recreational flying Wales
 

There is little point asking pilots who follow science, are intelligent, rational and logical what these politicians are thinking let alone doing.

I thought they still think the virus has a 5 mile capability.....so you can fly from a base less than 5 miles from your home as long as you dont land more than 5 miles from your home .... unless it is in England. And if you need to ditch, check with the lawyers as to whether territorial waters are devolved.

Sadly not until July 6th when unlimited travel for all purposes is expected to be allowed. At the moment whilst over flight in regional airspace is governed by the CAA/DofT/ Westminster Parliament, ground travel is governed by the devolved administrations so the five mile rule and the fact that most airfields bar Chester are only allowing engine health flights mean that 'recreational' flying is not easily achieved. There is nothing to stop you over flying Wales but you won't win any friends if you wind up on the ground trying to explain how you got to be half way up Snowdon in an aeroplane whilst the Police are fining people at the bottom for arriving there by car.

Hawarden has remained open throughout but most airfields are still shut.

Some good news from Welshpool.

As the airfield lies within five miles of the Welsh border visiting from England complies with the 'stay local' rule so I'm sure they'll be happy to see some support. Cafe to open soon.

https://www.welshpoolairport.co.uk/r...xv7S_J_E2734I8

If you mean an emergency, unexpected or precautionary landing, then even in Wales you are acting lawfully. In any case there is no power to stop and account in the Principality.

In which case under what law are the Police fining people for travelling for leisure purposes? There is nothing to stop you overflying the country, but your journey would be deemed unnecessary and non compliant if you land and personally having put a drain on the emergency services for no good reason I doubt you'd win much sympathy if that was due to an emergency.

The police have the power to stop any vehicle under section 163(1) of the Road Traffic Act but you only have to identify yourself. If I am on a flight in undevolved airspace and have an engine failure, I suggest my landing is deemed necessary and therefore legal. I am not too bothered about sympathy :8

Homonculus. Whilst I bow to your superior knowledge regarding the quotation of the relevant section of the Road Traffic Act. I would venture that once stopped and asked for your identity any Welsh Police Officer might take issue with the reason for your journey, which, whether by road or air would be deemed unnecessary unless carrying out aerial work. Your forced landing might of course be regarded as essential, your reason for having placed yourself into that geographic position less so.

The general understanding is that 'Wales is Closed' at least for another couple of weeks. The current rule surrounding this is covered by The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (Wales) Regulations 2020, as amended.
Regulation 8 imposes restrictions on movement and gatherings. This provides that a person may only leave the area local to where they live or be indoors with someone other than a member of their household or their carer, or the person they care for, if they have a reasonable excuse for doing so (examples of which are listed).

The relevant penalties for breaching the above are listed as follows and it would appear that some have already experienced pain to their bank balances.

Evidence from the four police forces and Police and Crime Commissioners shows more than 1,300 fixed penalty notices have been issued since the lockdown restrictions were introduced at the end of March.The existing fines structure, which imposed a £60 fine for a first offence rising to £120 for a second and subsequent offences, will be replaced by a new structure in which the fines double for every offence – rising from £60 to £120 to £1,920 for the sixth offence.

Welshpool is open for home based aircraft too limited hours. Its less than 5 miles from England so technically within Welsh Covid travel restrictions. Loads of Welsh boarders folk out shopping in England too. Its baffling why with the hardest lock down in UK that Welsh Covid figures are coming down so slowly. Compliance?

Pembrey is open and accepting English visitors. The restaurant has a takeout service from Wednesday to Sunday.

To be honest it's not down to Pembrey whether to accept English visitors or not. They are free to apply their own rules as they see fit but in essence it's the English visitors who are at fault for landing further than five miles inside the Welsh border with the current guidance saying not to travel any further than that. The flight through Welsh airspace is perfectly legal but once touched down they are doing the same as driving to a Welsh attraction which is an act that's currently attracting fines from the Police. If they have a reasonable excuse for the flight of course that's something else but for pure leisure they're in the same boat as the beach and mountain enthusiasts who just risk bringing more infection inbound.

Still, hopefully 'Mr Charisma of Cardiff' will sweep all that silliness away next week and we can see all the Welsh fields back to normal ASAP.

The restriction to stay local in Wales is to be lifted from Monday 6th of July so lets hope we can look forward to most airfields welcoming visitors again with outside catering allowed from their cafe's on the 13th (we hope).