Last Sunday I attended the 18m Nationals briefing at Lasham, where the Red
Arrows Display with its Temporary Restricted Airspace was briefed as a no-go
penalty zone. I left when the weather seemed slow to clear, and indeed they
scrubbed the day and have only flown 1 day (Tuesday) with only one finisher -
Andy Davis who won the Open Class two weeks ago, also dogged by weather.
Later I arrived at Bicester to catch up with the Junior Nationals in time to
see some finishers arriving home. While I was there pilots were handing in
loggers and several were called to control - the story began to emerge that up
to half the field may have infringed the restricted area around Silverstone,
which is only about 20 km from Bicester to the north-north-east, and that
potential fines of 9000 pounds were involved. I later heard that the Reds
display had been called off after 2 or 3 minutes and a PA announcement was
made, naming gliders from Bicester as the reason. The start point used for all
gliders was NW of the field, placing the direct track to TP1 perilously close
to the edge of the restricted area. It seems the task was changed on the grid
at around 12-30 pm and the start gate opened about the same time as the display
was due to start. Apparently nobody had recognised the conflict and highlighted
it at the revised task briefing, or changed the start point to put the track
farther away from the display zone. The parachute drop zone at
Weston-on-the-Green is about 5 km from Bicester on the other side to
Silverstone: it is a permanent no-go area for gliding comps in the UK, together
with about 4 others that are very busy. Silverstone was only a Restricted area
for 50 minutes on that day.
There is a lot of blame-game going on in the Pprune forum and others, with a
lot of anti-glider sentiment and also a lot of anti-military stuff being said.
Clearly neither the pilots nor the organisers did their pre-flight preparation
well enough, and the repercussions of half the fleet going through the
Restricted area (and getting a 500 point penalty, so there were some negative
scores for the day) will affect not only glider pilots but also the BGA for a
long time.
Given the current CASA focus on how the air sports are administered by their
National bodies, we are fortunate it did not happen in Australia - and we can
only learn from the UK experience. One overseas visitor blithely wandering
through Class C at 12,000 ft an a 14,000 ft day caused us enough grief last
season: we must not allow any repeats in the coming one.
Wombat
----- Original Message -----
From: Adam Webb
To: 'Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia.'
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 5:01 AM
Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Another UK accident
My understanding is that the original tasks hadn't gone near Silverstone
(where the Red Arrows were displaying), and that the NOTAM was only briefed as
a 'nav warning' (whatever that means). The task was then hurriedly changed on
the grid when the soarable air wasn't where forecast, and the new task went
within 200 yards of the restricted airspace, and the start gate was opened just
before the restricted airspace became active, which was only a few km down
track.
I'm sure the debate as to whether it was the task
setters/briefers/competitors responsibility will go on for a long time, but the
situation is that the RAF, general aviation community and the general public
have all been upset by this- not great news, or publicity for the sport.
Adam
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of rolf a. buelter
Sent: Wednesday, 25 August 2010 1:20 PM
To: aus soaring
Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Another UK accident
Hi Adam,
Don't think age of the pilots involved makes a scrap of difference, being
nationals one would hope the necessary experience would have provided better
outcomes. I read a number of posts in various forums (would forae be
correcter?) and the task was close but not through airspace. There is some
confusion if it was briefed appropriately.
Rgds - Rolf
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:36:15 +0930
Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Another UK accident
I knew someone would point that out! Sadly yes, it did happen there. It
would've only been marginally better if it happened at a seniors.. Spoke to
Andy May the other night about it, he said it was due to poor task setting.
WPP
From: rolf a. buelter
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 11:16 AM
To: aus soaring
Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Another UK accident
Dare one add that the occasion was their junior nationals?
Rolf
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 10:48:46 +0930
Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Another UK accident
Not good, though worse yet is the 21 pilots who flew through the red arrows
display and had it cancelled! Wonder what that'll mean for UK gliding in the
future.. : (
Thank gosh the pilot is ok,
WPP
From: Christopher Mc Donnell
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 9:08 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Aus-soaring] Another UK accident
Pic is one in a million
http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/8348523.Glider_crashes_at_Shoreham_Airshow/
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