Copy
View this email in your browser
PLEASE USE LINKS IN ARTICLES OR CONTACT US. DO NOT USE REPLY.
 

AOPA UK Enews - July 2018


From the Top : Martin Robinson CEO
The CAA have recently published their decision on the TAG Farnborough Airspace Change Proposal.

Once again we can see that the UK airspace structure is not fit for current use and needs a complete overhaul. Something that AOPA keeps lobbying for. It is good that the CAA have taken the views of airspace users into some account in offering Farnborough a revised option.

The CAA will allow Farnborough a short period of time in which to decide whether it would rather withdraw its proposal than implement the ACP as modified which the CAA approves. If TAG Farnborough accept the CAA proposal AOPA will hold them to account in respect of giving GA access to the airspace. AOPA believes that, as a commercial business, TAG Farnborough should contribute to any costs incurred by current airspace users in order to have access.
Martin Robinson
CEO AOPA UK
 

AOPA Annual General Meeting

The 52nd Annual General Meeting of the British Light Aviation Centre Ltd, trading as the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of the UK, will be held on Friday 7th September 2018 at AOPA, 50a Cambridge Street, London, SW1V 4QQ, commencing at 2.00 p.m. The formal announcement and agenda of the AGM appears below.

A set of the financial accounts for the year ended 31st March 2018 will be provided in advance of the meeting on the AOPA UK website,  together with brief personal details of the members offering themselves for election and re-election. These data will also be available at the AGM.

The minutes of the 51st Annual General meeting can be found here.

Any member wishing to elect another member to the Board of Management must provide notice in writing or email to the AOPA office at least 10 days in advance. A statement of willingness to serve will be expected from the proposed member together with appropriate personal details. Proxy voting is permitted, either by nominating in writing or by email a member who will be present at the AGM as proxy, or by nominating the Chairman as proxy.

Following the formal business of the meeting, there will be time for informal reports from the Chairman and CEO and for general discussion.

Tea, coffee and sandwiches will be available for those attending from 1.30 p.m. and it is expected that the meeting will finish by 3.30 p.m. It is very important for planning purposes that members who intend to attend are requested to please let the AOPA office know in advance, either by telephone (020 7834 5631), email (info@aopa.co.uk), or by post to AOPA, 50a Cambridge Street, London SW1V 4QQ.


2018 AOPA Annual General Meeting

 The 52nd Annual General Meeting of the British Light Aviation Centre Limited

trading as the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of UK

will be held at AOPA, 50a Cambridge Street

London, SW1V 4QQ on Friday 7th September 2018 at 2.00 p.m.

Agenda

  1. Apologies for absence
  2. To confirm the Minutes from the 51st Annual General Meeting
  3. To receive and approve the Directors’ Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31st March 2018.
  4. The election of Directors to the Board of Management. The following Directors are due to retire by rotation: Mike Cross, Mick Elborn, Charles Henry and Nick Wilcock. Mike Cross, Mick Elborn, Charles Henry and Nick Wilcock offer themselves for re-election.
  5. To appoint as Auditors Messrs Waller & Byford, at a fee to be fixed by the Board of Management.
  6. To conduct any other business which may properly be dealt with at an Annual General Meeting.

By Order of the Board

George Done, Chairman
 

South Moor Farm / Dalby Forest Airfield HELP NEEDED
Background:

Owner and AOPA Member, Bob Walker, has spent nearly six years and made four previous planning applications in pursuit of his aim to establish an airstrip on his property.  Each of the applications have been refused both initially by the Local Planning Authority (LPA) and on appeal by the Planning Inspectorate, although each new application has taken into account the grounds for refusal of the previous application.  The latest grounds for refusal were the potential adverse impact on protected bird species resulting from the establishment of the airstrip. 

Of interest is that the Planning Inspectorate's Decision Letter after the last appeal was issued within a week of the appeal hearing and ignored evidence from various sources that protected bird species are not adversely affected by aviation activities.  Also, within the territory of the LPA is one of the largest gliding centres in the UK for which the Authority has granted planning permission for a runway extension, additional hangars and so forth without imposing any movement limits and in spite of the fact that the centre has seven times the annual glider-towing movements than the movement limit proposed for the airstrip.

