UK Accidents
Mike Cohler
The past week has been a very depressing start to the good flying season,
which is all the more the same as the weather has been really excellent.
On Saturday well known aerobatic display pilot, Pete Clarke, who does
dozens of displays per year in the Slingsby T67m Firefly was killed when
his aircraft went into an inverted spin at Old Warden during a display.
The same weekend a glider collided with a light aircraft over Aylesbury
in Hertfordshire, resulting in the death of the power pilot when his
aircraft hit the ground and burned. The glider pilots managed to land
their damaged aircraft without major injury.
On Monday at Sherburn Aero Club a beautifully fitted out Warrior was
seriously damaged when the pilot landed downwind, and instead of going
around when it became obvious he was not going to make the runway,
continued to descend into a field beyond the runway, wrecking the
nosewheel, the prop, and shockloading the engine.
Finally yesterday at Sutton Bank a 4 day old Discus was totalled when the
pilot made a total mess of his approach, and made huge leaps into the
air, and back several times before spinning in from several tens of
feet.
The good summer weather is here at last, and the rusty, the experienced,
and the winter hibernationists are all out to take their favourite charge
into the sky. If you are not very current and the conditions are not
all that easy, please take a check flight. If you are not thinking
quickly and clearly about wind conditions please take a check flight, and
if you do not maintain a really good lookout, then get practice with
someone else in command before you leap into the crowded skies.
These accidents cost not only the pilots a great deal, but cost all of
the flying community in lack of public respect, and public worry, as well
as increased cost of insurance, and less aircraft available for the rest
of us to fly. Let's all try and have an accident free season the rest
of 1996.
Mike
A.Murray
Mike Cohler <md...@york.ac.uk> wrote:
[snip]
>which is all the more the same as the weather has been really excellent.
Not where I've been!
>The same weekend a glider collided with a light aircraft over Aylesbury
This wording suggests that the glider hit the light aircraft... Is that what
happened? My experience to date is that glider pilots generally are better at look
out that many pilots of light aircraft - I have had to take avoiding action on
several occasions in the past.
>Finally yesterday at Sutton Bank a 4 day old Discus was totalled when the
>pilot made a total mess of his approach, and made huge leaps into the
>air, and back several times before spinning in from several tens of
>feet.
The Discus is an easy glider to fly so there must have been a good reason for this
to happen. Without wishing to blame or flame in ANY way, it would be useful to the
gliding community to have some idea of why this happened when the cause is
determined. (Repeat NO BLAME - NO FLAME - need to learn to prevent repetition.)
>The good summer weather is here at last, and the rusty, the experienced,
>and the winter hibernationists are all out to take their favourite charge
>into the sky. If you are not very current and the conditions are not
>all that easy, please take a check flight.
Recently when on duty as instructor I was approached by a moderately experienced
pilot (who is also an AEI) for permission to fly his own glider. "Are you current?"
"Oh yes!" he replied. "OK when did you last fly?" "Well, I passed my annual check
a month ago, and I flew a few times during the winter. I last flew my own glider in
September." (That is SEVEN months ago!!!) The pilot in question was rather nettled
when I commented that I did not consider this to be CURRENT. With this pilot's
experience I had no reason to refuse him permission to fly as he was within the club
guidelines/rules - but I was concerned at his attitude. He subsequently landed out
from this flight - perfectly safely - but I suspect he was rustier that he cared to
admit. I have considerably more flying hours and I would never have described
myself as "current" in those circumstances.
Problem - "current" is a subjective term. Pilots perceptions are likely to be
different from those of the instructors responsible for them. The "recency"
required by a pilot to remain current will vary with the pilot and her/his total
flying experience. Where and how to draw the line...?
If the pilot I briefed had crashed on his field landing I would rightly have been in
the firing line. If I had said that a check flight was necessary I would have been
seen as being unfair, unreasonable and excessively zealous! As with so many things
in gliding this is a matter of judgement - and of pilots ultimately taking
responsibility for themselves.
