Highland Restricted Area R610
 

It looks like at last the military are relinquishing the restrictions they have on the North west of Scotland. It was talked about a few months ago at an airspace users group meeting that I attended at Lossiemouth, the NOTAM states 4th-18th August but hopefully it will come a more permanent thing. Re activation will be by NOTAM which makes a whole load of sense.

Q) EGPX/QRRCH/IV/BO/W/000/050/5740N00440W070

B) FROM: 15/08/04 00:01C) TO: 15/08/18 10:00
J0545/15
E) AMENDMENT TO RESTRICTED AREA EG R610 A/B/C/D COMPLEX (THE HIGHLANDS).

RESTRICTION OF FLYING REGULATIONS MADE UNDER ARTICLE 96 OF AIR
NAVIGATION ORDER 2005 FOR THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS AREA IS REVOKED WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT.
ALL RESTRICTIONS RELATING TO THIS AREA ARE CANCELLED. THE AREA WILL BE RE-ESTABLISHED AND PROMULGATED WITH ADEQUATE WARNING TIME BY NOTAM WHEN REQUIRED FOR OPERATIONAL LOW-FLYING TRAINING, WHEN ACTIVATED ACCESS MAY BE AVAILABLE BY PRIOR COORDINATION WITH UK LOW FLYING BOOKING CELL (UKLFBC). THE AREA WILL REMAIN ON ALL RELEVANT CHARTS TO AID NAVIGATION WHEN ESTABLISHED. LISTING IN UK AIP ENR 5.1 WILL BE AMENDED TO OUTLINE PROCEDURES FOR ESTABLISHMENT AND
NOTIFICATION. 14-06-0730/AS6
LOWER: SFC
UPPER: 5000FT AMSL

Great news. This will make a big difference to flying north of the Great Glen.

Big, big tks for this great news FBW

Champagne is out !!

Haha GBS, I was thinking about you when I first read the NOTAM...:ok:
Enjoy the Champers. :cool:

Great news. I live / park just 1k outside R610 boundary, which takes the pontoon bridge over Loch Garry. It will give an additional option to exit West to the coast before turning South - not just SW along the Great Glen or direct to EGPG - to run back to EGKR.


It will be interesting to do some exploring!
:D

Can't be bothered to look up codes. Plain English?

Flyingmac.......I thought the NOTAM was written in plain English!.......though I see you are in N Yorkshire so I guess I see your problem ;)

This is good news. Why only to 18th August though? Is this because the RAF is on holiday? Can we expect a reinstatement when they're all back from Lanzarote?

So that pretty much covers off late afternoon flying Mon-Thu then - as the Low Flying Handbook states:

Section 4:
The HRA is available from Monday to Thursday except on Scottish Public holidays from 1500 to 2300 hours local time each day.

"This is good news. Why only to 18th August though? Is this because the RAF is on holiday? Can we expect a reinstatement when they're all back from Lanzarote?"

No, because that is when the entry in the AIP will be revised and a trigger NOTAM will replace the J series NOTAM i filed last night. From now on EG R610 will only be established, for a limited defined period, when there is the actual type of flying taking place for which it was established.

This revocation of an airspace restriction follows a great deal of work by a number of individuals to ensure that airspace is used flexibly.

There's no publicised change to R610 in the AIRAC 09/15 (20 August) or 10/15 (17 September) amendments.

Removal of R610 is long long overdue. I'd love to know what the usage was over the years - next to nothing once the F111s went and Tornados started going to medium level, I suspect.

And because of that, I don't think GA people should think of it as lots of additional free and empty Highland airspace. All the military users that were previously excluded will also be piling in there now. So keep those eyes peeled and radio on 135.475!

For poor old Flyingmac

EGPG = Cumbernauld

EGKR = Redhill

Thanks ETOPS. Next time I speak to Fisbang I'm going to be so rude.
Probably on my next trip from EGNG to XPLO via EGEO.;)

Flyingmac.......look forward to it, I am the cheery Lancastrian :ok:

Same area in now also LFA14T, not restricted, but to 2,000' AGL, which is higher than the 5,000' of R610A, and active 7 days per week daylight hours. Using the recommended frequency seems unlikely to protect in valleys, and the tops are often in cloud.
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