MATZ penetration and communication with a military airfield
 

Hello everyone.

As a PPL I am ashamed to say I have never contacted a military airfield.
For my next flight I decided to contact Wattisham and try to obtain a clearance to turn at their overhead.
I know that they can be very useful, and that obtaining a clearance for a MATZ penetration is a regular thing, but is a clearance to enter their ATZ even obtainable? Should I ask for something other than a 'MATZ penetration' when I give them a call to clarify that I want to turn overhead?
Are there militry airfields that would not let you go through their zone?

Hope that's clear.
Thank you

Strictly speaking a matz isn't controlled airspace, so they cant give you a clearance. The terminology is usually "matz penetration approved".
The atz inside is a different matter. Lakenheath for example almost always say "matz penetration approved, remain clear of the atz". Being American this can sometimes be ay-tee-zee rather than zed.
They might not be too keen on you turning in the overhead, even if youre above the atz. Do you really need to do that?

I have turned overheard several East Anglian military airfields, but I think always between 2000' and 3000', ie within the MATZ but not the ATZ. (Over 3000' I don't necessarily talk to them at all.) Most on approving the MATZ penetration will tell you to remain outside the ATZ or ask you whether you need a clearance for the ATZ as well, point being that they're simply reminding you that a MATZ penetration approval is not an automatic ATZ clearance as well.

What Heston said.

Unless i'm being incredibly antisocial (Barging through the pan handle in conflict with ILS traffic) I don't normally bother.

Full marks for asking but I'm disappointed that wherever you did your PPL course that a MATZ penetration was not included as part of the training unless maybe the location was a long way from a MATZ?

Whether you're aiming to turn overhead isn't that relevant - just ask for a MATZ penetration and give details of your intended routing. Be advised that military airfields are QFE oriented so you'll usually be asked to adjust to fly at a height on their QFE. If the airfield is a significant elevation above sea level this might put you into cloud so something to take into account if you're aiming to maintain VFR.

If you don't get a reply to 2/3 calls then you can assume the MATZ is not active so you can penetrate but as has been said above remain clear of the ATZ since although the main military activity may be closed some airfields have local military flying/gliding clubs which may be active.

UK Matz may not be active over the weekends, and sometimes during the week.


I flew over Shawbury one Thursday afternoon, and could not get a reply from several calls on their frequency. I continued through their Matz and gave a call on 121.5 for a radio check, they confirmed my radio was Ok. Maybe if they are short-staffed, they close for lunch. I think they also close at 16:00 hrs at the end of their duty.
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There is no reason why you should not ask for a transit through the overhead (or a turn in the overhead.... same thing).
If they cannot accommodate they will let you know.

There's often far less potential conflict in the overhead of an aerodrome than when you're a few miles from the overhead when you are more likely to encounter departing or arriving traffic. Of course it all depends like some airfields have beacons for holding on the airfield itself or local traffic might be practising forced landings from the overhead.

But as 3wheels above says there is no reason why you can't ask for transit overhead.

The other suggestion is always have a plan B if they ask you to go round. Where I operate from if you say go from Nottingham to Skegness direct that will take you right over Cranwell and Coningsby. In the week Cranwell will always ask if you can climb to 3,500 feet - if you can't they will ask you to go round. So if it's a gin clear day I overfly at 3,500 feet or above (and get a Basic off Waddington). If the cloud base is lower then I plan to go round via Grantham and Boston which is not much further and quite scenic.

Happy Landings!

military airfield clearance?
 

A few (?) years ago, I was flying cross country in a single seat Pegasus glider.
Departed Wycombe, overhead Aylesbury, turning in the town thermal at about 3,000'. And decided to overfly active United States military airfield at Upper Heyford, to carry on over Banbury, and possibly go on to Wellesbourne.

The courteous thing to do was to communicate with the military airfield.
So I turned on the radio in the glider, and the conversation took place as follows:

Me. Upper Heyford, this is Glider 987

Heyford: Glider 987, squawk ABXZXYZ ! (or whatever)

987: Unable, negative transponder. (I had a PPL IR, so could talk their language!)

Heyford: Glider 987, what is your intention?

987: Intending to overfly Heyford en route to Banbury

Heyford: 987 What is your location and altitude?

987: Overhead Aylesbury, approximately 3,000'

Heyford: And your present heading?

987: I'm going around in circles!

at this point Heyford gave up while anyone on frequency was highly amused...

Eventually they asked me to notify when intending to overfly Heyford.
I promised to do so, and carried on over Aylesbury to 5,000'. Then approaching the Heyford Zone, the following exchange....

987: Heyford, 987 indending to transit overhead.

Heyford: Maintain 3,000 feet.

987: I'll try!

They just didn't get it, did they?

Well you were in the UHMRA - the Upper Heyford Mandatory Radio Area as it was at that time so turning on the radio and communicating with them sounds like a very sensible thing to do.

Thanks for the great answers everyone!

Beware 'turning overhead' when there's no reply on the MATZ frequency eg weekends (when the MATZ doesn't exist anyway) as many RAF airfields have winch launched gliding clubs and often their cable launch authority extends above the ATZ eg Odiham. The cable launch hazard height ie distance above A/D elevation not altitude amsl is marked on all good quality half and quarter mils.

I would have thought Heyford should have been aware of the capabilites of gliders with Bicester, Weston on the Green and Enstone on their doorstep.

Don't be afraid, these guys might be happy to see something else. In most cases it is easy to get permission to penetrate MATZ or even get cleared for The Core. There was a time I was frequently asking for GCA practice at MATZ and from memory I would guesstimate about two third of the GCA training requests were granted - a very fond gesture I am still quite grateful for.

What’s a core and gca? Please

[QUOTE=Council Van;9926031
The OP says he is ashamed he has never flown through a MATZ. We had a lad join us on the the above operation who as a newly qualified Commercial Pilot when asked to plan a route planned to fly around MATZ's. We quickly pointed out the error of his ways.[/QUOTE]

MATZ are Class G airspace and it you wish, you can legally ignore them (but not the embedded ATZ) however it would be unwise to do so and unfair to other airspace users.

Being in the vicinity of several MATZ and CMATZ in Lincs I usually finish up flying through one or more, they are hard to avoid TBH. Waddington LARS are always uber helpful, Scampton arent interested (they are really a sub set of Waddo anyway, if you want to transit 313 speak to Waddo), Coningsby are always OK, they may give you vectors to avoid loitering Typhoons, its just Cranwell where you get the odd 'Avoid blah'. Which I always find amusing as most Cranwell traffic is doing circuits at places other than Cranwell.

As Chevron says you are not legally bound to contact any MATZ area as long as you don't penetrate their ATZ but with the amount of Mil traffic around these parts you would be a complete idiot not to do so. IMO obviously but then for the sake of twenty seconds on the wireless why not just play it safe?

@chevvron: I cannot imagine any other nation than the Brits recommending avoidance of (bits of) G airspace. It cannot get more ridiculous unless class H is introduced. Surely class G means "no guidance whatsoever, all are up to themselves and good luck to them"?

The Core = ATZ
GCA = Ground Controlled Approach

Jan, no one is recommending avoidance of class G. All MATZ and CMATZ are class G but what's the hardship in calling a busy mil base and saying 'Hey Im Here' ? How long does that take? Does that not make sense? Would you turn into a one way street in your car without looking both ways? Or cross the road at a Pelican (or whatever they are called in your country) crossing and not look both ways? Or just walk blindly on knowing the light is on green therefore it's safe to cross?

Flying to me is about mitigating risk and it seems bonkers to me not to press the transmit button and say a few words.