London CTR Review
 

Amongst the recommendations.....closing heli routes along the river to single engine helis when there are events taking place on the river.

London CTR Review Group Report

Here

And a new heliroute up the Lea Valley by the look of things...

Interesting. I'd always assumed that the heliroutes were closed to general traffic on boatrace day anyway. Even if they're not formally closed I can just imagine the clearance "can you accept a delay of up to five hours at Gutteridge" !

I was a bit puzzled by this bit: We can't get into the london CTR without SVFR, and I thought that SVFR had a vis limit of 10km for PPLs and 3km for CPLs. However someone was trying to tell me the other day that those are fixed wing limits and heli SVFR vis is the same as VFR, ie coc/isos and vis approriate to speed. Anyone got a view ?

Yup. It'll be either 800m or 3000m, depending on your licence. I think that's what the next round of consultation will say.

Yes that's what's probably coming, but I was thinking about currently. I've just had a quick scan of the ANO and the only references to vis limits for SVFR are in the plank licensing section, so it looks like for helis currently it's as they say coc/isos and no specific vis.

You need 6km or more before you will be offered vis separation on the routes.

You need 1000m or more of in flight visibility to fly on the routes at all. (Otherwise if LHR could be in 400m RVR and it could be clear as a bell at bagshot)

When it comes to crossing or inbound to LHR - thats when it becomes a little trickier.............

Thanks for that, I take it that's an ATC 'house procedure' rather than something in the rules ?

Sort of Punto - and that is the problem. (when you say "in House" I think it was written by NATS for our procedures, with CAA backing of course)

Have a look at the zone map labelled "A N T" (for ALL/NOTHING/TWIN) dividing the LCTR.

That was not published anywhere else - and explains why some pilots sound p***ed off with us sometimes!

On a serious note, I have a PowerPoint presentation that I took to the RAF a few times in the last 2 years. Mike T and I are always happy to come to a unit/organisation/flying school and present it again.

I might take you up on that. We have a load of studes for whom going on the heliroutes post qual represents the pinnacle of their achievement. It would be wonderful if they could have a brief from the horse's mouth (so to speak !).

Just PM me and we can sort something out.

It is on my laptop and ready to go! :) (including some navigational errors played back from radar recordings to show why it is important not to forget to navigate - despite the urge to gaze at the great views!)