>Let's all try and have an accident free season the rest
>of 1996.
>
>Mike
Hear Hear!
Alistair
sis...@cencom.net
> The past week has been a very depressing start to the good flying season,
> which is all the more the same as the weather has been really excellent.
>
> On Saturday well known aerobatic display pilot, Pete Clarke, who does
> dozens of displays per year in the Slingsby T67m Firefly was killed when
> his aircraft went into an inverted spin at Old Warden during a display.
>
> The same weekend a glider collided with a light aircraft over Aylesbury
> in Hertfordshire, resulting in the death of the power pilot when his
> aircraft hit the ground and burned. The glider pilots managed to land
> their damaged aircraft without major injury.
>
> On Monday at Sherburn Aero Club a beautifully fitted out Warrior was
> seriously damaged when the pilot landed downwind, and instead of going
> around when it became obvious he was not going to make the runway,
> continued to descend into a field beyond the runway, wrecking the
> nosewheel, the prop, and shockloading the engine.
>
> Finally yesterday at Sutton Bank a 4 day old Discus was totalled when the
> pilot made a total mess of his approach, and made huge leaps into the
> air, and back several times before spinning in from several tens of
> feet.
>
> The good summer weather is here at last, and the rusty, the experienced,
> and the winter hibernationists are all out to take their favourite charge
> into the sky. If you are not very current and the conditions are not
> all that easy, please take a check flight. If you are not thinking
> quickly and clearly about wind conditions please take a check flight, and
> if you do not maintain a really good lookout, then get practice with
> someone else in command before you leap into the crowded skies.
>
> These accidents cost not only the pilots a great deal, but cost all of
> the flying community in lack of public respect, and public worry, as well
> as increased cost of insurance, and less aircraft available for the rest
> of us to fly. Let's all try and have an accident free season the rest
> of 1996.
>
> Mike
Mike; good article I enjoy reading info from UK. Send us some news regularly if you
get a chance, especially in the homebuilt or aerobatic areas.
Wx here is finally turning warm and no doubt will go from winter to summer with not
much in between. We are having lots of rain in the Central US, about like our flood
year of '93.
Lots of guys are starting to get out their open planes now.
CUL Phil Litchfield, Il. Pitts N1GB K9DNH
Michael Bywater
In article <4mvce4$l...@kwuz.nerc-keyworth.ac.uk>, "A.Murray" <bas.ac.uk> wrote:
[snip]
> Problem - "current" is a subjective term. Pilots perceptions are likely
to be
> different from those of the instructors responsible for them. The "recency"
> required by a pilot to remain current will vary with the pilot and
her/his total
> flying experience. Where and how to draw the line...?
>
It is difficult. But I was taught (more years ago than I care to think
about) that check rides weren't ssome sort of punishment to be grudgingly
endured, but (a) a privilege and (b) quite often fun.
I don't want to sound like a goody-two-shoes - God knows, I'm not one -
but I do actually take more check rides than I legally/for insurance
purposes need. And I've never regretted one, or walked away from one
without having learned something - even if it's only a bad habit I've
gotten into without realizing.
I often think that was the most enduring legacy of my original instructor.
It's one I appreciate more now than I did at the time.
--
Michael
Phil Swallow
Seconded. Never know so much you can't learn something else.
Phil Swallow
>ph...@migrant.compulink.co.uk
>ps...@cix.compulink.co.uk
David W Guest
Regarding the glider/light aircraft mid-air, my understanding (which is
about 6th hand!) is that the glider was in straight flight at normal
airspeed and was hit from behind by the powered plane. Damage to the
glider was a lost wing tip but it went on to land safely. The powered
plane went on to hit the ground hard. There is lot's of speculation
about how this could happen but we should wait for the inquiry to sort
things out.
David Guest.
These are my own opinions.
Alex France
In article <4n6ott$2...@phunn1.sbphrd.com>,
David W Guest <David_...@sbphrd.com> wrote:
>Regarding the glider/light aircraft mid-air, my understanding (which is
>about 6th hand!) is that the glider was in straight flight at normal
>airspeed and was hit from behind by the powered plane. Damage to the
>glider was a lost wing tip but it went on to land safely. The powered
>plane went on to hit the ground hard.
