At 07:48 PM 28/10/2011, you wrote:
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Mike,
Whos to say that the glider wasnt moving away,
the aspect change may have been insignificant
from an Alarmist not Outside Pilot, whilst the
glider pilot may have loaded up in a turn to
move out the way. Reads way better for the
uninformed from the 757s perspective.
http://www.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk/Consultation/glasgow_new.html
This could have been a manufactured incident like
what our ATC trade union did twice back in 2003
to get rid of our then new American style
airspace. Not helped by the AOPA idiots who
somehow couldn't get their minds around not
having area frequencies to listen to when flying
VFR or the stupidity of the GFA in seeking an
exemption for a particular area from the
transponder requirement. This opened up the
system to wholesale changes which resulted in a
vast expansion of Class C and lots more Class E
which seems to operate differently here in that
there is a transponder requirement and Center
seems to give out a discrete transponder code
when you tell them you are going in to it,
something you aren't required to do in the US. So much for "VFR transparent".
What is truly alarming, and nauseating, is that
the PF/Captain/Commander/PIC made a conscious
decision to put his aircraft and Fare paying
pax into uncontrolled E Class airspace, where
see and avoid is the only ATC service if VFR
traffic is in the vicinity (They should be so
lucky an alert controller was happy enough to
pass off information) and then complain against
the rules of being there and this was probably
occurring for really only one reason - $$$$.
Airliners are allowed to fly in Class E.
Not so if the glider has a Mode C or Mode S
transponder as the airliner TCAS will see him as
will the ATC system, as I said. I doubt any
controller working an airliner will let him
converge on a VFR target without telling him,
particularly near the airport. A Mode C or S
return will definitely get the controller's
attention, a primary return from a glass or
carbon glider much less so. Ask the visitor who
went for a nice flight on a Friday out of DDSC
using Toowoomba and Crows Nest as turn points and
flew just about over Oakey on the way back.
Nobody ever said anything. If Oakey had him on
primary radar you can bet the gliding club would have got a phone call.
They were either late and keeping the pax happy,
or taking a shortcut (less fuel), or avoiding an
established instrument approach ($$) by taking a
visual/company GPS approach (Through Class E
Airspace). Roll the dice but dont complain
about your lot because you dont want to observe the rules of operation.
He may also have been vectored there by ATC for their reasons.
This airspace has now been reclassified as Class
D, Controlled and requiring an ATC clearance
(Wont happen without a transponder if RPT is
near) to transit, pending a review. Now messing
it up for all VFR traffic/Gliders when they did
nothing wrong!!!! We have one 757 crew
despising a lone glider at this point in time
for now an eternity of VFR pilots loathing all
uptight self-important RPT pilots who think all
should get out of their way (yes there are good
ones in there too and apologise for the generalisation).
Hopefully the UK CAA will revert back the rules
of the airspace and advise the 757 driver/AOC
operator that he ought to think about things;
however the pollies will just rake up more muck
to pander to some silly minority element and
bang on about some misguided Safety crap and
needing ATC to keep the drunk teenagers returning from Ibiza happy.
Common sense will lose out to the detriment
and equitability, and probably safety of others in using the area.
There must be dozens of areas in Australia like
this that are just waiting for an incident like
this before we too are forced down this path.
Is your News Limited
See the link I gave. Also do a search for Glasgow
airspace and see the chart. The ATC mob already
wanted Class D not E. It doesn't help if you
won't fit a Mode C or S transponder. Had the
glider been so equipped I doubt ATC would have
vectored the airliner near that return or warned
the airliner anyway. TCAS will use it. You can
also fit a cheap PCAS which will tell you if
there is a transponder within 5 nm and 2000 feet
vertically of you in a radar environment or if it
is a TCAS equipped airliner, anywhere. At 5nm you
ought to be able to easily see a 737 or
757. Flying in that environment, basically a
corridor between two control zones, I'd want to
have a Mode C or S, a PCAS and I'd monitor the
frequency for situational awareness. Not just for
the airliners but for the other VFR traffic
funneled through there.There's not much reason
for not doing this even for gliders now. The old
power consumption argument against transponders
doesn't work when gliders are already equipped
with power hungry full colour cockpit heaters and pilot eye magnets.
The alternative is lots of Class D and with
Vermin and Qantas increasingly flying jets and
high performance turboprops to regional airports
that is a real possibility here. BTW the
turboprops and jets in descent at lower altitudes
aren't that much different in speed.
Unfortunately Australian ATC seems to be uniquely
difficult. You get the occasional great
controller (thanks for that expedited clearance
over Proserpine, whoever you are although I have
to question the need for Class C there.) and a
lot of very ordinary "service" which can cause
increased risk by forcing VFR traffic over rough
terrain. The Richmond control zone is a disgrace
and after being refused a swift clearance on the
way in to Camden last month I filed a plan for
the return which when I checked in after
launching pretty well on time appeared to have
been lost, clearance denied, despite my receipt
and their having had it for 3 hours. So much for
SAR also . After rummaging around for a few minutes they found it.
Mike
Borgelt Instruments - manufacturers of quality soaring instruments since 1978
phone Int'l + 61 746 355784
fax Int'l + 61 746 358796
cellphone Int'l + 61 428 355784
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