Flying over London: Heli-lanes etc
Snarlie, Gallileo,
Concur on the 'fly neighbourly' aspect. Got chatting to a fellow diner at a restaurant the other day, talk turned to flying and she went into a real hate-fest about helicopters. Apparently she lives on the Isle of Dogs and gets the feeling helicopters are joining her in her living room. I mentioned standard altitudes and she started foaming at the mouth, saying she could wave to the pilots as they went past at the level of her apartment window! She then got on to Chinooks and nearly had a fit.
I thought I'd best pay up and leave before I woke up with a crowd around me.
Concur on the 'fly neighbourly' aspect. Got chatting to a fellow diner at a restaurant the other day, talk turned to flying and she went into a real hate-fest about helicopters. Apparently she lives on the Isle of Dogs and gets the feeling helicopters are joining her in her living room. I mentioned standard altitudes and she started foaming at the mouth, saying she could wave to the pilots as they went past at the level of her apartment window! She then got on to Chinooks and nearly had a fit.
I thought I'd best pay up and leave before I woke up with a crowd around me.
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What a great day to go up the Thames!
Seemed like a great day to go up the Thames, I was sat with Mrs Tonge in the pub next to the Tate modern with my head tilted firmly upwards.
A few squirrels went past, then a multi coloured EC120 (red,white & blue). A red R22 heading east, was being closley followed by a blue R44. Then finally the Met's finest in the EC145 turned up and did a few steep turns above us.
Excellent stuff people!! You saved me from having to talk to the wife!!
Tonge
Just to add, I'm no longer a H4 virgin!! I did the route this morning, hello to G-AN and Omega 14 who I passed as I was leaving H4 at Isle of Dogs.
A few squirrels went past, then a multi coloured EC120 (red,white & blue). A red R22 heading east, was being closley followed by a blue R44. Then finally the Met's finest in the EC145 turned up and did a few steep turns above us.
Excellent stuff people!! You saved me from having to talk to the wife!!
Tonge
Just to add, I'm no longer a H4 virgin!! I did the route this morning, hello to G-AN and Omega 14 who I passed as I was leaving H4 at Isle of Dogs.
Last edited by tonge; 17th Feb 2008 at 17:34.
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Re-light this one....
Hi all,
I'm interested in getting up to speed with the heli-routes this summer, i've been in and out of H9, H10, and H4 a few times and done the heathrow crossing once but i'm could still do with some more familiarisation... One things that always gets me is the size of the chart... for a single pilot surely a 1:100,000 would make much more sense as we all know that it's not that easy to be folding/unfolding charts in the cockpit. My R44 cyclic only stays still for about 5-6 seconds when i let go of it, friction is useless (hydraulics off helps keep 'em good and tight)
that never seems to be quite enough time... Seriously though i'm happy with the routing mostly (especially when accompanied by the skymap with the heliroutes 'on' 
until reaching the river) but still wouldn't fly without the chart as i need the maximum altitudes, and the exact places at which to change altitude etc... looks like having 2 charts is the only way forward.
Coming to my main question. Are people still using the Lee valley for single engine flights after all the olympic development? I hear those land-clears are becoming (pause) 'sparse'... (or am i supposed to keep my lips shut incase the heavenly powers plug it?) just going on what I have been told...
What other eastern entry/exit points are used for the Isle of Dogs? I'm assuming City don't particularly like you to carry on up the river crossing their approach etc and holding would be a potential nightmare? I have heard that there is an area following a road southbound a few miles east of the lee valley, perhaps the north circular which does have various small open areas beside it, but you'd have to hope those advanced autos were up to scratch City of London - Google Maps
Any advice much appreciated...
Aucky
I'm interested in getting up to speed with the heli-routes this summer, i've been in and out of H9, H10, and H4 a few times and done the heathrow crossing once but i'm could still do with some more familiarisation... One things that always gets me is the size of the chart... for a single pilot surely a 1:100,000 would make much more sense as we all know that it's not that easy to be folding/unfolding charts in the cockpit. My R44 cyclic only stays still for about 5-6 seconds when i let go of it, friction is useless (hydraulics off helps keep 'em good and tight)
that never seems to be quite enough time... Seriously though i'm happy with the routing mostly (especially when accompanied by the skymap with the heliroutes 'on' until reaching the river) but still wouldn't fly without the chart as i need the maximum altitudes, and the exact places at which to change altitude etc... looks like having 2 charts is the only way forward.Coming to my main question. Are people still using the Lee valley for single engine flights after all the olympic development? I hear those land-clears are becoming (pause) 'sparse'... (or am i supposed to keep my lips shut incase the heavenly powers plug it?) just going on what I have been told...
What other eastern entry/exit points are used for the Isle of Dogs? I'm assuming City don't particularly like you to carry on up the river crossing their approach etc and holding would be a potential nightmare? I have heard that there is an area following a road southbound a few miles east of the lee valley, perhaps the north circular which does have various small open areas beside it, but you'd have to hope those advanced autos were up to scratch City of London - Google Maps
Any advice much appreciated...
Aucky
Aucky, You need to get up to speed on the situation around City/Lea Valley - earlier this year 5 new VRPs were published around that area.
