The Wash AIAA
 

Hello, new here.
I'm planning a flight to North Coates soon from Cambridge. My plan is to fly to Holme-Next-The-Sea, then across The Wash to Skegness, then fly a little inland to avoid D307 and arrive in at North Coates. I'll do all this (weather permitting) at 3500 ft.
Once I've flown through Mildenhall and Marham MATZ, I'l start the crossing of The Wash. It's an AAIA. Is there anything special I need to do as I transit this section?
I'll be doing the flight on a Sunday (if that makes any difference).
Many thanks

No, AIAA are a weird anachronism. Area of Intense Aerial Activity, but generally quiet and peaceful

Marham and then Coningsby will look after you ok !

Marham and Coningsby on a Sunday? Doubtful. Once over to the north side of the Wash, I'd suggest Humberside if you feel the need to talk to somebody.

Why don't you just fly in a straight line? It's quicker, cheaper and you don't need to talk to anyone if you don't want to!

Quote... Why don't you just fly in a straight line?
Because you will go blind if you keep looking at Magenta Lines.


If this was during the weekdays, when the Military are working, you would have to call Donna Nook Bombing Range to arrange either your arrival to, or departure from the runway at North Coates, dependant upon wind direction.

Who said anything about the magenta line, or up to date technologies if you like a less pejorative term?

Can't you fly a straight line with a compass? OK it won't be as accurate, you will spend more time looking in the cockpit and if the wind is not as forecast you will have to work out a correction then execute it then estimate a new heading and try that and repeat the exercise again and again. But there is no reason why you can't make life more complicated for yourself if for some reason you want to.

:ugh::ugh::ugh:

So, on a Sunady, I won't have to contact any of them, even Donna Nook? I can just contact North Coates as soon as I get near?

A straight line would indeed be cheaper and quicker, but I quite like the idea of following the coast.

Having spent the first half of my career flying at very low level (probably far lower than most here) using map, compass (without a heading bug) and stopwatch I must say that I definitely prefer following a magenta line. Planning properly on the ground to use the equipment provided in the correct way allows me far more time and capacity to look outside the windows and operate the aircraft (rather than just flying the old fashioned way to prove to myself I can do it).

As is often said in the military, you don't need to practice bleeding. :ugh:

As far as the Lincolnshire AIAA is concerned, I did have to sigh when I heard one pilot calling Waddington LARS to "gain clearance" to enter it... :rolleyes:

I would give North Coates a call before setting off. When I went on a weekend about a year or so ago North Coates told me that the staff at Donna Nook could be disposing of unexploded ordnance and we shouldn't overfly.

Obviously you would speak to your departure and arrival airfields, and N Coates require you to co-ordinate with Donna Nook. As said above, it may be worth giving them (DN) a call on the phone (Mon-Fri) as there may be no one there at weekends. En-route (and there's nothing wrong with going the scenic route if you want to :) ) you don't need to call the other agencies if you avoid their airspace - which you would at 3500ft. If you are more comfortable speaking to them - go ahead - although on a Sunday they may be on the golf course!

As a matter of interest The Wash AIAA is not active at weekends and only goes up to 3500ft.

As far as 'magenta lines' goes I'm with ShyT - planned correctly if it reduces the workload, gives you more time to look out the window and makes flying more enjoyable - why not? I've also spent too much time thumbing my way down a map with stopwatch somewhat faster and lower than you will be going!! Above all, keep a good lookout and enjoy!:ok:

Haha, I don't think I'd be too popular with them if I didn't :/
I'll give them a ring next week to see if they've got anything going on. That's true, I just personally always like being in contact with someone, but as you say, they won't be there. If, for weather reasons for example, I can't do my 3500ft, do the usual rules of just calling on the radio to listening traffic apply, or should I stay with Cambridge with a basic/traffic service?
Ah, that's good to know. Is there anywhere in particular you can get this information for other AIAAs? I couldn't see their operating hours on the chart.
I would follow the line as it's quicker, but I think I'd like to just follow the coast for some of it. I guess I'll probably decide on the day, weather might put a stop to that idea :/

Oh heck, thank you Adam, I'll do that.

Haha, even I'm not that bad, although I do recall on my first XC practise requesting permission to take off, rather then calling ready for departure :/

Thank you all

They are all in the AIP ENR 5.2. AIAAs start on page 12.

If they're doing that or anything else at the weekend they will issue a NOTAM. If there isn't a NOTAM, they're not doing it.

Wash AAIA
 

Call me a cynic but I think to call any airspace nowadays an area of intense aerial activity is plane wrong! 30 years ago it was so different but today the numbers are simply not there and it's a joke that the RAF only seems to operate during weekdays and not weekends. When I was at Honington in 1981/2 there were 76 station-based aircraft alone from 237 0CU, TWCU, 9 Sqn, 12 Sqn and 208 Sqn and they were all fast-jets! Now it's closed along with Coltishall, and Wattisham is no longer RAF so two more fast jet sqns have gone from the frontline ORBAT!
MB

Lets just say that most GA types fly in straight lines from one Point of Interest to another PoI. These can be as close together as you like, depending upon how many places you wish to see on your flight.


I often despair of those who religiously keep to within 100 yards of their Magenta Line. What are they trying to prove? Have they never studied mathematics, such that they would realise that even a track difference of 5 degrees makes practically no difference to the length of the flight?... Just look up Cos 5 degrees to see how near it is to 1.000 to make no difference.


.

Perhaps controversially I take the same view of altitude, VFR, I don't get worked up about deviations but just enjoy the ride and keep an eye on CAS etc. unless I've positively agreed with ATC a specific altitude, or I'm IFR.

Round here the lookout is way more important...

Holbeach Range has a viewing area which was open to the public. I was fascinating to sit and watch Harriers, Jaguars and A10s operating the sou d of the cannon on the A10 is unbelievable!!
Oh what's that? you say there aren't any now? What do they use there then?

Madbob is right. The numbers are tiny compared to the 80s, whether it's at ranges or in AIAAs. Holbeach these days often sees only 2 or 3 aircraft a day. Even in the early 2000s it was seeing around 100 passes a day.

I visited Holbeach for a couple of hours in '87 (we were at ATC Camp at Wittering)
First came 5 Jaguars for 'first run attacks' on a bombing target on the mudflats. These were followed by a pair of Harriers firing unguided rockets at a different target and while they were doing this, they were joined by a pair of A10s which were using their cannon against a target set further back from Boston; it had to be further back or the calculated 'safety trace' for the GAU 8 cannon would have overlapped the city of Boston. Somewhere in there, a couple of F111s attacked a ship using a laser guided bomb (they missed!)
And that was in the space of 2 hours.

PS stupid software changing the 'a' in 'laser' to an '@'; not my mistake.