I once tried to dry a pair of pants in a hotel, draping them over a desk lamp shade.

They fell onto the bulb and started to smoulder/singe with some rather pungent smoke.

True story. Explaining the fire alarm to the hotel staff was... awkward. :ok:

The exciting glamourous life as a pro pilot. How to get your kegs dry on day 6 when you only left the house thinking you were back that night.

Thank the lord for primark and 24H tesco extra.

Ex Joint Warrior
 

I just wanted to shed a little light on some of the queries thrown up on here.
All military FJs have Mode 3 transponders so they will show up on TCAS. The Hawk T2 actually has TCAS as well and will receive the same warnings you guys do with TAs and RAs.

Military guys will not routinely turn off their IFF at any stage during UK training. A Typhoon intercepting an airliner almost certainly would!

AWACs won't really be able to give you a BS or TS since they are there to provide tactical control not a RADAR service. If the jets were to want a service to get back to base IMC, for instance, they would contact Scot Mil and the base in question. If they (AWACs) are operating in UK airspace then they will be familiar with UK rules regardless of country of origin.

The ejector seat limit mentioned earlier is not entirely accurate. A mean wind speed of 35 knots (or gusting 40) would stop the guys flying over the area for training. Operations are something else entirely.

As for flying through the area well that's your call really. Just be aware that there will be guys flying around at various heights and speeds working pretty hard. They will not all be from UK Armed Forces. If you could plan your flight to be outside their normal operating times then that's what I would do. Maybe contact the originator of the NOTAM for more information.

As for "dog-fighting" in the middle of advisory airways, there's nothing to stop them (VMC)! I can assure you that they are briefed and usually avoided but in the same way that the OP of this thread is perfectly at liberty to fly through the NOTAM, the FJs are perfectly at liberty to "dog-fight" in W3D.

BV:ok:

If an accident happened to an EU citizen, exercising their lawfull rights, would the wording of this NOTAM be evidence that a safe work plan had not been made for this exercise, as far as civilians were concerned?

Well this thread has sparked an interesting topic to say the least! Went on my flight aware of the NOTAM - kept a good look out but as suggested - saw nothing in the air! Only military sightings were whilst we were on the ground... First we saw a couple of tucanos on final for runway 27 at Dundee, and then a Hercules (maybe the same one as mentioned?) flying East heading out to the north sea, spotted flying north just past the high ground before Dundee as we drove home! :ok:

It was as I suspected.

Coming to this thread a little late but couple of points; CQWI and JOINT WARRIOR are not one and the same. There are 2 different military exercises organised by 2 different organisations hence you will see some NOTAMS referring to JOINT WARRIOR and some to CQWI and times are (generally) different as some aircraft are taking part in both. For more info regarding JOINT WARRIOR airspace useage see the Civ AIP Supplement that is out (and referred to in the JOINT WARRIOR NOTAMs).

We are really quite glad to see all you military guys and gals here. It brightens up the day. The only downside is the inevitable batch of UFO sightings.

By the way did I tell you about my ailien abduction experience?

D.O.

And here was I thinking you had been a leftover from their last visit!:p

BB

Maoraigh1 that is a very good question but I suspect there will be few considered responses

After the "avoid the whole of Scotland" notam I see we now have one for GPS jamming for 365 nm radius from Kirkwall!

Lets hope the "jammin' is of the musical variety.:)

D.O.

These NOTAMS are totally unrealistic in the areas they cover and the impact they would have if followed.

It is interesting to compare the way Scotland is regarded by the military as their playground, eg the HRA making a huge chunk of Scotland a no-go area every afternoon, and these notams, to the Olympic situation, where the authorities were forced to provided a system to give access to the affected areas.

Somehow I suspect they wouldnt get away with a Lowlands Restricted Area down in Englandshire to match the HRA....

Maybe the reason in the main why most of the locals ignore anything to do with exercises. Then after ignoring it a couple of times and seeing absolutely nothing military during the period they don't bother again.

Worth remembering that the majority of these NOTAMs are Advisorary and not Avoids and the military (and any other significant airspace user for that matter) is duty bound to advise on significant air activity. Better to be aware of possible activity than get a fast jet up your backside surely?

Its pure arse covering. NOTAM the whole of scotland that there is an exercise on. And state that you shouldn't operate in that airspace.

What are all the flying schools meant to do shut down for the day with no compensation?.

In scotland we are all aware of fast jet activity just like wales and the other areas of intense activity.

As Maoraigh1 states though I supect if the worst happens the RAF is down one of its very few aircraft thats servisable hopefully the crew will bang out. The light aircraft won't be around to face the news and there will be another chinook type investigation with the RAF saying it did the right thing and a load of civi lawyers going through them like a dose of salts.

And it being scotland, the legal system will stick the middle finger up at any pressure from London to sweep it under the carpet.

Don't disagree it's arse covering but I guess if I was in that position I'd want my arse covered! Ref the Flying Schools, I don't think the intention of these NOTAMs is to stop people flying (hence Advisorary not Mandatory Avoids) but to inform and arse cover! And some of the NOTAMs (Fast Jet Areas) have to be requested/published as above FL245 certain Upper Routes are rerouted as per the JOINT WARRIOR AIP Supp. Doesn't help that there are a number of military exercises all happening at the same time but I guess that is military planning for you!

By arse covering and not being defined areas its a boy called wolf.

Most folk just ignore them.

Sounds to me like they want to shut down all traffic.

But they couldn't actually do a manditory because they would be hit in hours by a compensation bill.

And under scottish law I don't think they have even covered one cheek in the arse covering deptment.

Flew into Islay this afternoon, nothing more exciting seen than a Frigate just South of Kintyre.

And back to the start of this thread, the NOTAM in question is is for CQWI not JOINT WARRIOR, the latter of which Mad Jock describes. Different areas and different activity.:ok:

RAF don't work weekends. Anyway must go as I have some NOTAMs to draft :p