Fleeing from the Great London P.E Games

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Member for

20 years

Posts: 3,902

With airspace lock-down looming, we found a gap in the weather to relocate our innocuous Piper Cub away from the Olympic madness, to a tranquil strip in rural Bucks, where there will be no transponders, flightplans or high-viz jackets.

Nobody will run anywhere, jump over anything, or throw objects around, and we will not be body-searched upon arriving at the site.

The resident Cub kindly budged up for us, and they look happy enough together. It is good to have an opportunity to keep flying BUT.. what a huge waste of time, effort and money for a politician simply being able to say '' We had to do SOMETHING''.

No doubt Mr S. Coe will be happy to write a cheque for a few hundred pounds to cover the cost of the hangarage which we cannot use, a drop in the spend so far of £24 billion :confused:

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Member for

12 years 11 months

Posts: 6,535

Hear, hear.

What particularly infuriates me is the constant and blatant attempt at intimidation contained within the threats aimed at GA should they even so much as sneeze within five hundred miles of the Olympic Restricted Area.

My current issue of GASCO Flight Safety, is stuffed full of lurid intimations and threats as to the likely fate of any hapless 'bimbler' who, out for an innocent aerial ramble finds themselves manoeuvred by some errant breeze the wrong side of the boundary. If the collective rantings of the Gauleiters aren't a demonstration of mental bullying, I don't know what is

John Green.

Member for

20 years

Posts: 3,902

I guess we all have some knowledge of the 'Great Plan ' but this is a reasonable
thumbnail summary of what's what.

''The Olympic Games are almost here with the associated Airspace Restrictions. A comprehensive Guide to these Restrictions is available for download from the Olympics airspace safety website (a link to which is on the Home page) and an electronic version for iPads is now available as a free download from the Apple Store, but it is suggested that you download this while connected to WiFi due to the large file size. It is vital that all pilots intending to fly over the period of the Restrictions (2300 hours UTC on Friday, 13 July 2012 until 2300 hours UTC on Wednesday, 15 August 2012 inclusive) are fully aware of the Restrictions as failure to do so could result in a licence suspension or in the extreme, a total ban on GA flying. To aid the education process, a checklist of the major requirements is attached and all pilots are required to contact Operations prior to their first planned flight during the Restrictions period to run through this list. Particular points to note are:-

· Your aircraft must have a serviceable radio and a Mode A and C or Mode S transponder.
· You must obtain from Waltham Radio, and set, the transponder code for the day.
· If you wish to enter the Restricted Zone beyond the local flying area, you must have filed a flight plan 2 to 24 hours before your flight and have obtained an approval number.

You must establish two-way communication with Atlas Control and obtained their approval BEFORE entering the Restricted Zone proper.
For your flight plan to remain valid, you must contact Atlas Control within +/- 30 minutes of the time noted on your flight plan for entering the Restricted Zone. If you do not, entry to the Zone will be denied and you will need to file a new flight plan for your intended flight.''

This was circulated for the benefit of White Waltham pilots by WLAC.

Member for

12 years 11 months

Posts: 6,535

I've always thought that it was a cardinal principle of English Law that there was a clearly established presumption of innocence.

The threatened suspension of licence in the event of a breach of the Olympic Restrictions when the alleged offender might be found to be innocent in a Court of Law, is a breach of that principle and therefore could be actionable in pursuit of a claim for damages.

John Green

Member for

19 years 5 months

Posts: 9,821

P.E. Games? What might PE be?

P.C. I can believe....:)

Member for

20 years

Posts: 3,902

P.E. Games? What might PE be?

P.C. I can believe....:)

Why, Physical Education of course !

I have been attempting to erase the memory for 25 years. The very notion that you might pay good money to watch someone running round a track is .....well, unfathomable!

Member for

13 years 5 months

Posts: 919

I'm no pilot, BUT if I wanted to make a statement by flying something into central London, it wouldn't be a GA aircraft - it would be like swatting a fly for the local armed-to-the-teeth plod and SAS. I'd go for something which could make a BIG stain on the grass... also something with unquestioned ability to get into the no-fly zone (didn't Iraq have one of those?..).

Member for

11 years 11 months

Posts: 113

I feel for the commerical pilots flying into the major airports knowing that there are several rapier missile batteries following them. Not something I'd even want to think about.

On the GA side of things, this whole Atlas control just sounds a bit of a mess and something of a nightmare for the powers that be to accurately manage.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 16,832

It's just a massive over-reaction to a virtually non-existent threat.

Somebody, somewhere wrote a risk assessment and this is the stupid result.

No flightplans needed for road-going petrol tankers we might notice.

And I suppose this sort of PR garbage is meant to convince the populous how serious the authorities are treating the non-existent threat?

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/61557000/jpg/_61557761_rafnortholt.jpg

Makes me laugh when the Puma 'never exceed' speed is a good 20 knots slower than my aircraft's cruise

Moggy

Member for

20 years 2 months

Posts: 579

My aeroplane is locked safely in it's hangar inside R112. Flying is (was?) fun, and should not involve all this bolleaux to go for a VFR bimble round the block. I'm using the down time productively and doing some work on the aeroplane and ironically, fitting a new radio & transponder.

Amazing that in the supposedly 'free' Western world, we have less freedom than the rest of the world...All in the name of sport.:rolleyes:

Member for

11 years 11 months

Posts: 113


Makes me laugh when the Puma 'never exceed' speed is a good 20 knots slower than my aircraft's cruise

Isn't that what the Typhoons are for? :)

The whole thing is a massive over reaction. I work in London and so far haven't seen much in the way of security improvements. A few more armed police patrols but that's about it.

