Maintaining safe airspace

The following guidance aims to support pilots with maintaining safe airspace for all.

Lookout – supported by use of radio & electronic conspicuity

Lookout is the primary method of collision avoidance in class G airspace. It’s important to recognise that effective lookout requires technique supported by other attributes available to pilots including technology.

Read more about lookout supported by technology here

Airfields

Most collisions occur close to airfields. Being on the correct frequency well before getting close to an ATZ or in the local vicinity of an airfield will enable a pilot to build a mental picture of what is going on, including in-use runways and traffic levels. Talking to a controller when other traffic may be flying procedurally into the airfield is very likely to be helpful and contribute to safe airspace.  Learn before flying how to find airfield information using your paper or electronic chart. Don’t be stealthy just because you are landing at an airfield without ATC or A/G – you can help other pilot’s (how do you know there’s no-one else around?) situational awareness by making blind radio calls in the circuit, e.g. left/right downwind, base, and final approach to whatever runway is in use.

Airprox

When a pilot feels that the proximity of another aircraft was in their view unsafe, they can submit an Airprox report. Airprox reports are investigated and given a risk category. You can learn more on the Airprox website, which includes their published Airprox investigation reports.

Altimetry

An altimeter is a device used to measure the vertical distance between the instrument and a datum pressure level. The datum pressure level can be adjusted by the pilot. It is really important that pilots understand which setting is required to obtain the correct information that relates to the airspace.

This altimetry tutorial is a useful refresher for any glider pilot.

Avoiding infringements

Infringements, ie entering controlled, danger, restricted or prohibited airspace without the authority to do so, are potentially dangerous and disruptive, and ultimately result in the curtailment of the freedoms to fly that all pilots need and enjoy. A 2016 analysis of over 500 infringements identified that around 90% of the GA pilots who infringed were not using a GPS moving map.

Charts and GPS moving maps

Glider pilots use the 1:500 000 chart that is designed for use in visual navigation. The charts are regularly updated. Out of date charts should be discarded. VFR chart information, including a list of stockists, is available on the NATS AIS website. Radio frequency cards are available on the NATS website. A gliding frequency reference card has been produced by Paul Ruskin, and is available as part of the Airfields and Outlandings distribution available here.

GPS moving maps are pilot-friendly. Global Position Satellite navigation is used extensively in aviation. In many parts of the UK’s complicated airspace structure, it does not make sense to fly without a GPS moving map. Most glider pilots use a GPS moving map even when soaring locally. A number of GPS moving map options are available, all of which take much of the horizontal and vertical navigation load that otherwise would distract from flying the glider and looking out.

Controlled airspace changes every now and again. The 1/2 million hard copy chart is updated annually. It’s very important that GPS data files are also updated. Pilots should note that they should must understand the settings work on their GPS moving map, take great care when programming it before flight, and must always maintain situational awareness in flight through using visual navigation techniques and a current chart; this final point is nothing to do with ‘old school’ – it’s simply an important aspect of threat and error management, ie cross checking and being prepared for equipment failure or pilot ‘finger trouble’.

View BGA information on airspace and turning point files here.

D&D – getting help

The military Distress and Diversion Cell is manned 24 hours to provide an emergency and fixer (location) service on 121.5 for all military and civil aircraft. Read more here.

Instrument Approach Procedures

A number of airfields in the UK have instrument traffic procedures which are detailed in the UK AIP but not shown on 1/2 mil charts. In some cases the instrument approaches are indicated by a feather on the ½ mil chart (for example Cambridge, Gloucester, Exeter, Inverness, Cranfield, Londonderry, Oxford). These feathers can be indicated on most GPS moving map software.

Invariably, instrument traffic operating in Class G is not looking out as effectively as most would expect.

Here is an example of the instrument approach procedure that is not marked on the 1/2 mil charts used by most pilots:

When operating close to these airfields, pilots should listen out on the ATC frequency. Where there is a need to operate overhead the airfield, or when vertically close to and when horizontally within say an approximate 20 degree arc either side of the instrument approach ‘slope’, it can be very helpful if the glider pilot makes contact with ATC prefixing the call with ‘glider’, stating their location (eg 5nm NE of the airfield at 2000’) and stating their intentions (eg to climb, to glide to xxxxx, etc). Please don’t forget that last minute calls can result in pilot overload as the pressure comes on. Most air traffic controllers have little appreciation of pilot workload but will help where they can. As ever, aviate, navigate and communicate in that order.

There is helpful guidance in this Cambridge GC youtube briefing.

The following unofficial illustrations are examples of areas containing IAPs within which a passing glider pilot should ideally be in contact with the airfield ATC. A Basic Service is usually more than adequate and will help the controller. Please note that access to each of the example ATZs requires ATC permission.

  Oxford

  Exeter

LOA’s

Where there is a need and the related risks can be managed appropriately, it is possible to establish letters of agreement between airspace controlling authorities and operators. Sometimes these are national arrangements. In other cases these are local arrangements.  Some LoA’s are legally binding. Others are voluntary in nature. In all cases, pilots must understand and comply FULLY with the detail within the LoA. If in doubt, ask. Do not assume.

Some clubs have a local agreement with NATS on flexible use of airspace. The ongoing success of the agreement between London GC and NATS is reliant on pilots receiving a specific, face to face briefing by the London GC. Unless that LoA briefing has taken place and pilots are briefed on the operating protocols in place on the day, pilots may not use the LoA. The LoA is not published on this website. Contact the London GC for further details. The challenges of maintaining mutual awareness between busy flying operations is in part being addressed around Cambridge airport using protocols described in a Cambridge LoA that all glider pilots who are likely to operate in the Cambridge area are requested to comply with.

View the published Letters of Agreement here.  If a pilot or club identifies any changes or errors with published LoA’s, please contact the Airspace Committee via the BGA office.

NOTAMs

All pilots are expected to check NOTAMs (Notices to Aviation) before flight. Learning how to access NOTAMs forms a part of glider pilot training. Any pilot who is unsure about how to check NOTAMs is advised to discuss the matter with his or her CFI or with another experienced pilot. A description of how the NOTAM system works and how to obtain a formal briefing is available here. There are several excellent software tools available that help pilots easily interpret NOTAM information, including Skydemon, which uses source data and graphically embeds NOTAMs into the main map, leading to greatly enhanced awareness of how a temporary notified situation could affect a potential flight.

Task setting

Airspace is a fundamental consideration when task setting. Learn more about task setting here.

Winch launch overflights

Overflights of winch launches by aircraft are potentially hazardous. Pilots should report any overflight of a winch launch that they believe had the potential to endanger a glider during a winch launch. The BGA uses the information to educate others.

How to report a winch launch overflight is describe here.