How the CAA handled my 3 airspace infringements.
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- Опубліковано 21 лют 2022
- These are the letters I received from the CAA after I had responded to the 3 infringements:
INFRINGEMENT 1: August 2019 (not June 2017 as I say in the video)
Letter from CAA:
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Pilot Licencing Department has been assigned Executor of a Mandatory Occurrence Report which alleges that the pilot in command (PIC) of C172, G-BJWI was involved in an infringement of the Solent CTA-5 (Class D) on 30 August 2019 at 1331 hours UTC.
The CAA investigates actual or alleged breaches of regulations and other occurrences that directly or indirectly impact on aviation safety and, will consider whether the person concerned is competent to hold the applicable licence, rating or certificate and to exercise the associated privileges.
The CAA Infringement Coordination Group urges pilots to maintain adequate separation from controlled airspace. For further information please see the attached file regarding ‘Take 2’.
The CAA Infringement coordination group noted that there may have been lapses in your pre-flight planning and would like to emphasise the importance of a focused and unrushed pre-flight planning. Please see the following link; airspacesafety.com/pre-flight...
Please take the time to look at the following link for top tips to avoid airspace infringements; airspacesafety.com/wp-content...
The CAA now looks upon this matter as closed. However, a copy of this letter will be placed on your licensing record and may be referred to if any further reports are received in the future.
INFRINGEMENT 2: London TMA, June 2020
Letter from CAA (after my response and report was filed)
The Civil Aviation Authority Pilot Licencing Department has been assigned Executor of a Mandatory Occurrence Report which alleges that the pilot in command (PIC) of C182, N1320S was involved in an infringement of the London TMA (Class A) on 19 June 2020 at 14:55 hours UTC.
The CAA Infringement Coordination Group has reviewed both the MOR and your report and has agreed that remedial action is necessary.
In accordance with CAP1404[1], you are now required to complete the Airspace Infringement Awareness Course (AIAC) within 30 days of the date of this email.
The AIAC will be an interactive remotely facilitated course. These 2-person courses will be delivered by GASCo and you are requested to contact Penny Gould at GASCo on [tel number] for details of availability and to make your booking. Please can you notify the CAA via [email] of the date you will be undertaking the course.
If you fail to successfully complete or decline to participate in the AIAC, the CAA will review the matter further and decide whether further remedial measures or licencing action is appropriate. Licencing action can include provisional suspension, suspension, limitation or revocation of a pilot’s licence.
INFRINGEMENT 3: (with video footage here • My 3rd Airspace Infrin... )
Letter from CAA (abbreviated):
The safety department within the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has received a Mandatory Occurrence Report (MOR) of an airspace infringement relating to an event when you, as pilot-in-command (PIC) of a Cessna 182, registration N-1320S infringed the Class G Lee on Solent Aerodrome Traffic Zone (ATZ) on 17 August 2021 at 0850 hours UTC. The aircraft was observed flying west to east through the southern part of the ATZ indicating an altitude of 1,400 feet amsl, in breach of Rule 11 of ‘The Rules of the Air Regulations 2015’. Rule 11 details the requirements to entry into the ATZ during the notified hours of watch. In the case of Lee on Solent Rule 11(4) applies and, as commander of the aircraft, you were required to obtain information from ‘Lee Information’ flight information centre to enable the flight to be conducted safely within the ATZ. Aerodrome Traffic Zones (ATZ) are established to provide protection to aircraft at the critical stages of flight when departing, arriving and transiting overhead the aerodrome.
.......
Therefore taking the above into consideration, the ICG has agreed that, in accordance with CAP1404[1], remedial action is necessary in order that the CAA can assure your competency. You are required to complete the following training, at an Aviation Southwest at Exeter Airport, within 90 days of this letter. This training is to comprise:
Ground school/theoretical knowledge training focusing on:
Threat and Error Management;
Pre-flight planning;
Airborne decision making, including contingency planning;
Contingency planning; and
Integration of and effective/proportionate use of VFR Moving Maps.