I had heard from our maintenance guy that it was a motor glider (one
that he maintains) - and that it sustained damage to both the vertical
stabiliser and rudder as well as the wing tip and aileron. Yes, it was
run down from behind, but I also heard that the power plane was a glider
tug - presumably out of Aylesbury-Thame. We had flown over there on
the day of the accident.
Lets keep alert out there and aware of glider sites - they are often very
difficult to see until they turn.
Alex, AA5 G-BEZI.
I Johnston
A.Murray (bas.ac.uk) wrote:
: Mike Cohler <md...@york.ac.uk> wrote:
: >Finally yesterday at Sutton Bank a 4 day old Discus was totalled when the
: >pilot made a total mess of his approach, and made huge leaps into the
: >air, and back several times before spinning in from several tens of
: >feet.
: The Discus is an easy glider to fly so there must have been a good reason for this
: to happen. Without wishing to blame or flame in ANY way, it would be useful to the
: gliding community to have some idea of why this happened when the cause is
: determined. (Repeat NO BLAME - NO FLAME - need to learn to prevent repetition.)
I understand that the pilot was trying to raise the undercarriage and
fly left hand when he came off tow at 3000'. This resulted in massive
PIO which continued to the very fast, no airbrake approach. This is not
official or guaranteed. I saw everything except the final impact. Investigations
are underway and will be in S&G in due course. AFAIK AAIB are not
involved as the pilot was not injured.
The lesson seems to be, as they say, "Fly the bloody aircraft".
Ian
I Johnston
Michael Bywater (m...@bywater.demon.co.uk) wrote:
: It is difficult. But I was taught (more years ago than I care to think
: about) that check rides weren't ssome sort of punishment to be grudgingly
: endured, but (a) a privilege and (b) quite often fun.
The thing that puts me off more than anything else about some clubs is
the use of 2-seater flying as a punishment for misbehaviour rather than
as additional needed education. To have flying with an
instructor as a cause for shame is as unproductive - and I believe
potentially as dangerous - a practice as you can get.
The overwhelming majority of us want to do it right, and those that
don't are unlikely to be cured of that attitude by a K13 circuit or two.
Ian
Bruce Hoult
m...@bywater.demon.co.uk (Michael Bywater) writes:
> In article <4mvce4$l...@kwuz.nerc-keyworth.ac.uk>, "A.Murray" <bas.ac.uk> wrote:
> [snip]
>
> > Problem - "current" is a subjective term. Pilots perceptions are likely
> to be
> > different from those of the instructors responsible for them. The "recency"
> > required by a pilot to remain current will vary with the pilot and
> her/his total
> > flying experience. Where and how to draw the line...?
> >
>
> about) that check rides weren't ssome sort of punishment to be grudgingly
> endured, but (a) a privilege and (b) quite often fun.
>
> but I do actually take more check rides than I legally/for insurance
> purposes need. And I've never regretted one, or walked away from one
> without having learned something - even if it's only a bad habit I've
> gotten into without realizing.
I think it's been quite a long time since I took a check ride at my local
club -- except for the annual instrumentless circuit and landing competition,
which is I guess quite a good check ride after all...
But if you fly club gliders occasionally at other sites then you get plenty
of check rides, which is -- I admit -- reassuring about your flying. I
guess this logbook note from a flight at a new airfield on December 26 is
typical: "Conversion to Puchazc - Kaimai ridge and broken thermals to 4000'
- baulked approach, person in middle of landing path - excellent flying."
-- Bruce
nightjar
In article <4n6ott$2...@phunn1.sbphrd.com>, David W Guest <David_...@sbphrd.com> says:
>
>Regarding the glider/light aircraft mid-air, my understanding (which is
>about 6th hand!) is that the glider was in straight flight at normal
>airspeed and was hit from behind by the powered plane. Damage to the
>glider was a lost wing tip but it went on to land safely. The powered
>about how this could happen but we should wait for the inquiry to sort
>things out.
