Wales
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Oxford
Age: 68
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Anyone for the beach?
The now-notorious PC-12 Valley drop-in is visible on FlightRadar for all to see. The pilot/owner is clearly not as well-informed as he should be since the MOD at Valley have always liked to play things by the book.
Anyway, if he'd wanted a walk on a beach that badly he should have landed at Lee-on-Solent, as my wife and I did early last week. A friendly welcome, less than 100 yards to the beach, a very passable ham, egg 'n chips take-away at The Shack and an ice-cream for pudding. All perfectly legal and he'd have saved himself a good few litres of Jet A-1, too.
Anyway, if he'd wanted a walk on a beach that badly he should have landed at Lee-on-Solent, as my wife and I did early last week. A friendly welcome, less than 100 yards to the beach, a very passable ham, egg 'n chips take-away at The Shack and an ice-cream for pudding. All perfectly legal and he'd have saved himself a good few litres of Jet A-1, too.
Getting the thread back on track there appears to be no change to the situation in Wales for GA.
As from Monday one can travel up to five miles to see family or a friend. You can go to a DIY store and a garden centre even get married if you're terminally ill, but you can't go one mile into Wales to reach your light aircraft for leisure purposes even if you are socially distancing throughout and posing no risk to yourself or others.
Well that's me off to England as a hangarage refugee until the Welsh get some common sense together.
As from Monday one can travel up to five miles to see family or a friend. You can go to a DIY store and a garden centre even get married if you're terminally ill, but you can't go one mile into Wales to reach your light aircraft for leisure purposes even if you are socially distancing throughout and posing no risk to yourself or others.
Well that's me off to England as a hangarage refugee until the Welsh get some common sense together.
This from AOPA UK today:
_____________________
Differences between devolved parts of the UK:
Because each devolved legislature is able to set different restrictions, where these are within their devolved powers, it has been impossible to achieve a level playing field for the whole of the UK.
Fortunately, the CAA is the single regulator for the whole of the UK, so none of their powers have been devolved. Airspace over England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is UK Airspace. Therefore, unless stated otherwise by the CAA, their official publications apply to the whole of the UK. However, some Police Forces may not understand this distinction, so it would be sensible to have copies of CAA publications to hand if you intend to make use of any alleviation's and you think that your local Police may not understand you are acting lawfully.
Key Points:
______________________
I not aware of what the DfT had to to do to allow GA to commence in England. Was it to declare GA a recreational activity? In which case I guess until Wales officially goes into its Amber phase any travel for recreational purposes is still prohibited.
_____________________
Differences between devolved parts of the UK:
Because each devolved legislature is able to set different restrictions, where these are within their devolved powers, it has been impossible to achieve a level playing field for the whole of the UK.
Fortunately, the CAA is the single regulator for the whole of the UK, so none of their powers have been devolved. Airspace over England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is UK Airspace. Therefore, unless stated otherwise by the CAA, their official publications apply to the whole of the UK. However, some Police Forces may not understand this distinction, so it would be sensible to have copies of CAA publications to hand if you intend to make use of any alleviation's and you think that your local Police may not understand you are acting lawfully.
Key Points:
- Anything issued by the CAA is applicable to the whole of the UK as aviation matters have not been devolved. Therefore essential maintenance flights conducted under the CAA guidance may be carried out in all parts of the UK.
- The lifting of Recreational flying restrictions issued by the DfT only apply to England. AOPA have been in contact with the DfT seeking alignment across the UK.
- Commercial Flight Training guidance should be applicable to the whole of the UK as it has been issued by the CAA. However, some devolved regions have imposed travel restrictions that make this difficult. AOPA have been in contact with the DfT seeking alignment across the UK.
______________________
I not aware of what the DfT had to to do to allow GA to commence in England. Was it to declare GA a recreational activity? In which case I guess until Wales officially goes into its Amber phase any travel for recreational purposes is still prohibited.
St Athan is nowadays operated by Cardiff Airport and owned by the Welsh Government after 80 odd years of RAF operation.
NATS took over the operation of the control tower on 1 April this year, presumably with radar approach control being provided from nearby Cardiff where NATS already operate ATC, so when the Welsh do relax restrictions, there's a 'new' airfield to visit.
NATS took over the operation of the control tower on 1 April this year, presumably with radar approach control being provided from nearby Cardiff where NATS already operate ATC, so when the Welsh do relax restrictions, there's a 'new' airfield to visit.
It would seem the Welsh have relaxed enough to allow GA to resume under the same rules as England but you need to be able to get to your airfield within the five miles travel restriction.
LAA Wales and Scotland
LAA Wales and Scotland
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: UK,Twighlight Zone
Posts: 0
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This is just another example of the farce that handling the pandemic has fallen into. It should have been done at a national level with consistent rules, not pandering to petty devolved politics,
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Scotland
Posts: 349
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It would seem the Welsh have relaxed enough to allow GA to resume under the same rules as England but you need to be able to get to your airfield within the five miles travel restriction.
LAA Wales and Scotland
LAA Wales and Scotland
To quote from the gov.scot website on Phase 1, Getting Around:
'Permitted to travel short distances for outdoor leisure and exercise but advice to stay within a short distance of your local community (broadly within 5 miles) and travel by walk, wheel and cycle where possible.'
I have interpreted that as allowing me to travel a bit further to the airfield (by car) to fly (solo) locally but I have decided not to land out in the meantime. And of course, social distancing rules are maintained outdoors at the airfield.
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Scotland
Posts: 349
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
However, different (Covid-19) rules in different nations of the UK depending on different circumstances is the whole point of devolution (although I would prefer a confederal system and for decentralisation of power to go much further where appropriate).
The UK government advice on flying in England is clearly set out on the . gov website. Unfortunately it goes on to say that for the rules in Wales you must consult the Welsh government site. Sadly it fails to provide a link. Probably because they, like me were unable to find any such advice on the Welsh site!
I live 50 miles from the airport in Scotland where the two aircraft I have shares in are hangared. Below is copied from the BBC News.
"It comes after two people were charged with "culpable and reckless conduct" following their rescue at the weekend.Police said they had breached lockdown guidance around travel for recreation.
The 27-year-old man and 23-year-old woman had travelled more than 60 miles (96km) from Glasgow to climb a mountain near Crianlarich."
"It comes after two people were charged with "culpable and reckless conduct" following their rescue at the weekend.Police said they had breached lockdown guidance around travel for recreation.
The 27-year-old man and 23-year-old woman had travelled more than 60 miles (96km) from Glasgow to climb a mountain near Crianlarich."
The whole situation with the regions is a mess. You've got the CAA regulating all UK airspace and then the regional offices dictating ground travel. Mind you God forbid if airspace is devolved to the regions too. I dread to think what the Wee Kranky might decide to charge for overflying Scotland.
