BHPA / CAA - Transponders

[Chris Dusgate]

Saturday, 26th August

managed to fly briefly at Curbar yesterday. Shame it was too windy in the Peak district on Thursday, the sky looked epic, well done the two Steve's on your flights on Thursday.

As it's raining now I thought I'd finally get round to having a proper look at the transponders issue. I don't think people are scaremongering on this,THESE THINGS DO HAPPEN, (have you looked at the Cardiff/Bristol airpsace changes effective from next Thursday, I penned them onto my airmap and they don't make nice reading).

When looking at the transponders issue I started at the BHPA website and followed it from there using the excellent guidance. I've completed the questionaire and emailed it to the CAA. It took a fair amount of time to read things and ensure I understood things OK.

The purpose of this post is to encourage all our members to have a look at the issue and respond as they think fit. Those going XC/thinking of going XC will probably feel strongest about the issues but there does not appear to be a guarantee that ridge soaring will be exempt. Pilots in Derbyshire are very concerned about it up here and the number of responses from our sport would appear to be very important.

Responses must be in by 5pm  tues  29 Aug. Go on have a go, don't be put of by the wording, what else are you going to do when it's not flyable (watch TV ?)

Chris









 

[Jon Moore]

I hope that the SWWS Club as a body and all individual members are responding to the CAA Consultation on transponders. Opinion is that the excemptions suggested in the Partial RIA are not a certainty and may not even be viable. As well as studying the BHPA guidance, I found the BGA and PFA documents very helpful. The deadline is 29th August @ 17:00 hrs.

Jon Moore

[Nick Roberts]

I've just received an email from the BHPA concerning this matter.  Hopefully, there will be some details in this month's 'Skywings' as  the situation urgently requires the attention of all pilots and a written response to the consultation document by all pilots.

[Steve Watkins]

Thanks Jamie - alarming news!

I checked over at http://www.paraglidingforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=7830&highlight=transponder

This is a quote from over there:

5.1 At this stage, it is envisaged that certain types of recreational, sporting or unusual activity will either fall outside of the applicability criteria, or will be specifically exempted from any equipage requirements. For example, it is assumed that this proposal would not apply to the following circumstances:
a. Activity that would not have a significant impact on other airspace users or ATC. For example, this could include the following:
(1) Winch-launched gliding activity of short duration that remains within the bounds of known and suitably promulgated sites. These sites could be promulgated laterally and vertically.
(2) Foot-launched gliding activity of short duration that similarly remains within the bounds of known and suitably promulgated sites.
b. Pre-planned and suitably promulgated competitions and other known gatherings involving large numbers of aircraft operating within a small volume of airspace.
c. Para Gliding and parachuting activity where the lack of a suitable rigid structure would prevent the suitable installation of the required equipment. (my bold / italics)
d. Special flights for which the activity, routes and operating areas will be suitably promulgated or which will operate in dedicated airspace.

Apparently from the consulation document. I did a search and could find this but of anyone else does, please let us know

Thanks Jamie - hopefully it will come to nothing.

[jg]

subject: URGENT communication from BHPA to all members

not sure if anyone is subscribed to the BHPA mailing list type thing - as no one has commented on this here. so I thought I'd post the info I just received.

cheers

jamie



>>On 05 August 2006 at 12:41, <webmaster@bhpa.co.ukwrote:
URGENT communication from BHPA to all members - CAA Transponders
proposal

(this document is also available as a pdf
< http://www.bhpa.co.uk/Transponder2-1.pdf  >)

Mode S transponders for all UK aircraft - responses to CAA required
by all BHPA members by 29th August.

As some of you may be aware, the UK CAA is carrying out a
consultation into making it compulsory for ALL aircraft to carry a
working Mode S transponder when flying anywhere in the UK. The change
is due for implementation in 2008. see http://www.caa.co.uk/ModeS.

 The consultation does talk about exemptions, but when viewed against
the real world they are pretty
 impractical and show a poor understanding of our type of flying.
 
 One lightweight transponder does now exist at prototype stage, even
though the CAA has yet to issue a specification for manufacturers to
work to. This manufacturer expects a retail price of £1,000 - £1,500.
It has a battery life of 4 - 5 hours. see
http://www.kinetic-avionics.co.uk/LAST.php. An annual licence fee and
servicing costs will also be payable, possibly in the region of £300 -
£400 per
 annum.

 The BHPA was originally planning to submit an official response on
behalf of all its members but a recent change in the consultation
process has meant individual responses from the membership are now
VERY important. To that end the BHPA is preparing a set of guidance
notes which will be published on the BHPA website, hopefully by
Friday 11th August 2006. As the consultation closes at 17:00 on
Tuesday 29th August 2006 this will allow just over two weeks for
members to get their responses to the CAA.

TIME IS CRITICAL!
 It is critical that you take time to read the consultation document
and respond in your own words on the official response form.
Guidelines on issues to be raised will be published on the BHPA
website. In the meantime background information can be found on the
BGA & PFA websites.
 see http://www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/airspace/transponders.htm and
http://www.pfa.org.uk/mode_s.asp.

 Small businesses effected by the proposals (all BHPA schools and
dealers) are invited to attend a
 presentation at the CAA in London on 15th August at CAA House (1000
- 1400hrs) for GA user groups and small businesses. Details from Max
Seaman at mode.s@dap.caa.co.uk <mailto:mode.s@dap.caa.co.uk>.

 An evening presentation is to be held at Lasham airfield on 17th
August to which all BHPA members are
 invited. They expect to be swamped with pilots from the ballooning
and microlight communities in addition to the gliding fraternity, so
they need an idea of numbers from the BHPA.

Please liaise at a club level and club secretaries contact Lasham
(01256 384900) to confirm expected numbers.

 A few other meetings are mooted in the North but dates and venues
are yet to be confirmed - watch the BHPA website. Details will be
posted as soon as we are made aware.

 Make no mistake, this could well signal the end of cross country
flying as we know it in the UK. If even you aren't an XC hound you
WILL also be effected.

 Please read the CAA proposal carefully and submit a reasoned
response on the proper form by the deadline of 17:00 on 29th August.
Remember BHPA guidance will be on the website at www.bhpa.co.uk.

The CAA change has made the time scale unreasonable but the CAA will
not consider changing the closing date.

If things do not go our way we may yet be asking you to contact your
MPs, but not yet.
 Thank you.

 FSC Airspace Panel and Martin Heywood, BHPA Chairman 3rd August,
2006