The LPA has removed the permitted development right for Bob to operate his airstrip even though there had been 40 odd movements conducted there without any complaint and they have also indicated that they will not accept another planning application for the airstrip.  The net result of all this is that the only way for Bob to pursue his case is through the judicial system where, hopefully, logic will prevail.

Appeal:

So far planning applications, appeals and consultants have cost £5,000 per year over the last 5 years. The planning authority is saying they will not consider a fifth application even with an Ecological Impact assessment so a legal challenge may be necessary if they do not change their mind.

Bob needs £25,000 this year to fund the Ecological Impact Assessment, planning application and legal fees. A few friends, pilots and family have offered some financial support but he will need a lot more.Any funds raised which are not required will be split between the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and other airfield fighting funds.

If successful, Bob hopes that  the result may enable other small flying sites to be set up.

For the full story visit Bob's Crowd Funding page at  https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/david-v-goliath

Or his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/South-Moor-Farm-571117459601302/

If Bob does not obtain some support he says that he cannot continue to fight the planning authority and the final result could be used to stop other flying sites being opened.

If you can help please do so and tell other pilots and friends about the appeal.
 
Recent News from the CAA
Draft Airspace Modernisation Strategy

The CAA have published their draft Airspace Modernisation Strategy for stakeholder feedback, and welcome comments by Monday 10 September 2018.

The purpose of this stakeholder engagement exercise is for the CAA to understand your views on our new draft Airspace Modernisation Strategy which will replace their 2011 Future Airspace Strategy (FAS).

You can read the full details and take part in the survey here.

Important information for FAA airmen certificate holders

Holders of FAA airmen certificates issued on the basis of a UK licence where the UK licence number does not follow this example: GBR.FCL.PP.123456A.A should check the guidance on the CAA website if they have already applied for a UK licence issue or conversion.

These applicants will have to travel to the US for their FAA airman certificate to be reissued, if they have not provided all required documentation to the UK CAA in person by 14 September 2018.

Pilots going to the Sywell LAA Rally (31 August - 2 September) can bring their application form SRG2110 with all documentation (originals and photocopies) to the UK CAA stand.

Farnborough Airspace Change Approval

The CAA have published their decision on the Farnborough Airspace change proposal and have given approval to the introduction of controlled airspace, with some caveats.

 The CAA say that the decision has been made in the interests of safety and that suitably equipped GA aircraft will be allowed open access to segments of the new airspace. Farnborough will be required required to engage with local GA on access to other segments

An airspace change proposal by TAG Farnborough Airport has been largely approved by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The Airport’s request for the introduction of Class D airspace in its surrounding area will be met - subject to some significant concessions to the general aviation community. The CAA said that given the increase in business aviation at Farnborough Airport, there was a material safety case for introducing controlled airspace around the airport, to create a known traffic environment.
However, to accommodate the needs of other airspace users, two airspace blocks to the southwest and south of the airport will be classified as Class E, not Class D. These blocks will be notified as ‘Transponder Mandatory Zones’ (TMZ), allowing access for aircraft without the need for air traffic control clearance - providing they are equipped with a transponder. Radio equipped aircraft that lack a serviceable transponder may still be able to access these blocks through local arrangement with Farnborough air traffic control. ADS-B devices will be accepted once considered fully interoperable with ground-based safety systems.
 
Farnborough will also be required to collaborate on reasonable access arrangements for gliders in three further Class D airspace blocks in the vicinity of RAF Odiham and Lasham Airfield.
 
Commenting on the decision, Jon Round, Head of Airspace at the CAA, said: “This has been a long and complicated application and we respect the concerns of some sections of the GA community who have opposed it. However, we believe there is a very real safety case for creating a known traffic environment in the vicinity of Farnborough Airport to protect all airspace users.”
 
The CAA said that the new airspace, which will become operational in 2019, is the minimum necessary to contain the international requirements for new performance-based navigation flight procedures being introduced at Farnborough Airport.
 
