Good morning Shy Torque

What about airfield overheads. If you're intending to route as directly as possible A to B, and an overhead is pretty much directly on track, would you tend to route through the overhead or would you prefer to clear it either side of the circuit pattern?

No hard and fast rules on them. I sometimes plan overhead if there is a good reason BUT I use the RT and generally go above the ATZ to give some vertical separation from the overhead joins. For example, Sywell AFIS give a good service and so I speak to them and decide my best action, but some times the "Blades" do aeros in the overhead, including above the limit of the ATZ. If that was the case, I'd obviously steer well clear. This is one occasion when I don't mind going more or less overhead an NDB - an AFIS is available "on site". Having said that, it's always possible that someone is transiting in Class G using the NDB, not talking to Sywell, not using a transponder and not looking out :eek: - so normal "see and be seen" applies as always!

If you really must penetrate an ATZ, bear in mind with 'tower' you will need to get a positive clearance, whereas with 'information' or 'radio' you will be given traffic information in order for you to assess whether it is safe to proceed without hindering other traffic, bearing in mind circuit altitude and direction. This is why we (LARS) say 'keep your own separation' when you approach an ATZ, it leaves you with the option to avoid laterally or vertically, or to give atsu a call.

Morning Chevvron

What are the approximate height and distance limitations of a RIS?

In our case, for all three sectors the minimum altitude for RIS is established at 1500ft; as for range, it really depends on how far you are from the primary radar head; roughly speaking we 'lose' 1000ft of low cover for every 10nm you are from the radar, but this is only rule of thumb; for instance I could see someone yesterday on both primary and secondary at Selsey Bill indicating 1000ft, and that's a lot more than 10nm from Pease Pottage radar head. If we don't have primary contact with you, we may limit the service by telling you we cannot inform you of non-transponding conflictions