As noted on the BGA airspace webpage, many UK glider pilots visit the French Alps. The airspace arrangements can be surprisingly complex, but do ensure the needs of gliding and commercial air transport are safely and reasonably accomodated. As ever, it is vitally important that pilots respect the rules. The…

Details of restricted airspace protecting Red Arrows displays throughout June and July have been published in AIC Mauve 031/2017, available from the NATS website. As we do every year, we want to stress the absolute importance of respecting these restrictions. Not only is failure to do extremely hazardous, an airspace…

Please check when you last updated your FLARM software. Many owners do not realise that FLARMs now need to be updated with the latest firmware at least once a year on a rolling 365 day basis or the unit will stop functioning. Depending on the type, it may not be…

Feedback from the recent Club Safety Officer seminars indicated that there was real enthusiasm for ‘I learned about flying’ stories that gave specific examples illustrating the safety advice we already offer. To this end, we have decided to share the lessons highlighted by some of the accident reports that we…

While incidents involving commercial aviation have been steadily declining over the last decade, those involving GA have increased by over 50 per cent in the same period. In response to this, the Airprox Board has launched a campaign to cut the number of incidents involving GA pilots. This is timely…

Deeside GC has produced a helpful resource for airspace awareness. The intention is to help pilots visualise the airspace construct.  Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the guide is not designed to replace officially published information. You can view the Deeside GC airspace guide here.

RAF Fairford has supplied a Mid Air Collision Avoidance leaflet that provides useful advice on USAF and other flying operations in the south of the UK. You can view the document here. As the 501st Combat Support Wing (USAFE) Flight Safety Manager notes, “Please read this pamphlet carefully and pass…

Following previous consultation with clubs and direction from the Executive Committee, we reviewed BGA recommended practices and other gliding good practice detail that for many years had been published in a variety of documents. The aim was to ensure that the relevant information would be drawn into one place. The…

We have issued an update to the safety booklet about the benefits of fitting energy absorbing cushions in gliders. The update contains a new section on the hazards of inflatable cushions.

The BGA review of accidents in 2016 has been published. There are only a few types of gliding accident and they frequently repeat themselves. The BGA Review of Accidents offers headline guidance on how everyone can help to avoid a repetition of the more important categories of accident. By understanding…