Following today’s decision, the CAA reaffirmed its commitment to the safe, fair and equitable use of UK airspace. Where the establishment of controlled airspace is necessary for aviation safety – access for private pilots will always be taken into account and in some cases, such as this, the development of new lost cost, high tech conspicuity devices will support this.
 
For more information on the CAA’s decision to approve TAG Farnborough Airport’s airspace change proposal go to www.caa.co.uk/cap1678

Guidance on changes to drone laws, effective 30 July 2018

On 30 May 2018, the United Kingdom Government published an amendment to the UK Air Navigation Order 2016 (ANO) which contains its changes to the legislation regarding the operation of small unmanned aircraft.

The amendment is published as Statutory Instrument (SI) 2018 No. 623, entitled ‘The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2018’. This can be found here. Some articles (parts) of the amendment come into force on 30 July 2018, but others take a further 16 months, coming into force on 30 November 2019.

The CAA have published a guidance document with the aim of providing readers, particularly those who are less familiar with the layout and structure of ANO amendments, with an outline of the revised regulations as they now appear in law; to provide guidance on the effects of the changes; and how they will be interpreted by the CAA. This guidance document can be found here.
APPG Announces Inquiry into CAA'S Airspace Change Process

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on General Aviation has announced it intends to investigate the way that airspace changes are processed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in the UK. The Parliamentary Group’s announcement comes in the wake of a controversial decision to grant controlled zones to a further large swathe of South East airspace near Farnborough.

The wide-ranging Inquiry by parliamentarians will study the CAA’s current powers and make recommendations on how the law might be changed to address deficiencies in the current process. In addition to making representations to ministers, MPs and Lords may also introduce legislation to change the current law.

The all-party group will invite stakeholders to submit evidence, then hold Hearings in the House of Commons as part of their Inquiry. With the full Terms of Reference to be published in due course, the report is expected to cover:

  • What the overarching policy objective should be for lower-airspace
  • Whether there is sufficient parliamentary and ministerial oversight of proposed and enacted airspace changes
  • What measures should be in place to monitor and withdraw underutilised areas of controlled airspace
  • Whether airspace change sponsors should make financial contributions in return for taking away airspace from other users – similar to so-called Section 106 provisions in national planning policy

Chair’s comments

Commenting on the CAA’s Controlled Airspace Change decision for Farnborough, Chair of the 170-strong All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation, Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP said:

“We start from a position that says airspace belongs to everyone. We entirely accept that there will be cases for implementing Controlled Airspace, but are concerned the current procedure circumvents parliamentary and ministerial oversight; both in terms of policy direction and decision-making.

If you are a housebuilder and propose construction on the local community’s playing field, then you will be expected to make a contribution to fund sport elsewhere. It might well be time for this so-called Section 106 approach to be applied to airspace changes. The Farnborough decision impacts on a large number of other aviators, so should the Sponsor be required to compensate other air users like the gliding community, who will now require Transponders to transit Class E airspace, for example.

Furthermore, the CAA’s controversial decision on Farnborough airspace has raised another issue about where power lies to make such decisions. Currently the CAA quite literally writes its own rules using Civil Aviation Publications, or CAPs, and then judges the outcome of any applications. The CAA recently updated its process for deciding on airspace changes, moving from CAP725 to CAP1616. However, there has been no known parliamentary or ministerial oversight of this process. This means that both the actual airspace decision and indeed even the rules being applied, have gone through absolutely no democratic filter. This does not seem right to the all-party group and so if ministers are not prepared to take an interest, then Parliament will have to take control.

The all-party group represents 170 parliamentarians who believe that it is time to have a look at the laws which govern how our airspace is carved up. Once our investigation and report is concluded, we will present our findings to Government ministers and potentially look to our members to sponsor legislation to amend the lower airspace policy and the decision-making process in the UK.”

Parliamentary Chair of the APPG’s Airspace Working Group, Lord Kirkhope commented: “The APPG regards this airspace change as a test case. Currently the CAA and Airspace Change Sponsors (usually airports) make changes under a set of rules devised by the CAA, with little Ministerial guidance – nowadays described in the document CAP1616.

However, as MPs and Lords we are clear that the right to govern how our airspace is divided up ultimately rests with Parliament. We will therefore watch the implementation of this significant airspace change very carefully."

“Parliamentarians are already exercised about the apparent inability of the CAA to amend or withdraw controlled airspace once it has been allocated. Therefore, after issuing a Call for Evidence and holding Hearings in Parliament, we may choose to produce a report, making recommendations to Parliament and the Secretary of State about the future framework of UK low level airspace.”

Sector Chair of the Airspace Working Group, Pete Stratten said: “The Farnborough decision is the most significant change to south east airspace in terms of volume, complexity and impact on the aviation community. It has therefore been controversial and highly argued. Subject to any Judicial Review the decision is now made, so we will judge the outcome based on its real-world impact.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation believes that our airspace belongs to everyone. Removing it from certain users must come with responsibilities. Equitable access is therefore paramount.

As a result, it is imperative that the proposed solution is thoroughly modelled before implementation, and reviewed after it has been implemented. We will be monitoring all aspects of this process across all elements of the proposed airspace. In addition, we will remain in close contact with General Aviation users in the area, including Lasham and Parham, to understand the impact of this new airspace on their actual operations.”

The Airspace Working Group of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation plans to launch an Inquiry into Lower Airspace Changes, announcing its Terms of Reference in due course. Anyone interested in participating in or helping to shape the Terms should contact ellis@generalaviationappg.uk. More details of the Inquiry will be made available shortly.

Alternatively you may let Martin Robinson, CEO AOPA UK, know your views by email: martin@aopa.co.uk.


FI Refresher Seminars
AOPA are running FI(A) Refresher Seminars in London on the following dates:
  • 7 & 8 November 2018
  • 8 & 9 January 2019
  • 14 & 15 May 2019
  • 3 & 4 December 2019
Seminars cost £240 (inc VAT) for members and £275 (inc VAT) for non members. See full details and book online here.

If you are an FI(H) we recommend:

Helicopter Services at Wycombe Air Park. These seminars are run by Geoff Day and are run approx every 3 months at Helicopter Services Ltd, Wycombe Air Park (Booker). They are 2-day seminars, are only open and applicable to helicopter instructors and usually held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Please contact Helicopter Services on 01494 513166 or email info@helicopterservices.co.uk for details.

Helicentre Aviation Ltd at Leicester Airport for dates and booking see here.


PPL Ground School in Central London

Seven Sundays to complete all nine exams. 

Pick and choose your dates.  £195/day including one exam (exams £35 each)

Air Law Ops & Procedures 02/09/2018, 21/10/2018, 09/12/2018

Navigation 09/09/2018, 28/10/2018, 16/12/2018

Flight Planning & Performance 16/09/2018, 04/11/2018, 06/01/2019

Meteorology 23/09/2018, 11/11/2018, 13/01/2019

Principles of Flight 30/09/2018, 18/11/2018, 20/01/2019

Aircraft General Knowledge 07/10/2018, 25/11/2018, 27/01/2019

HP&L and Communications 14/10/2018, 02/12/2018, 03/02/2019

Equipment and study materials available for purchase from the AOPA shop located above the classroom.

Contact Adam Winter 07985 969018 if you have any questions.

To reserve a place go to the AOPA UK Website here.
 

Members Working Group
AOPA has a proud tradition of member involvement, many of whom give their time voluntarily to the benefit of all members.

For individual Members, Pauline Vahey chairs the long running Members Working Group (MWG) which is open to any member. You can read more about the MWG here.

AOPA MWG Meetings 2018 (All are Saturdays)

September 29th            White Waltham
November 24th             TBA
 
If you are interested in joining a meeting, or would like to host a future meeting, please contact Pauline Vahey. Meetings normally run from 10:30 to 15:30.

AOPA also runs these influential Committees and Groups:

Corporate Members Committee
Training Committee
Maintenance Working Group

Please email the office for further information.
                               
Copyright © 2018 AOPA UK, All rights reserved.


unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences