Duchess of Cornwall's helicopter involved in two airproxes in one day

[Super VC-10]

It's being reported that a helicopter carrying the Duchess of Cornwall was involved in two airprox incidents in one flight last year. The helicopted was taking her frrom Sandringham to a location in Wiltshire.

https://metro.co.uk/2019/07/15/camillas-helicopter-involved-two-near-misses-hour-10319746/

https://www.airproxboard.org.uk/uplo...%202018185.pdf

[Raffles S.A.]

The daily Mail reckons they had to "swerve" to avoid collisions

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7244703/Camillas-helicopter-swerve-avoid-collisions-TWICE-one-hour-flew-home.html

[SamYeager]

I believe the second airprox report mentioned in the Metro article is the one below:

https://www.airproxboard.org.uk/uplo...%202018190.pdf

[ATC Watcher]

When you want to go to a flower show in an helicopter and then go VFR where there are gliders around you must fly slow, and look outside.. and I would think passing through a Parachute dropping area is not a very good idea either.
I am surprised why those VIPs ( or those responsible for their arrangements ) do not insist on flying IFR .

[Ibis]

or read NOTAMS

[crewmeal]

Better still why not use a car like most of us!

[astir 8]

No mention of the existence of FLARM and the fact that most cross country gliders can be tracked on a phone, Ipad or laptop.

[ShyTorque]

Originally Posted by crewmeal

Better still why not use a car like most of us!

A very strange statement. If everyone did that we would all be out of a job.

[ShyTorque]

Originally Posted by ATC Watcher

When you want to go to a flower show in an helicopter and then go VFR where there are gliders around you must fly slow, and look outside.. and I would think passing through a Parachute dropping area is not a very good idea either.
I am surprised why those VIPs ( or those responsible for their arrangements ) do not insist on flying IFR .

There are gliders everywhere at this time of year and believe me, these pilots are very highly experienced and look out as well as anyone else does. The IAS limit in Class G is 250kts and helicopters fly well below that speed. Neither AIRPROX took place inside a notified parachuting dropping area.

Why do you think that flying IFR in Class G would make any difference?

[Maninthebar]

Originally Posted by ATC Watcher

When you want to go to a flower show in an helicopter and then go VFR where there are gliders around you must fly slow, and look outside.. and I would think passing through a Parachute dropping area is not a very good idea either.
I am surprised why those VIPs ( or those responsible for their arrangements ) do not insist on flying IFR .

I do hope the aircrew were solely responsible for that choice and not the exalted pax (or their minders)

[LookingForAJob]

Why do you think that flying IFR in Class G would make any difference?

Ahhh, perhaps there was an assumption that flying IFR would be done inside controlled airspace which would facilitate a known traffic environment. Remember that there are a number of things in the UK which differ from the way that they're done elsewhere.

[ATC Watcher]

Originally Posted by Maninthebar

I do hope the aircrew were solely responsible for that choice and not the exalted pax (or their minders)

I hope as well but you never know with VIPs and seen the route requested .

Why do you think that flying IFR in Class G would make any difference?

Why would you go into Class G when IFR? especially at that speed. if IFR = stay in controlled airspace. but that said LookingForAJob had probable the correct answer :

Remember that there are a number of things in the UK which differ from the way that they're done elsewhere.

[Fitter2]

There are gliders everywhere at this time of year and believe me, these pilots are very highly experienced and look out as well as anyone else does.

With all due respect to power pilots, I would say rather better lookout. Firstly, glider pilots all-round view is substantially better, secondly they receive a lot of soaring information from lookout .

No glider pilot I know would regard 1 mile separation as any kind of conflict, or dream of reporting it as an AIRPROX.

(The C152 who flew straight through my thermal near Newbury last year without any deviation from straight and level, and would have collided if I hadn't taken avoiding action is another matter. I took his reg and called his Flying School. Never heard anything else - i really should have filed that one through the system).

[ShyTorque]

Why would you go into Class G when IFR? especially at that speed. if IFR = stay in controlled airspace.

Because in UK it's quite normal, legal and sometimes necessary to fly IFR in Class G airspace.
In any case, flight under IFR in controlled airspace doesn't absolve a pilot from looking out and taking avoiding action if necessary.