It'll be interesting to see if it increases in the next few weeks. Hopefully I'll be working from home for the big sportsday event itself.

Member for

12 years 11 months

Posts: 6,535

Re1

Propstrike

Have you thought about suing in the Small Claims of your local County Court to recover your extra hangarage costs ? It costs next to nothing if you present your own case. You will need receipts for your extra payments and the identity and address of the Olympic organisers.

Although nothing is guaranteed, your loss is so unjust, that I think that you stand a more than equal chance of success.

John Green

Member for

12 years 9 months

Posts: 759

Never mind all the silly nonsense will soon be over ----I notice newspaper ads for " German Christmas Festive Markets " & " Status Quo Christmas Concert " BOOK NOW !!!!!!

Member for

20 years

Posts: 3,902

Re1

Propstrike

Have you thought about suing in the Small Claims of your local County Court to recover your extra hangarage costs ? It costs next to nothing if you present your own case. You will need receipts for your extra payments and the identity and address of the Olympic organisers.

John Green

Not a bad idea, I might just do that.

Here in the NW corner of the zone, near Bovingdon VOR, though a gloomy day it is flyable, and the aerial count so far is ZERO ! The red kites have the sky to themselves.

It seems very likely that many recreational pilots may well en masse conclude that hours of paperwork, codes, hassle and threats is the kind of recreation they can do without, and just not bother. :mad:

Member for

12 years 11 months

Posts: 6,535

Re 14

Propstrike

Re your last para. Yes. That is exactly the intention.

If you do decide to recover your extra costs, I'd be glad to help.

John Green

Member for

13 years

Posts: 2,841

Somebody PM me when this madness is over or the beach vollyball is on in the rain!

http://furiousmiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/2000s_beachvolleyball2108_8_gallery__582x400.jpeg

Member for

14 years 6 months

Posts: 140

Piper Cub

Back to nice things,it was nice to see the two cubs in the hangar together.I see the other cub on occasions in the Bucks/Oxon region,always a good reminder for me of a faded picture of a past relative with his cub in the 'good'old days.Happy flying and if you do get aloft it would be good to see you in the Thame area.

Member for

20 years 8 months

Posts: 8,505

Wycombe is firmly within the zone and our shortest route out is about 3-4 miles to the boundary. I suppose I can consider my self lucky that my commitments in the near future look like keeping me grounded until the silliness is over. I can guess what will happen, some poor soul is going to accidently infringe the zone and the knee jerk reaction will be the banning of all GA activity anywhere in the zone. The stupid thing is the silies don't start until the 27th yet the restrictions kicked in at midnight Friday. Surely 3 days prior to the start of the Games would have sufficed. I agree with Moggy that the whole mess is total overkill. Why clamp down on light aviation so severely when a Transit van full of explosives would make a much bigger , louder statement? The government seems to have taken a lleaf out of my son's book. When in doubt massive overkill is the only answer.

Member for

11 years 11 months

Posts: 113

They closed down all the car parks around Stratford back around June 18th. also, a lot of the train services are being cancelled/reduced so the whole thing is a pain in the neck - not just from the GA side of things.

Member for

12 years 11 months

Posts: 6,535

Looks as though all that security could be having an unintentional effect. My newspaper reports that one point five million (1.5) tickets remain unsold. Has the army of 'gorillas', guided missiles, Eurofighters, attack helicopters, aircraft carriers, and for all we know; thermonuclear devices, putting people off from attending the Olympic jamboree?

Either that or, significant numbers of taxpayers are either bored witless or can't afford the monstrous ticket prices.

John Green

Member for

18 years 10 months

Posts: 1,084

Either that or, significant numbers of taxpayers are either bored witless or can't afford the monstrous ticket prices.

John Green

...or have simply given up on the event as a lost cause after the ticket lottery fiasco?

It seems that those closely involved in the event cannot see (or perhaps deliberately choose not to see?) how much adverse impact it is having on those who have no interest in it, and upon those who cannot see any lasting economic or social benefit coming to most places outside London.

I work in a town in the South East that has higher than average unemployment, and that will suffer two half-days of total traffic disruption as the torch passes through later this week. What benefit will this town see after the torch has left?

Visitors travelling to London for the Olympic are unlikely to travel this far south, not least because the rail companies are already warning residents to expect travel disruption, and asking resident commuters to avoid travelling to work in London if they can. Will those commuters get a rebate ont heir season ticket for those two weeks? Why would tourists choose to spend 90mins each way on a train to visit the South Coast when you have all the tourist attractions in London to visit?

If the organisers really thought visitors would travel this far out of London, then surely they would have organised beach volleyball on a sandy beach on the South Coast, rather than in Horseguards Parade. And why not hold Equestrian events at Hickstead, or at Badminton, instead of in Greenwich Park?

Regardless of the platitudes being offerred to the wider UK, "London 2012" is just that, it is fast becoming clear that few other towns or cities in UK will see much lasting benefit. Even those hosting the few "out of town" events will probably see little lasting benefit after the games have moved on, as most of the facilities being used already existed.

It also appalls me that BBC continue to promote their olympics coverage on a daily basis, at every single opportunity, given it will disrupt "normal" BBC TV schedules anyway. It's hardly as if the UK population are likely to forget the Games are imminent. I dread to think how much of our Licence Fee has been wasted on all those flashy BBC TV reminders and advertisements, while the main BBC channels carries ever more repeats of old programmes? The self-promotion adds nothing to the service the BBC provide, so why waste money on it in the first place?

Paul F