NOTAMs in the UK

[John Laidler]

Does anyone know if the application for a launch can be sent electronically to the CAA?  I've sent them an email asking but I don't know how long they will take to reply. The form needs to be signed so perhaps that is the stumbling block?

Best regards,

John

[David Akerman]

It's fine to email.  Either sign and scan, or insert the signature electronically.

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[John Laidler]

Dave,

Many thanks, I thought you would know.  :)

John

On Monday, 6 July 2020 17:52:36 UTC+1, David Akerman wrote:

It's fine to email.  Either sign and scan, or insert the signature electronically.

On Mon, 6 Jul 2020 at 17:50, John Laidler <rjohnl...@gmail.com> wrote:

Does anyone know if the application for a launch can be sent electronically to the CAA?  I've sent them an email asking but I don't know how long they will take to reply. The form needs to be signed so perhaps that is the stumbling block?

Best regards,

John

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[John Laidler]

A quick follow up to this - I've had a reply and because of the bug they are not in the office so email is preferred. 

John

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[Nick McCloud]

Please be aware that:

1. Sometimes you end up on the pile until a couple of days before hand (or in one case with me, the day before) - a polite email 4 days before the launch usually sets your mind at ease as they then quickly sort it for you.

2. You've requested permission to launch - you then have to email them to get them to post a NOTAM for the day you want to launch - permission does not come with NOTAM's automatically done for you.

Good luck,

Nick

[David Akerman]

re #2 the NOTAM should come automatically with the permission.  ofc it's different for those of us with annual permissions but that's a different process anyway.  Anyway it's worth checking online to check that the NOTAM has been issued - I use notaminfo.com initially but sometimes that can be a bit slow updating so if the NOTAM isn't showing then check the AIS site.

I agree a polite reminder a few days before launch, to show you're serious and you'd like your application moved up from the bottom of the pile, is a good idea.

Dave

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[John Laidler]

Thank you both, all useful stuff. 

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[Steve]

The Permit for my recent launch near Ipswich had a 1 month launch window - so they requested a separate NOTAM to be raised  72 hours in advance of the actual launch.  In practice I think 48 hours of the 72 is to allow for a weekend as I have not had a problem raising a NOTAM at 48 (or even 24 hour) notice - which is good as predicting the winds 3 days in advance is often a bit fought.

Couple of interesting other points:

    The permit had a stipulation of no more than 1Kg payload - not seen that before.

    and not launching if the flight had Easterly drift.

The former was not a problem as my payload was well under 100g.

The latter left me scratching my head as there is nothing to the East but sea - so I inquired and was told they didn't want it going out of UK FIR**. They were happy when I told them the flight would head east but then loop round and land back in the UK.

    Steve

** (FIR = Flight Information Region) this extends out to about mid north sea.

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[Nick McCloud]

On Tuesday, 7 July 2020 16:06:47 UTC+1, David Akerman wrote:

re #2 the NOTAM should come automatically with the permission.

Should may be, but I've never had a one issued automatically and apart from one permission for  three launches over last summer, all the others were for a single date & time so you'd think they could do it automatically.

As a sailplane pilot, I can assure you that NOTAMs are definitely looked at by General Aviation pilots that intend to be old pilots, as opposed to bold pilots (there being old pilots and bold pilots, but no old bold pilots). Our SatNav's have the ability to download NOTAMs so we can refer to them inflight.

Nothing we can do about descending packages which are relatively streamlined, but a helium balloon attached is going to change the flight dynamics.

[David Akerman]

It's been a while since I applied for prison+NOTAM and my experience back then was very different.

I find it rather alarming if launchers are being sent permission but pilots aren't being notified.  I always recommend that launchers check for notams, and I certainly wouldn't launch without both permission and notam in place, but I can imagine beginners thinking all is well because they have that permission sheet.

Dave

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[David Akerman]

Feel free to replace the auto-wronged words :)

[Nick McCloud]

On Tuesday, 7 July 2020 22:38:46 UTC+1, David Akerman wrote:

It's been a while since I applied for prison+NOTAM and my experience back then was very different.

I find it rather alarming if launchers are being sent permission but pilots aren't being notified.  I always recommend that launchers check for notams, and I certainly wouldn't launch without both permission and notam in place, but I can imagine beginners thinking all is well because they have that permission sheet.

My permissions are on the office computer so I'll look at the wording of it & the email in the morning.

[Nick McCloud]

It's a bit hard to tell from all the differing requests I've made so far, but for the single date & time request, they lodged the NOTAM, but as that was when I was chasing for permission whilst driving down to Malvern for a flight the next morning, who knows.

The rest of the permissions have varying numbers of dates, most of mine are twofers - a Sat or Sun, some of a run of days, last summer for a run of three weeks with three launches, so they wouldn't know which day to NOTAM although there are plenty of kite flying NOTAMs that just run for the duration of an event - sometimes weeks.

But I can't tell what the pattern is on how long before hand you have to lodge the NOTAM - a couple of permissions say at least 24 hours before hand, most are 48 and one says 72 hour before hand.

Fundamentally, it's up to us to seek permission & ensure there is a NOTAM. I now routinely send a nudge a few days before hand and I always check that the NOTAM is showing for the next day's launch around lunchtime so I've time to contact them if it's fallen between the cracks.

And in all of this, I'd say that the CAA serve us well, even when we screw up (late submitting permission or a NOTAM) or want to move dates around, so bending over backwards for them as they bend over backwards for us is definitely indicated!

[John Laidler]

I've had a comment back from the CAA that I used an out of date form. The main change seems to be the new form has a different address and it specifically says it should be emailed to them, there is no mention of posting it.

I used the link on the UKHAS Wiki FAQs page to get the form. I've enclosed a copy of the new form they sent me and ideally this is the one which should be on the Wiki. If someone with access to the Wiki page can add this form it would be useful for the future.

John

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