Lea Valley fine for any machine (rotary) because you are not subject to a land clear rule - land without endangering is the rotary rule. However, the new VRPs look likely to become heli routes before 2012 - and so routing away from Lea Valley.
The holds for LCY crossings to the west are southern tip IOD and a position north of the Olympic Stadium. You can get overhead transits for LCY and you can also cross to the east.
The heli routes chart is 1:50,000 and the current edition is 13 with 14 due Sept 2010. It does not have the new VRPs - you'll have to plot those. There is a clever bit of origami which folds the chart into useable sections with creases/folds in the right place. One pilot I know has this down to something about 7' x 2".
And there's a useful online video guide for flying the routes, put together by NATS under their Airspace & Safety Initiative.
Lea Valley fine for any machine (rotary) because you are not subject to a land clear rule - land without endangering is the rotary rule. However, the new VRPs look likely to become heli routes before 2012 - and so routing away from Lea Valley.
The holds for LCY crossings to the west are southern tip IOD and a position north of the Olympic Stadium. You can get overhead transits for LCY and you can also cross to the east.
The heli routes chart is 1:50,000 and the current edition is 13 with 14 due Sept 2010. It does not have the new VRPs - you'll have to plot those. There is a clever bit of origami which folds the chart into useable sections with creases/folds in the right place. One pilot I know has this down to something about 7' x 2".
And there's a useful online video guide for flying the routes, put together by NATS under their Airspace & Safety Initiative.
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Hi Jim, thanks for the update. All useful stuff. I am familiar with the Airspace and Safety Initiative DVD and must say it's been a very useful guide, however the area that it doesn't seem to cover much is the entry/exit around the IOD which would be useful to know about if there are any special procedures with it being more built up than most of the other entry/exits. I shall have a look for the VRP's and update my chart, are there any SOP's that I should know about for this area or are the VRP's simply to be followed for routing and used as holding points?
I can't find these VRP's either in any LCY AIP or the 1:50k chart amendments... any idea where to look? 1:50k London Helicopter Chart Amendments | VFR & Chart Information | Airspace Policy
p.s. I have the 1:50k chart but was making the point that the same data on a 1:100k would probably still suffice with regards to detail but be a little more user friendly in the cockpit
Cheers
Aucky
I can't find these VRP's either in any LCY AIP or the 1:50k chart amendments... any idea where to look? 1:50k London Helicopter Chart Amendments | VFR & Chart Information | Airspace Policy
p.s. I have the 1:50k chart but was making the point that the same data on a 1:100k would probably still suffice with regards to detail but be a little more user friendly in the cockpit
Cheers
Aucky
There was a circular - but can't find it. They are (N to S):
Banbury Reservoir.
M11 J4/North Circ.
Three Mills (marked as Tide Mill oil depot : Lea Valley nr West Ham).
Beckton nr sewage works/ A13.
Thames Barrier.
Aucky: The IOD is the end of the heli routes (currently) hence why lack of detail. Normal hold at southern tip is to fly a tight circuit, similar at northern hold over Lea Valley. You could always call City Twr for a chat before leaving (except noon Sat - noon Sun because they are closed.)
VRPs: report if requested to do so.
On EGLL AIP there is a useful pdf chart of the Heli Routes which you can print into any size you want - we have this laminated in A5 size with common freqs on reverse.
Banbury Reservoir.
M11 J4/North Circ.
Three Mills (marked as Tide Mill oil depot : Lea Valley nr West Ham).
Beckton nr sewage works/ A13.
Thames Barrier.
Aucky: The IOD is the end of the heli routes (currently) hence why lack of detail. Normal hold at southern tip is to fly a tight circuit, similar at northern hold over Lea Valley. You could always call City Twr for a chat before leaving (except noon Sat - noon Sun because they are closed.)
VRPs: report if requested to do so.
On EGLL AIP there is a useful pdf chart of the Heli Routes which you can print into any size you want - we have this laminated in A5 size with common freqs on reverse.
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Thanks for those. I have the EGLL AIP pdf you mentioned printed for reference, however i find it would be much more useful with less clutter from all the yellow roads which mostly mean diddly squat to us, and with the operating altitudes marked, but i guess then people would be more inclined to fly without the 1:50k which could lead to more trouble than it's worth.
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VRPs
As jimball has said the points are those, you can get the Lat & Long from AIP LCY Text page 1-8 http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/aip/cu..._2_EGLC_en.pdf
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Aucky,
If you PM me with an email address, I can send you a copy of an A4 chart that I generated a while ago for my students to use on heli-lanes routes: it tries to avoid exactly the problem you mention. It does not yet include the new VRPs
Helinut
If you PM me with an email address, I can send you a copy of an A4 chart that I generated a while ago for my students to use on heli-lanes routes: it tries to avoid exactly the problem you mention. It does not yet include the new VRPs
Helinut
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Hi Guys, What is the most impressive time of day to fly H4? dawn/dusk? around 30mins before sunset? I have done them many times since my previous posts, and I want to take a few people along H4 at it's most picturesque with interesting light on a nice evening (preferable to a 4am sunrise). Cheers
