Pilot – June 2018

18 | Pilot June 2018 | pilotweb.aero

Notes

Airfields

„ CAA rejects
Exeter Airspace
Change Proposal
In late April the Civil Aviation
Authority published CAP
164 detailing its Safety and
Airspace Regulation Group’s
decision not to approve Exeter
and Devon Airport Ltd’s
(EDAL) Airspace Change
Proposal (ACP). The operator
submitted the proposal in
December 2017 saying that it
had identified a requirement to
adapt the airspace structure
surrounding the airport ‘to
assist Air Traffic Control in
providing enhanced levels
of information to aircraft
operating in and out of
the airport, and to aircraft
operating in the local area’.
At a meeting with the
CAA in June 2016 EDAL had
outlined its proposal and
preferred option to introduce
Class D Controlled Airspace
(CAS) around Exeter Airport,
establishing a Controlled Zone
(CTR) and Controlled Areas
(CTAs) with lower and upper
limits then to be determined.
The CAA emphasised the
need for a collaborative
approach, in particular with
aviation stakeholders, and that
a ‘holistic’ approach to CAS
design should be adopted.
The Authority added that any
potential restriction to local
flight operations was likely
to be strongly contested by
the Light Aircraft Association,
British Gliding Association and
general aviation communities.
A public consultation
document was emailed to 52
organisations and individuals,
including the Ministry of
Defence, airlines, nearby
aerodromes and local airspace
users. National bodies such
as the LAA were represented
through the National Air
Traffic Management Advisory
Committee (NATMAC). Prior
to the start of the consultation
period, meetings were held
with some local aviation
stakeholders including
Dunkeswell Aerodrome, Devon
and Somerset Gliding Club and

the Defence Airspace and Air

Traffic Management. A total

of eighteen responses were

received from the original 52

contacted, and individuals

submitted a further 414.

In announcing its decision

the CAA noted that

disagreements arising from

the Consultation Document

had not been resolved or

mitigated prior to EDAL

submitting the proposal and

that EDAL had not responded

to these as required per CAP

725 paragraph 4.7. In respect

of safety, the Authority stated

that it was ‘not satisfied that

the proposal maintains a high

standard... for the following

reasons: a) the proposal does

not include the Letters of

Agreement/Memorandums of

Understanding which mitigate

the risks associated with...

the Safety Buffer Policy;

delegation of Air Traffic

Services or how airspace

sharing arrangements will

work with adjacent airspace

structures; or notification,

clearance or communication

procedures for aircraft

operating from Dunkeswell, or

those transiting the area, that

choose to enter the proposed

CAS; and b) the proposal

does not resolve or provide

mitigation for the operation

and integration of other

airspace activity including,

but not limited to, glider

operations. No draft Letter

of Agreement is provided

between Exeter and Devon and

Somerset Gliding Club (DSGC)

which allows DSGC flight

operations within designated

areas of the proposed Exeter

CAS as proposed.’

It concludes: ‘The size and

classification of airspace

of the proposed airspace

is disproportionate when

considering the potential

efficiency benefits of CAT

operating at Exeter. The

proposal falls short on

facilitating access for as

many other types of aircraft

movements. The size of the

final design is not predicated

on a safety argument...

but on the containment of

existing instrument flight

procedures, which is not

required. The misapplication

of the Containment Policy

has led to a design which is

disproportionate and therefore

fails to secure the most

efficient use of airspace.’

„ London Heliport

movements on the up

(and away)

London Heliport at Battersea

handled 11,900 total

movements in 2017 − a 5%

increase in activity over the

previous year. Interlining

with business jets activity

accounted for 20% of the

year’s traffic, with operators

Castle Air, Capital, Atlas,

Halo Aviation and Starspeed

departing for Biggin Hill,

Luton, Oxford, Farnborough

and Stansted airports. The

trend towards medium to

large twin-engined executive

helicopter movements also

continued, with types such as

the Leonardo AW169 recently

becoming available for public

charter for the first time.

The Battersea site is

undergoing a major investment

to upgrade its communications

equipment, including a new

transmitter and receivers to

meet the 8.33 MHz frequency

spacing regulations. Earlier this

year agreement was reached

with the Met Office to upgrade

sensor equipment to enable

London Heliport to disseminate

METAR data and make official

forecasting available on site

What's happening at our airfields, aerodromes & airports

Aircraft such as this Halo Aviation AW169 are now being chartered from London Heliport