[chevvron]

If we get refused access then we should report it. If we divert west the gliders at Lasham could be a problem and if we have near misses we should report it.

Don't forget the cable hazard at Lasham too.

[ChrisRowland]

I vividly remember when we lowered the nose at the top of a winch launch at Rivar Hill to see a little blue and white high wing monoplane fly past, just too far away to read the registration. Filed an airprox and wrote a short essay about the dificulties of spotting pop up traffic whch the airprox people posted practically verbatim.

I fear it's going to take someone having a wing chopped off before people take the cable risk seriously.

[chevvron]

I vividly remember when we lowered the nose at the top of a winch launch at Rivar Hill to see a little blue and white high wing monoplane fly past, just too far away to read the registration. Filed an airprox and wrote a short essay about the dificulties of spotting pop up traffic whch the airprox people posted practically verbatim.

I fear it's going to take someone having a wing chopped off before people take the cable risk seriously.

When winch driving at Halton, on more than one occasion I had to 'chop' a launch early because I could see a light aircraft heading towards the cable.
I've seen the effect a moving braided steel cable can have sawing through a wooden wing and I wouldn't think there would be much difference with an aluminium one.
Too few powered pilots realise the hazard involved in flying over a gliding site below the notified cable launch altitude which is clearly marked on CAA charts.

[T67M]

The bad weather probably helped because it reduced the number of VMC pilots wanting transits. The time it will get tricky will be on fine weekend days when there are lots of people wanting VMC transits to and from the south and the skies over Lasham are full of gliders.

The challenge will really come after March 26th when the weather offers BKN023 or lower and the transit, whilst clear of cloud, still has to be done under SVFR or IFR with controller-provided separation.

[PaulB]

But the BKN23 will be at the airport. Surely a radar controller can’t say what the situation is at the edge of the CTR?

[FlarePath]

Who defines the ceiling legaly, pilot , ATC or Met Office?

[xtophe]

the pilot

edit: except within the ATZ

[defcribed]

Who defines the ceiling legaly, pilot , ATC or Met Office?

Good question, I don't know.

A pilot is responsible for complying with flight rules, that I know. Whether it is on ATC to make VFR unavailable if the weather report is below a certain point, who knows? The report is at the airport, not the rest of the zone, and it could be up to 30 minutes old. Do we in the UK have the 'airport is IFR' declarations like you hear on French ATIS? It presumably means you can only depart or arrive IFR, but does it mean you cannot make a VFR transit of the zone?

Hand up with a confession here - I have never bothered much with the distance-from-cloud rules.

[FlarePath]

the pilot

edit: except within the ATZ

Would that include an A/G & FISO ATZ?

[PaulB]

Could a FISO/ROCC holder be a qualified MET observer?

[FlarePath]

I assume that anyone irrespective of their occupation could become a qualified observer. I have seen adverts for courses that were for the public to apply.

[xtophe]

Would that include an A/G & FISO ATZ?

for the A/G or FISO ATZ wholly in class G, the rules don't change so not a problem.

For the ATZ partly in Class D I don't know.

[AlanM]

Who defines the ceiling legaly, pilot , ATC or Met Office?

Have we not done this to death?

[AlanM]

Could a FISO/ROCC holder be a qualified MET observer?

Our ATC assistants are our Met Observers. They essentially train withe the UK MetOffice and do some time in Belfast with the MetOffice as some live On the job training. After that they returned to the unit before being signed off by Met Forecasters. They then have a currency and competence plan

[Lefty]

Can you guys not read the messages that are being sent? You keep asking questions that you REALLY don’t want to know the answer to - if you want to fly.

Only the pilot knows the weather where he / his aircraft is.
Enough - stop there.