A minimum of three (3) hours of VFR navigation flight training to include:
a minimum of two (2) hours of navigation using Dead Reckoning Technique; and
a minimum of at least one hour integrating the use of VFR Moving Maps.
Here's a link to the GasCo Airspace Infringement Awareness course document:
I think part of it is that the airspace is so complicated in the UK even as compared to neighboring countries such as France. I obtained my EASA license in Iceland and fly VFR regularly in the UK and I’m not sure what I would do without SkyDemon! As a rule of thumb I file IFR if I can, and if not then I always communicate as much as possible with ATC. Even then, after thousands of hours of flying all over the world I still struggle with the complicated nature of UK procedures. Thanks for the video, and good job at recognizing your weaknesses and working to remédiate them.
I think that these kinds of honest videos collectively help GA pilots, it’s easy for any of us to pass judgement but we’re all going to be guilty at some point of a lapse. I think you have a refreshing attitude of taking it on the chin and being keen to take actions to avoid further infringements.
Thank you for your candid video. Air space infringements are not only an issue in the UK. As aviation regulator in the Netherlands we are trying to reduce infringements by improving awareness. Your confession shows, and please don’t take this as an insult, that the expectation of the level of knowledge and awareness that we expect from GA is possibly a bit too optimistic and there is work to be done. Our current approach to AI is to actively engage with the PiC to try to ascertain why the AI happened so that we both can learn from the situation. It is very time consuming but we think this is more effective than sending a reprimanding letter. This has led us to revise some of our complex airspace structure and introduce other measures such as the listening squawk. Needless to say if you are a repeat offender you will face consequences.
Thanks Charlie - as ever your candour and balanced approach makes it really watchable and easy to understand. PPL renewal nearly sorted now and this pointed to so many useful issues - many thanks
refreshing to see such honesty. Thnak you - Bit worrying the individual doing that last phase was, at best, badly briefed or badly prepared or both.
Revalidating after 10+ years, I’ve forgotten so much. Your video in some way spurs me on to focus on important aspects of airmanship.
Always a positive thing to share our experiences, good and not so good. Honest feedback Charlie which I know you wanted to share to inform and remind others. Large viewing numbers highlight the interest in the topic. Well done for sharing, other pilots might have wanted to brush it all under the carpet!
This is what I like about Your tubes. You reviel your misstakes witch is really helpful for the rest of us.
Very open and honest video. I completed my first solo the other week at Gamston flying school and I’m now working on Navigation. Thanks for sharing 😀
Hopefully to help clear the ATZ situation up. An ATZ will have the same category of airspace that it sits within. So as an example for a large airport with Class D surrounding, the ATZ will be Class D so normal procedures apply to communicate with ATC. Some ATZs fall within Class G airspace. As with Lee on Solent. The requirement here in order not to infringe on its airspace is contained within the Air Navigation Order. It details that an aircraft must transit in safe manner. Thus meaning that two way radio communication is a mean of complying with the ANO to transit the ATZ as you receiving appropriate information from the airfield for the transit. If the ATZ does not respond on the radio, provided you make blind calls on the frequency and comply with circuit direction etc, this is another way of complying with the ANO. Hopefully that helps with the understanding.
That's quite a bubble that they create! Kudos for your candour.
Great informative video Charlie. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing. I think it is really good to talk about own mistakes, which helps other pilots.
Please can you send the link to the Airspace Infringement Course presentation Charlie? Thanks 👍
Since you were using skydemon did you have the notifications turned on on your headset?
I suppose the atz situation is you are your own ATC. I wonder how an aircraft without radio could transit an atz, or simply could not.
I don't understand how it can happen,it my day we had adf/ ndb no GPS and if you had an infringement you had a 4000 pound fine ,so you honed your nav skills not to do it.
Charlie, I appreciate your candour, but why were you transiting overhead a very busy GA airfield at 1600 feet without even thinking of talking to the tower?
Thank you for your video, I always find this sort of content useful and an educational experience.