Olympic Airspace Restrictions
 

For those of you who fly in the South East of England, why not go on holiday for 2 months....:(


Airspace Restrictions

Flying is overrated anyway.... :{

A Prohibited zone is a portion of airspace where "the flight of aircraft is prohibited".

All IFR traffic to/from Heathrow, City etc. will be allowed into the Prohibited zone.

So it's not a prohibited zone at all, just a Restricted zone.

So, if words means anything, why don't they just call it that way?

That will make getting to France interesting if the weather is at all marginal. I am based north west of the zones.

Rod1

It will lead to some very interesting "choke points"

Nick

Okay - it might be a pain in the arse for a few weeks next summer but it didn't look all that onerous to me. I have lived and flown in countries where you needed to file a flight plan prior to every departure or circuit!

So I file, launch from aprivate strip, speak to ATC who'll verify my FP and clearance number. I'll then squawk my new personal code and long as I remain clear of the prohibited bit and speak to an agency, I should be able to wind my merry way to France through the restricted bit.

I'll need to learn how to file using their chosen website but it can't be that difficult, surely?

It might inconvenience me but I doubt it will stop me!

Stik

Nice bit of planniing where all traffic avoiding the western side of the zone will be channeled over Lasham, the busiest gliding site in the country.
Peak movements can exceed 200/hr. Winch cables can be up to 3000ft agl.

Don't worry - the CAA will be round to confiscate your winch cables and have the tow planes grounded on a technicality in early July 2012.

They will no doubt under-estimate the plucky resolve of the gliding community, which will resort to having teams of volunteers physically pick up the gliders and throw them into the air.

I'm already sketching plans on a similar line to ensure I can keep aviating from my local field for the duration, albeit with a rather truncated endurance - I've read the CAA Restricted Zone document (twice), and nowhere does it use the terms "Trebuchet", "Shopping Trolley" or "Huge Bouncy Castle".

I'm learning in a microlight at Plaistows Farm, just north of the prohibited zone, and squeezed between Luton, Stansted and the London TMA. It's hard enough as it is, and looking at that, it gets even worse. All very well to say squark a code, but what if you don't have a transponder...

I've got someone who keeps offering to take me up in leicestershire. I think once I have my license (must get it by next year, right?) I'll be driving up there for weekend flying!

Ah well, I knew there was a reason I was learning!

It should be remembered that these are just the temporary airspace changes for the olympics. There will be other security restrictions to flying imposed which will NOT go through any public consultative process.

Wonder what the authorities have in mind for zone-busters? Sidewinder up the proverbial? :eek:

This will effectively prevent operations of helicopters into London, from other than airports, for the entire period.

More evidence if it were needed that we now live in a Police state.

Good grief huge swathes of restricted airspace - why?

Not forgetting Lasham's next door neighbour, RAF Odiham, home of heavy rotary.

The "restricted" area is Class A anyway, which is pretty much restricted to we VFR bods. Glad I don't fly down there. Looking at the Southern England half-mil always scares me, what a horrendously complicated mess the airspace is down there. How anything moves at all is beyond me.

The "Prohibited" thing seems a bit overkill though?

Smithy

one hears rumours that in the south of the uk nothing will get airbourne without having filed a flightplan and been issued with an approval number

Can't see that happening wrecker, even for Europe/UK's typical standards that's totally bonkers.

Olympic Restricted Airspace

wrecker,looks like you are correct, also no solo student cross countries - just what the flying clubs and schools in the south east need during their best weather windows!

Captain Smithy. Unless I missed it somewhere, it didn't say that the restricted area was only from 2500' base. Most of that area (except LTMA and around the major airports) is fine to fly below 2500'.

As fireflybob says, its gonna be a complete pain for any schools in that area, or as I was thinking, for any new pilots that have just got their license and want to "fly local" to build hours!

Ah well, what fun! I reckon there is money to be made just filinhg flight plans for students!

Considering how much bother it is causing, the complete arse that has been made of it so far and the fact that Britain is grinding to a halt for a few weeks to allow this glorified school sports day to go ahead, is there anyone left aside from atheletes and politicians who like or are interested in this anymore?

Rhetorical question, before anyone bothers to reply. :zzz: