+VIDEO EASA and national aviation authorities around Europe have launched a joint campaign to promote ways of avoiding airspace infringements.
The campaign is aimed at European General Aviation pilots and flying instructors and, so says EASA, is because airspace infringements by General Aviation aircraft have steadily risen over the past 10 years.
Videos in particular take a country-specific look at the subject while underlining the common European safety issues, rules and recommendations with regard to airspace infringement.
Airspace infringements are caused because, in general, there is too much controlled airspace and perversely it continues to grow.
One of the major problems appears to be the shortage of controllers/lack of staff to provide a simple radar service.
It would be easy then to control all cross country flying, including an automatic handover to the next unit on the track, as in the US.
However this will only be achieved with the willing cooperation of experienced pilots and the proper radio training at basic level from the flying schools.
ATCOs are not the enemy; they’re good guys and good friends who can get you out of the sh*t. Use them !
In Forces training days, long gone by, it was possible to get a “steer” or “pigeons” to take you straight to an airfield, any airfield, before you ran out of fuel. Let’s simplify it not demonise it !
3 comments
With today’s technology there is no reason these infringements should keep happening!
Microlight training doesn’t even teach you how to switch on a GPS never mind the various modern phone apps.
Airspace infringements are caused because, in general, there is too much controlled airspace and perversely it continues to grow.
One of the major problems appears to be the shortage of controllers/lack of staff to provide a simple radar service.
It would be easy then to control all cross country flying, including an automatic handover to the next unit on the track, as in the US.
However this will only be achieved with the willing cooperation of experienced pilots and the proper radio training at basic level from the flying schools.
ATCOs are not the enemy; they’re good guys and good friends who can get you out of the sh*t. Use them !
In Forces training days, long gone by, it was possible to get a “steer” or “pigeons” to take you straight to an airfield, any airfield, before you ran out of fuel. Let’s simplify it not demonise it !