3 September 2007
NATS has revealed how it will be phasing in the new Lower Airspace Radar Service (LARS) for light aircraft around the London area.
A limited service will start on September 11, covering most of Kent, Surrey and Sussex, and including the airspace around Gatwick, London City and Biggin Hill. This service will be on 123.225MHz and will operate from 10.00-16.00 local time. It is, says NATS, vital that pilots use this service when it becomes available.
That’s only the begining, though: as of September 24, a much fuller service will operate from 08.00-20.00 every day, with an increased range of operation to the west, reaching almost as far as Boscombe Down in its western edge.
Aircraft flying in this area and calling Farnborough Radar will be provided with either a Radar Advisory Service, a Radar Information Service or a Flight Information Service, depending on controller workload or weather conditions.
The service will be based at Farnborough.
In the New Year the service will be extended through to Essex and beyond – as far north, in fact, as Luton.
When it asked itself (on <a href=’http://www.flyer.co.uk/downloads/LARS_Flyer_for_distribution.pdf’ target=’_blank’>this NATS pdf</a>, intended as a quick briefing sheet for pilots) why it was doing this, NATS said: “It’s a win-win for all of us!” The major motivating factors are safety and avoiding airspace infringements.
“The existing Farnborough LARS,” says NATS, “has prevented up to five airspace infringements in a single day and the new service will extend that important safety benefit over the wider London region.”
And the really good news – as they’re quite keen to point out – is that it’s free!
