Silverstone Brief 2008 & 2009
 

A warning to my fellow operators. I have just received details of the brief for Silverstone 2008 which contained the following:

'This briefing is mandatory for every pilot, without exception, who intends to fly in to Silverstone during the 2008 GP event. This is upon the assistance the Silverstone ATC, the CAA and Silverstone Circuits Ltd.'

I phoned to question this and it is accurate, they really mean that EVERY individual pilot who will be flying in will have to attend.

For our company this will mean not being able to take regular clients to work Monday morning, paying several freelance pilots a days wage and a lost duty day for us all. And all this on the 30th June.

Not clever.

Seems to me that this is poorly thought through and would suggest to other operators and freelance pilots that they contact Silverstone ATC and/or their FOI to put their case.

surely a better approach would be to make it mandatory for low experience pilots I.e less than 1000hrs, all first timers, and AOC chief pilots/deputies for briefing other line pilots who have flown into silverstone before?

Has the world gone mad!!!:ugh: Does the CAA really have the authority to ground all aircraft on the 30th June, as this is effectively what will happen if all pilots are summonds to Turweston?

When I did it in '97 and '98 they had relaxed it to cascade briefing by the individual who had been to the briefing. I guess they did not like the quality this achieved and therefore hardened their stance. I think if you have done it twice it should be safe to have briefing from the chief pilot about the changes.

Great!

1 days wages lost!
Expense of driving up there.

Why do we let them get away with it??

If we all said "B-----x" then they would have no money coming in that day (All those landing fees!!) and would rethink!

Arghhhhhhhhhh!

I think they should make you sit a Silverstone groundschool exam before being allowed to fly. Of course, this exam would only be valid for three years. ho ho.

I am constantly suprised there is ANY helicopter flying in this country due regulation and cost.

That would make sense. Then, at least you'd know that some of the chumps had bothered to read the brief... :mad:


;)

It has always been mandatory at the Silverstone brief, but some companies like Bristow were allowed to send a senior pilot who was then responsible in making sure all attending pilots were properly briefed. If this has been stopped then the briefing room at Silverstone will be too small and perhaps the Royal Albert Hall might just accommodate!!!!

Calm down peeps

pitot212 is correct, nothing has changed since I started going - not as long as some of you old boys I admit.

Maybe some of you regulars just haven't read the brief over the last few years to know that it is "mandatory" reading ;-).

There are ways and there are ways.

John

I agree with misterbonkers
its same old, same old every year. There is never anything in the brief that could not be relayed by a co worker.
It is just coveryabackelitis from a non regulated body who answer to nobody and don't have to compete in a comercial enviroment to make any money. I believe this is the platform to say enough is enough. Lets show the bureaucrats at cash and aggro that this over regulation is unacceptable.
If you have flown in before they can't seriously insist you bin a day at work to drive to Northants to listen to two minutes of diffrences from last year. Everybody, bombard Fred Angry with your complaint and if nessasery lets get organised and boycott the brief. If push came to shove would they realisticaly stop a hundred plus experienced pilots carrying passengers willing to pay there £550 landing parking and taking off fees?

Why should Fred care?

He's the CAA Chief Examiner. The Silverstone brief hardly falls under his jurisdiction.

I have just read the proposal with disbelief. I could understand the issue 5 or 6 years ago when one had to wait outside the tra for permission to enter and take up the hold with 20 other machines. Last flew in 3 years ago with an owner, no holds no waiting ,straight in with a 10.35 slot time. Now the amount of helis is down why such a big breifing for everyone, hardly needed.
It would be funny if no one attended, Silverstone needs to wise up , not only on this but its ridiculous landing fees ( 3 years ago twin squirrel £ 650 - makes Battersea seem quite cheap, talk about taking the michael )
Think this will be another nail in the coffin of punters flying in as prices will be going up !

This briefing is mandatory for every pilot, without exception, who intends to fly in to Silverstone during the 2008 GP event. This is upon the insistence the Silverstone ATC, the CAA and Silverstone Circuits Ltd.Maybe we should all invoice them 'en-masse' for our time/expenses to attend the brief.

Daft question from daft bint - how can they police it?

So Tarquin the pilot is due to be flying in to Silverstone but, he cannot make it so he briefs his no. 2 Torquil to do it. Torquil bowls up to the circuit, does everything by the book but Silverstone ATC say

SATC: What is your name?
Torquil: Torquil Proot.
SATC: Did you sign the school register when you came to the briefing?
Torquil: No, I didn't.
SATC: Well, you can't land here, go away.

Seriously, how would it work in practice?

Cheers

Whirls

Only a guess but:

A Silverstone callsign is only allocated if there is a corresponding signature on the 'I've attended the briefing' sheet.

IIRC, Special Branch/Silverstone need passenger manifests for each flight (including the pilot's name.) These names could then be cross checked against the 'I've attended the briefing' sheet.

So if a pilot was ill on the day, a replacement pilot can't be used? Everyone had make sure they're up to date with their jabs and take lots of Vitamin C and zinc then! :}

Cheers

Whirls

Special Branch/Silverstone need passenger manifests for each flight

Special branch? I thought that was just for flights to/from foreign countries?

Foreign countries? I thought it was just Northern Ireland!!! :}

Cheers

Whirls

For Silverstone terrorism is a major concern hence the need for SB. Whirls with regards to your comment earlier you are not that far from the truth.Bravo73 is right and on your initial call to Silverstone pilots must confirm all the details of the aircraft. Like the bouncer at the door says.. if your name is not on the list then you ain’t coming in!

luckily my pilot has changed his name by deed poll to the same as mine so either of us can fly in :ok: We will be in and out a lot each day doing some charter and maybe some lease work as well ....( whatever the difference is ..)
I think the time has come for the campaign against aviation to get a lesson in reality !! First thing to be done is to get all aoc operators to withold all payments and operate legally without the certificate ...that may just make them take notice and realise that they are killing the goose....:ugh: