok and the paperwork signed off before departing abroad?
If you're off on a jolly, by whatever means, it seems to be basic courtesy to keep any parties involved with your progress, informed.....whether it be hiking, sailing.potholing or flying, regulated or otherwise, it's selfish and irrisponsible to just sod off,having left others with a false impression of your movements.
A PPL would surely be aware of the ramifications of their failure to communicate a change of intention,-in which case, the SAR services should bill for their wasted time.
Chocks away!
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Spoon PPRuNerist & Mad Inistrator
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Hatzflyer
Could you enlighten us on this enigma?
Was there a flightplan? Why would he not simply indicate his intentions to whomever he was talking to just prior to not landing at Lydd? What is the full story?
I'm sure we're all dying to know..... Was he running away from his wife or desperate to see her?
Could you enlighten us on this enigma?
Was there a flightplan? Why would he not simply indicate his intentions to whomever he was talking to just prior to not landing at Lydd? What is the full story?
I'm sure we're all dying to know..... Was he running away from his wife or desperate to see her?
He obviously owns an aeroplane where at least 50% of the components appear to have been fitted back to front and which has a retractable nose wheel for use on the ground which can't be used on the ground.
I'd say his decision making skills had already been proved wanting.
On the other hand, there must be a little more to this than currently meets the eye.
I'd say his decision making skills had already been proved wanting.
On the other hand, there must be a little more to this than currently meets the eye.
Well,I hope Mr Lindquist of `Railway Cuttings,Switzerland` has a `HAT ON ,NO COFFEE` interview with the CAA,and has an omelette thrown in his face.Obviously a planned sortie,before he ever took off;was the weather around Lydd that bad yesterday morning ?Would any of you take-off and then divert,over 400nm,without having looked at the weather,Notams,or a route on a map.And,the weather was suitable at Lydd ,as I have just spoken to someone who came from France...a bit hazy,but no problem...If a flight plan had been filed,even airborne,why was it not tracked ?
Was a GAR submitted ? Is an FAA licence holder allowed to fly a UK? Permit a/c outside UK ? Did he inform /ask the last ATC unit on landing to inform his departure a/f of his arrival ?Did he request Customs clearance upon arrival? Wonder if HMC become interested as it`s not unknown for the`import/export` trade to be involved? I hope the `prat` has a cheque for about 50K ready for all the hassle he caused..idle thoughts over a glass or two of red..
Was a GAR submitted ? Is an FAA licence holder allowed to fly a UK? Permit a/c outside UK ? Did he inform /ask the last ATC unit on landing to inform his departure a/f of his arrival ?Did he request Customs clearance upon arrival? Wonder if HMC become interested as it`s not unknown for the`import/export` trade to be involved? I hope the `prat` has a cheque for about 50K ready for all the hassle he caused..idle thoughts over a glass or two of red..
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Oh the other hand....perhaps things went like this.
Pilot complets his permit renewal, and decides to do the flight test part on the way home to Switzerland. His plan is to stop in Lydd, file a flight plan, and has a gar submitted from Lydd.
Notams & weather checked for the whole route....to Lydd and beyond.
He's in the air, and starts to get worried about daylight, or realises he's getting a good tailwind and doesn't actually need to refuel, so decides to continue on home.
His English isn't great so he doesn't bother getting a basic service from anyone, so the last person that he spoke to was his departure airfield. Should he inform Lydd that he's not going there? Why...they aren't expecting him anyway, as he didn't file a flight plan. As his English isn't great, and Lydd aren't expecting him because he didn't file a flight plan, he decides not to bother making a pointless call to them, and continue on home only making radio calls where necessary, or he can do in a language that he's more comfortable with.
As for FAA licences, aren't they rendered valid for flight in G reg aircraft worlwide? At least that's what I thought.
Permit aircraft outside the UK....well can't they get permission for that? Presumably he was figuring on taking it home to Switzerland that day so had the permissions all sorted in advance.
He may have made a simple mistake in thinking that Lydd weren't expecting him, and was quite surprised by the fuss when he got home.
That of course does still leave us with two sins. No flight plan and no stop at GAR location (presumably Lydd).
The lack of flight plan is hardly a hanging offence. He wouldn't be the first person to make an international flight and forgot the flight plan.
The Gar....is Cambridge an airport with permanent customs/immigration by any chance? Seems to me that he may have left a designated airport, and therefore complied with customs/immigration obligations.
Before we look to hang the man, it might be worth seeing if there is a more reasonable explination. Not saying it's how I described it, but it's certainly possible that it is.
Pilot complets his permit renewal, and decides to do the flight test part on the way home to Switzerland. His plan is to stop in Lydd, file a flight plan, and has a gar submitted from Lydd.
Notams & weather checked for the whole route....to Lydd and beyond.
He's in the air, and starts to get worried about daylight, or realises he's getting a good tailwind and doesn't actually need to refuel, so decides to continue on home.
His English isn't great so he doesn't bother getting a basic service from anyone, so the last person that he spoke to was his departure airfield. Should he inform Lydd that he's not going there? Why...they aren't expecting him anyway, as he didn't file a flight plan. As his English isn't great, and Lydd aren't expecting him because he didn't file a flight plan, he decides not to bother making a pointless call to them, and continue on home only making radio calls where necessary, or he can do in a language that he's more comfortable with.
As for FAA licences, aren't they rendered valid for flight in G reg aircraft worlwide? At least that's what I thought.
Permit aircraft outside the UK....well can't they get permission for that? Presumably he was figuring on taking it home to Switzerland that day so had the permissions all sorted in advance.
He may have made a simple mistake in thinking that Lydd weren't expecting him, and was quite surprised by the fuss when he got home.
That of course does still leave us with two sins. No flight plan and no stop at GAR location (presumably Lydd).
The lack of flight plan is hardly a hanging offence. He wouldn't be the first person to make an international flight and forgot the flight plan.
The Gar....is Cambridge an airport with permanent customs/immigration by any chance? Seems to me that he may have left a designated airport, and therefore complied with customs/immigration obligations.
Before we look to hang the man, it might be worth seeing if there is a more reasonable explination. Not saying it's how I described it, but it's certainly possible that it is.