>
The Air Accident Investigation Branch of the Department of
Transport has it own Web site on which all reports on UK air
accidents are published. http://www.open.gov.uk/aaib/aaibhome.htm
is the home page address. Given how long investigations take,
I would advise against holding your breath. Meanwhile, among
the very few gory bits there are lots of mundane reports on such
subjects as an airliner hit by a baggage loader.
Nightjar
Greg Scott
As instructors we teach our pupils to 'aviate, navigate and
communicate' in that order.
Over the years, I've seen behaviour along the lines of: "I
wasn't current before I took off but I am now (after landing)
!"
I do believe with some wilful pilots that they will actively
avoid a check flight after a lay off by presenting themselves
to the "less-enthusiastic" duty instructor who will not insist
on high flying standards. We've all seen it at our Clubs !
It's up to the senior instructors/CFI to keep an eye on this
type of thing.
Greg
I Johnston
Alex France (a...@crosfield.co.uk) wrote:
: Lets keep alert out there and aware of glider sites - they are often very
: difficult to see until they turn.
Absolutely. The number of times I have seen dozy light aircraft pilots
wander across glding sites at less than winching height ... go they ever
read the aeronautical charts.
Remember, powered chums, it's not just lots of little aircraft. It's
half mile lengths of quarter inch diameter high tensile steel cable.
Think barrage balloon.
Ian
Rich Ahrens
I Johnston (ia...@tattoo.ed.ac.uk) wrote:
: Absolutely. The number of times I have seen dozy light aircraft pilots
: wander across glding sites at less than winching height ... go they ever
: read the aeronautical charts.
: Remember, powered chums, it's not just lots of little aircraft. It's
: half mile lengths of quarter inch diameter high tensile steel cable.
Could you elaborate a bit more for a student pilot (in powered craft)?
I've never heard of this, and it has never been mentioned in my
training. Gliders, to me, have always implied towing, and that's what I
look for when I see the little symbol on the charts. Heck, I even went
up for a 45-minute ride in a dual glider to get a better idea what is
was all about. (The pilot let me handle the stick from drop-off to
pattern entry, in fact he even let me do a stall. I can see that the
sport could be addictive.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|Rich Ahrens | Homepage: http://www.winternet.com/~rma/ |
|r...@winternet.com|--------------------------------------------------|
| "Nobody talks more of free enterprise and competition and of the |
| best man winning than the man who inherited his father's store |
| or farm." - C. Wright Mills |
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Alex France
In article <4nvc61$k...@blackice.winternet.com>,
Rich Ahrens <r...@winternet.com> wrote:
>I Johnston (ia...@tattoo.ed.ac.uk) wrote:
>: Absolutely. The number of times I have seen dozy light aircraft pilots
>: wander across glding sites at less than winching height ... go they ever
>: read the aeronautical charts.
>I've never heard of this, and it has never been mentioned in my
In Europe it is quite common to launch gliders off winch lines. You attach
one end of a steel cable to the glider down one end of the field and
the other end goes to (usually diesel) powered winch at the other end
of the field. Signals having been suitable exchanged, the winch hauls
in the cable at a rate of knots and the glider goes up in the air like
someone lit a rocket underneath it. As the glider goes overhead the winch
he lets go the cable. They usually attach a small parachute to the
cable so you can see it fall.
Steel cables falling through the air are not exactly pleasure enhancing
if you fly into them.
Is this method not common in the US?
Alex, AA5 G-BEZI and glider site avoider.
Bert Willing
r...@winternet.com (Rich Ahrens) wrote:
>Could you elaborate a bit more for a student pilot (in powered craft)?
>I've never heard of this, and it has never been mentioned in my
>look for when I see the little symbol on the charts. Heck, I even went
Its quite easy: A lot of clubs (I don't know how many in the US, but in
Europe A LOT) operate winch launching. It has the advantage of low price
(about 1/5 of an aerotow) and if the airfield is well located, you'll
gain about 1200 ft and you can easily snatch a thermal.
