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April Free Landings

Flyer: Bellarena, Bodmin, Causeway, Dundee, St Mary's and Wolverhampton

Pilot: Chiltern Park, Newtonards, Hucknall, Perth (Scone) and Longside

Courtesy of the Devon Strut LAA.

• Note freezing level in the aviation weather forecast. Don’t go unless the aircraft is suitably equipped.

• Carry out adequate engine pre-heating.

• Have warm clothing available for pre-flight and in case of heater failure or forced landing.

• Mud, snow and slush will lengthen take-off and landing runs. Work out your distances.

• Remove all frost, ice and snow from the aircraft (including spats) – there is no such thing as a little ice.

• Check carefully that all essential electrical services, especially pitot heat if fitted, are working properly.

• Check that the heater and de-mister are effective. Watch out for any signs of carbon monoxide poisoning.

• Be extra vigilant for carb ice.

• Recognise different types of cloud and their propensity for icing (shallow status vs deep cumuliform)

• Stay out of icing conditions for which the aircraft has NOT been equipped and cleared.

• If ice does start to form, act promptly. Get out of the conditions by descending, climbing or diverting. If descending, whilst being aware of high ground, do so quickly to minimise exposure to icing.

• If you encounter ice, tell ATC so that others can be warned.

• Icing risks also arise from moist air on cold airframe particularly during late afternoon flights.

• Be aware of radiation fog causing reduced visibility, as described in November’s newsletter.

• If you have to land with an iced up aeroplane, the stall speed may be increased so add at least 20% to the approach speed, keep manoeuvres / bank angles to a minimum and avoid using flaps.

• Snow covered, icy or muddy runways will make the landing run much longer and crosswinds harder to handle.

Frost, ice and snow on aircraft - AIC 106/2004 (Pink 74) http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/aip/current/aic/pink/EG_Circ_2004_P_106_en.pdf

CAA Safety Sense Leaflet No.3 Winter Flying. http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/ga_srg_09webSSL03October.pdf

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Listening Squawks

The current list of listening squawks around England is:

0010 Birmingham 118.050

0011 Solent / Bournemouth 120.225 MHz / 119.475 MHz respectively

0012 Thames Radar/Gatwick 132.7 MHz / 126.825 MHz respectively

0013 Luton / Stansted 129.550 MHz / 120.625 MHz respectively

6170 Doncaster App 126.225

7366 Manchester 118.575

7045 Belfast Approach 128.5 MHz

Remember usual rules apply, you are not in receipt of a service and you must stay in Class G airspace, you cannot enter the CTA or CTR. Go back to another suitable squawk (eg: 7000-C) when you move away from the area or stop monitoring.

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The Following information is courtesy of flyontrack.co.uk and is something you should read before your next flight.

1. NOTAM Checking

Check 'NOTAM's before flying (http://www.ais.org.uk). Learn to use an efficient method such as 'narrow route brief' and make best use of 'saved briefings',

which can be re-run at later dates to cut down checking time. If using a commercial or graphical product, do not put the plotted graphic printed on a clubroom wall without the 'not plottable' list displayed just as prominently.

2. Restrictions of Flying

To look ahead, planned restrictions are issued as Air Information Circulars on www.ais.org. For checking just prior to flight, the number 0500-354802  will give the very latest situation.

If you are abroad, or you want the 'landline' number, you can get the same recorded information on +44 20 8750 3939

3. Transit Routes

During planning for any zone transit, think about your routing in relation to the active runway alignment. You are much more likely to get a crossing approved

over the runway if your track is perpendicular to it than aligned with it. There are also useful airspace guides written by local ATC for most of the TRs in the UK, giving tips, photos, and preferred routings - see the next tip!

4. Controlled Airspace Local VFR Guides

Check for a local Airspace Guide for your route. Did you know there are numerous 'airspace guides' written (usually) by controllers who are hobby pilots too in their spare time?

They are incredibly useful to anyone visiting the local area or indeed, there's plenty to learn for the pilot based in that particular region. They certainly contain local advice, charts,  usually containing good aerial 

photos of local features to help you stay to the correct routing.

The list which started originally with the pictorial guide to the Manchester Low Level Route now contains around 10 regional guides, and can be found in the

second subsection on the 'Links' page - see the links tab above.

5. Plan B

When planning a route including a controlled airspace crossing, always have ‘plan B’ to avoid it too. If you wish to transit controlled airspace or a zone, think about what you need to say in

advance and call the appropriate Air Traffic Control (ATC) unit at ten nautical miles or five minutes flying time from the airspace boundary to give notice. Make a decision checkpoint on where to take this avoidance

route if a clearance is not possible. It's much easier to get round a block of airspace from a few miles distant than it is to successfully divert around tight up to the boundary. Remember to plan time and fuel calculations using the longer route.

6. Radio Calls

Thinking before you transmit. Using the correct radio phraseology helps air traffic control to help you and sounds more professional! A handy free reminder kneeboard insert is available from the CAA

7. Specific Clearance

You need a formal specific clearance to enter or cross controlled airspace. The instruction ‘Standby’, or the provision of a transponder squawk, or even the provision of any type of service is not an ATC clearance.

An instruction to ‘Remain Outside Controlled Airspace’ on the first reply from the controller does not mean your transit is already refused, it merely warns you not to enter until a formal clearance and routing is agreed.