An anonymous forum to allow you to share those moments in flying that caused you concern. You can post without registering a username, registered users can log out to post
By Anon
Anonymous poster
#1310473
Managed to infringe Bristol yesterday and it's a lesson to learn for an experienced pilot. This is a journey I have done quite a few times, so I was fairly relaxed, but had had a disturbed night due power cuts and alarms going off so I was more tired than usual.

I called up Bristol on the usual frequency and found it wasn't working. I then called a nearby unit and got a new frequency. I called them on that and made contact but by then I was pretty close to the zone. I was asked to ROCS and it became clear that there was another infringer at low level taking their attention.

I asked to route over Colerne and started an orbit while I sorted out what to do next but I had forgotten about the wedge of airspace to the north of the zone. It starts at 4500 I was at 5000.

No harm done thankfully but I should have checked the chart sooner and started my orbit sooner or descended or (probably best) routed further East.

I was on a regular route and didn't cope well with the unexpected disturbances. It's called being stuck in the groove and it's a bad thing :oops:
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By Irv Lee
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1310490
Thanks for posting, it ticks more than one "top 5 causes" box in a well known profile that i go through at instructor seminars and which Cub or I include when speaking to pilots at safety evening, shows, clubs, etc. I will post them later when not on a tiny screen with the dangers of android text prediction
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By Charles Hunt
#1310493
As always, thanks for the honesty.
By James Chan
#1310792
Anon,

I suppose the encouraging news is that despite your infringement, you were already talking to Bristol. :thumleft:

Therefore your risk and impact to operations would have likely been much lower than if you didn't bother using your radio and looked completely lost as to where you were going.

I hope you were eventually cleared through and no further follow up needed.
By greggj
#1310823
Yeah. Still better then 'I'm in class G, won't talk to anyone' - approach.
I wonder how many people clip zones and don't even get caught ...