So, at the downwind end of the airfield you have that winch which
basically consists of a big motor connected to a big drum. You draw a
cable along the runway to the glider, hook it and off you go.
At such an airfield NEVER cross the center of the runway below 600ft AGL
unless you are positive that there is no winch launch (often indicated
by a beacon). And after the glider is released, it also takes some
seconds (maybe 20) before the end of the cable (on a small parachute)
has touched down.
In Germany there have been two quite nasty accidents of which I know
which involved a mid-air between a fighter and a glider on winch launch,
and a Cessna and the falling end of the cable.
If you see a club doing this, maybe you can have a try.
Cheers Bert
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
F L Whiteley
In article <4nvc61$k...@blackice.winternet.com>, Rich Ahrens (r...@winternet.com) writes:
>I Johnston (ia...@tattoo.ed.ac.uk) wrote:
>: Absolutely. The number of times I have seen dozy light aircraft pilots
>: wander across glding sites at less than winching height ... go they ever
>: read the aeronautical charts.
>: half mile lengths of quarter inch diameter high tensile steel cable.
>
>I've never heard of this, and it has never been mentioned in my
>training. Gliders, to me, have always implied towing, and that's what I
>look for when I see the little symbol on the charts. Heck, I even went
>was all about. (The pilot let me handle the stick from drop-off to
>pattern entry, in fact he even let me do a stall. I can see that the
>sport could be addictive.)
>
Europe than North America, but I anticipate increased usage at SSA
in the future.
Imagine a cable, wire, or rope run of 3500-4500 feet. Similar to
launching a kite, a winch or vehicle puts the launch into motion.
Gliders, in 50 to 90 seconds, will climb to about 1200 to 2500 feet
AGL, depending on conditions(headwind, run length, pole bending,
etc). Anything or anyone encountering the launch line in motion
will suffer.
Transient aircraft overflying an airfield where ground launch is in
use will not easily see a launch cable. Use of flashing lights on
the launch vehicles and 'traffic' frequencies at uncontrolled
airfields may help warn the unwary. The presence of a glider on a
runway, sans towplane, is not assurance that a launch is not about
to commence.
Francis
Glider contests are rain magnets. Held on holiday weekends, they
can nearly guarantee monsoons, floods, and/or tornadoes. Watch
this space to see if the Eastern Colorado drought is broken soon.
SSA Region 9 Contest Contest 27 May-01 Jun. Practice 26 May.
Geoff Butler
In article <4nvc61$k...@blackice.winternet.com>
r...@winternet.com "Rich Ahrens" writes:
> : Remember, powered chums, it's not just lots of little aircraft. It's
> : half mile lengths of quarter inch diameter high tensile steel cable.
>
> Could you elaborate a bit more for a student pilot (in powered craft)?
> I've never heard of this, and it has never been mentioned in my
> training.
In the UK at least, the air maps have the word 'cables' next to
the G symbol for gliding sites that launch by winch. Is this an
international convention? I've seen what a 200 kw diesel driving
4.5mm stranded cable can do when it's behaving as a bandsaw, and
I'm quite sure that it could saw the wing off a light aircraft,
and probably a military aircraft as well.
Geoff Butler
nightjar
In article <4nvc61$k...@blackice.winternet.com>, r...@winternet.com (Rich Ahrens) says:
>
>I Johnston (ia...@tattoo.ed.ac.uk) wrote:
>: Absolutely. The number of times I have seen dozy light aircraft pilots
>: wander across glding sites at less than winching height ... go they ever
>: read the aeronautical charts.
Possibly, but I'll bet they think that they are really over a different
bit of countryside. Several times I've spent anxious minutes looking
for aircraft who have radioed their position as over the same town
as me, only to see them over a completely different one.
>: Remember, powered chums, it's not just lots of little aircraft. It's
>: half mile lengths of quarter inch diameter high tensile steel cable.
