"...you can just land."
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
From: UK
I once had to land in a field in the summer. A dozy wasp awoke to find himself travelling faster then he'd ever been before. On my own I wouldn't have worried too much but I had my wife and two young children aboard. The youngest flipped when she saw it. Made a hasty stop and let the stowaway get outout (suitable aided with a rolled up chart) 
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: Hong Kong
In relation to the comments expressed about the views of the CAA ..........
Safety Regulation Group (SRG) is interested in safety. If, despite sensible pre flight planning you still get caught out by weather - it is most unlikely that SRG would wish to take any action. What it boils down to is "is it safer to land and wait for the conditions to improve than to continue?"
Many of the previous contributors have made entirely valid points about the risks involved with such a decision.
The trouble is.... all too often, pilots (especially the less experienced) make an inappropriate decision to launch when they should remain with their feet planted firmly on the ground. The unacceptably high accident rate in non public transport flights in the UK in recent years will attest to this.
If in doubt - stay on the ground.......................
Safety Regulation Group (SRG) is interested in safety. If, despite sensible pre flight planning you still get caught out by weather - it is most unlikely that SRG would wish to take any action. What it boils down to is "is it safer to land and wait for the conditions to improve than to continue?"
Many of the previous contributors have made entirely valid points about the risks involved with such a decision.
The trouble is.... all too often, pilots (especially the less experienced) make an inappropriate decision to launch when they should remain with their feet planted firmly on the ground. The unacceptably high accident rate in non public transport flights in the UK in recent years will attest to this.
If in doubt - stay on the ground.......................
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 528
Likes: 0
From: London
Beacon Inbound:
I don't want to wander too far from the topic, but this statement 'The unacceptably high accident rate in non public transport flights in the UK in recent years will attest to this' begs clarification.
Granted, a single accident is one too many. But over the past ten years the number of fatal light helicopter accidents in the UK has fallen sharply, when compared with the number of hours flown.
I don't like people throwing off comments like yours, because some bureaucrat will believe it, or at least see an opportunity, and get it into his head that something must be done.
Do you by any chance (a) have some involvement with the CAA or (b) have figures to back up your 'unacceptably high' remark?
I don't want to wander too far from the topic, but this statement 'The unacceptably high accident rate in non public transport flights in the UK in recent years will attest to this' begs clarification.
Granted, a single accident is one too many. But over the past ten years the number of fatal light helicopter accidents in the UK has fallen sharply, when compared with the number of hours flown.
I don't like people throwing off comments like yours, because some bureaucrat will believe it, or at least see an opportunity, and get it into his head that something must be done.
Do you by any chance (a) have some involvement with the CAA or (b) have figures to back up your 'unacceptably high' remark?
