1 May 2007
The CAA has announced that it is to publish a Letter of Intent which allows non precision Global Positioning System (GPS) approaches for General Aviation (GA) aircraft at UK licensed airfields with an instrument runway. The move follows a <a href=’newsfeed.php?artnum=404′ target=’_blank’>successful trial of the approaches</a> at several UK airfields late last year.
Ron Elder, Head of the CAA’s Safety Regulation Group’s Licensing Standards Division, said: “The data from the trial has been encouraging and the proposal for the GPS non-precision approaches has now been approved by the CAA Board. As a result of the positive feedback we have therefore taken the decision to move ahead with the project via a letter of intent rather than an eight-week consultation and hope to be able to introduce the approaches in July.”
The aerodromes that took part in the CAA trial of the approaches will be able to introduce them permanently once the legislation has been passed. Approaches would be permitted at other UK licensed aerodromes with a full air traffic service and an instrument runway.
Pilots with Instrument Ratings or Instrument Metrological Ratings will be able to fly the approaches, although the CAA is recommending that pilots undertake additional training on the non-precision approaches with a suitably qualified instructor.
The trials were conducted at Shoreham, Gloucestershire, Inverness, Exeter, Durham Tees Valley and Blackpool.