>
>Could you elaborate a bit more for a student pilot (in powered craft)?
>I've never heard of this, and it has never been mentioned in my
>training. Gliders, to me, have always implied towing, and that's what I
>look for when I see the little symbol on the charts.(snip)
Towing can just as easily be done from the ground with a winch
and, in this case, there is a long steel cable joining the glider
in the air to the winch on the ground. On UK charts sites which
use this launch method are marked 'Cables'. The cables are
quite invisible and, even once the glider has released, all
that cable still takes a long time to fall to the ground.
It is, in any case advisable to give gliding sites a wide berth -
gliders have right of way over powered craft. Having cables hanging
in the air for up to 3,000 feet agl, makes it doubly advisable.
A recent GAZIL showed a photo of an aircraft which had strayed
into a glider cable - the wing had a cut right back to the main spar.
Nightjar
Socata TB-9 G-BJDT
Geoff Butler
In article <832865...@gbutler.demon.co.uk>
Ge...@gbutler.demon.co.uk "Geoff Butler" writes:
> In the UK at least, the air maps have the word 'cables' next to
> the G symbol for gliding sites that launch by winch. Is this an
> international convention? I've seen what a 200 kw diesel driving
> 4.5mm stranded cable can do when it's behaving as a bandsaw, and
> I'm quite sure that it could saw the wing off a light aircraft,
> and probably a military aircraft as well.
I wrote that on Thursday. On Saturday, I was driving the winch
with a K8 on the wire, near the top of the launch at 1700'. A
light aircraft came directly over my head from behind, at about
30 degrees to the line of the launch and at an estimated (by the
K8 pilot) 1800-1900'. Ten seconds later, the K8 would have reached
the top at 2000' and I'd know first-hand about sawing wings off
light aircraft. Frightening, isn't it.
Geoff Butler
I Johnston
Geoff Butler (Ge...@gbutler.demon.co.uk) wrote:
: I wrote that on Thursday. On Saturday, I was driving the winch
: with a K8 on the wire, near the top of the launch at 1700'. A
: light aircraft came directly over my head from behind, at about
: 30 degrees to the line of the launch and at an estimated (by the
: K8 pilot) 1800-1900'. Ten seconds later, the K8 would have reached
: the top at 2000' and I'd know first-hand about sawing wings off
: light aircraft. Frightening, isn't it.
Quite seriously, I hope you reported the details to the CAA. It's
"endangering the safety of an aircraft", it's selfish, it's ignorant and
it is utterly inexcusable.
I look forward to reading details of the trial and sentence.
Ian
Chris Palmer
GE>> In the UK at least, the air maps have the word 'cables' next to
>> the G symbol for gliding sites that launch by winch. Is this an
GE>I wrote that on Thursday. On Saturday, I was driving the winch
>K8 pilot) 1800-1900'. Ten seconds later, the K8 would have reached
>the top at 2000' and I'd know first-hand about sawing wings off
>light aircraft. Frightening, isn't it.
Which club is giving us K8 pilots 2,000' winch launches? Regularly?
+Chris Palmer
(1,500' at Shenington)
---
* OLX 2.2 * Be nice to your kids. They'll choose your nursing home!
I Johnston
Chris Palmer (chris....@stairway.co.uk) wrote:
: Which club is giving us K8 pilots 2,000' winch launches? Regularly?
I used to get 1,850' regularly in a K8 at Portmoak. That was with the
blind winch driver (I'm not kidding folks) so it tended to be a bit of a
lottery.
Ian
geoff butler
In article <4of5kj$d...@scotsman.ed.ac.uk>, I Johnston
<ia...@tattoo.ed.ac.uk> writes
>Quite seriously, I hope you reported the details to the CAA. It's
>"endangering the safety of an aircraft", it's selfish, it's ignorant and
>it is utterly inexcusable.
At the moment, any report is going to fall at the first hurdle: we don't
have the light aircraft's registration. It's a tad hard to read that
from below against a bright sky, and I was more concerned about getting
the K8 off the wire before it was too late. We're talking to the
airfield that it was apparently on a bee-line to, though.
Geoff Butler
I Johnston
geoff butler (ge...@gbutler.demon.co.uk) wrote:
: In article <4of5kj$d...@scotsman.ed.ac.uk>, I Johnston
: <ia...@tattoo.ed.ac.uk> writes
Have you asked the CAA? I believe they are pretty good at tracking
people in such circumstances from radio and radar logs. And once their
enforcement department is interested...
Did you file it as an airmiss (airprox, whatever the things are called
this month)?
Ian
nightjar
In article <brbHTWAz...@gbutler.demon.co.uk>, geoff butler <ge...@gbutler.demon.co.uk> says:
>
>In article <4of5kj$d...@scotsman.ed.ac.uk>, I Johnston
><ia...@tattoo.ed.ac.uk> writes
>
>>Quite seriously, I hope you reported the details to the CAA. It's
>>"endangering the safety of an aircraft", it's selfish, it's ignorant and
>>it is utterly inexcusable.
>
>At the moment, any report is going to fall at the first hurdle: we don't
>have the light aircraft's registration. It's a tad hard to read that
>from below against a bright sky, and I was more concerned about getting
>the K8 off the wire before it was too late. We're talking to the
>airfield that it was apparently on a bee-line to, though.
It is still worth while sending in a report. The CAA has quite a
lot of clout and may well have access to information which you
do not. For example, depending where you are, the aircraft may
have been noted on radar, particularly if it happened on a weekday,
when the Lower Airspace Radar Service is in full swing. (Only Brize
Radar, Leuchars, London Luton and Manston currently operate
LARS 24 hours)
I would suggest, if it happens again, that you should phone the
airfield you think it may be heading towards at the very earliest
opportunity after the incident, preferably with the time it happened,
an estimate of its heading and whether it was a high or low wing.
They may be able to identify the aircraft while it is their airspace
and, if LARS is operating in the area, may even be able to get it
tracked to its destination.
Unfortunately the fact than an aircraft is headed towards a particular
airfield might only mean that it is using it as a navigation point.
Nightjar
Alex France
In article <4p2e6a$e...@s02.pavilion.co.uk>,
nightjar <nigh...@pavilion.co.uk> wrote:
>when the Lower Airspace Radar Service is in full swing. (Only Brize
>Radar, Leuchars, London Luton and Manston currently operate
>LARS 24 hours)
A minor nit pick - but I thought that Manston Approach rolled up the sidewalk
at 5pm every night. They certainly did last year, so has someone found
some money from somewhere?
Alex, AA5 G-BEZI.
Oxford Instruments MAG Software R&D
In article <4ot367$m...@scotsman.ed.ac.uk>, I Johnston
<ia...@tattoo.ed.ac.uk> writes
>geoff butler (ge...@gbutler.demon.co.uk) wrote:
>: In article <4of5kj$d...@scotsman.ed.ac.uk>, I Johnston
>: <ia...@tattoo.ed.ac.uk> writes
>
>: >Quite seriously, I hope you reported the details to the CAA. It's
>: >"endangering the safety of an aircraft", it's selfish, it's ignorant and
>: >it is utterly inexcusable.
>
>: At the moment, any report is going to fall at the first hurdle: we don't
>: have the light aircraft's registration. It's a tad hard to read that
>: from below against a bright sky, and I was more concerned about getting
>: the K8 off the wire before it was too late. We're talking to the
>: airfield that it was apparently on a bee-line to, though.
>
>people in such circumstances from radio and radar logs. And once their
>enforcement department is interested...
>
>Did you file it as an airmiss (airprox, whatever the things are called
>this month)?
>
>Ian
- the CAA were very interested and tried to trace the aircraft from the
radar recordings but didn't find it.
There was an article published about it in the aviation safety magazine
a few months later - this was what I hoped would happen.
Chris Rowland.
--
Oxford Instruments MAG Software R&D