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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0258.PDF
262 Sport and Business FLIGHT, 24 February 1961 PARTNERSHIP OF THE SKIES FREE low-level airspace for the British private pilot is aconcept which now seems to be as far away as ever. TheRoyal Aero Club's proposals, sponsored by Mr Peter Masefield as chairman of the aviation committee, are for freedom fromcontrol below 1,500ft except in the immediate vicinity of large airports. These proposals have been used as a starting point fordiscussion, but it seems doubtful if those whose responsibility is the regulation of air traffic have ever seriously considered that theymight be adopted in toto, and then modified to suit the needs of commercial aviation. Putting general aviation first and then arriving at compromiseproposals suitable for both private and commercial users is, for Britain, an astonishing suggestion. Yet something akin to thisapproach has been adopted in the United States and a similar course has been taken by the French in relation to the new shapeof the Paris control zone. Here in Britain the off-airways pilot is faced, from March 1,with added restriction in the shape of a fully IFR London Control Zone and airways network. There can be no valid objection tofull control if this is needed to ensure air safety. "See and be seen" is not a satisfactory philosophy when light aeroplanes and jettransports mingle in the same airspace. But private pilots are disappointed, to say the least, that some airspace at lower levelshas not been left free for them, as it is in the United States and in France. From last Tuesday, February 21, the US Federal AviationAgency started to implement a proposal to raise to 1,200ft above ground level the minimum height of all controlled airspace exceptcontrol zones. The latter, which extend upwards from ground level, will be restricted to a radius of five statute miles from con-trolled airports—although extensions may be made "to encompass the flight-paths of instrument approach and departure operations."The size of individual airport zone extensions will be determined by aircraft climb criteria developed specifically for the job, andeach airport will be considered on a case-by-case basis. For IFR flights transition areas between control zones andairways will have a minimum above-surface level of at least 1,200ft, the only exception being in the vicinity of uncontrolled / 3,OOOft Beaumont / CORMEILLES^500* / O/ / Mery^-»Moisselle| Mitry-Mory^ LE BOURGET ChellesBeynes • Chavenay St.Cyr# | viLLACOUBLAY Guyancourt 0 TousTir' ORLY LOWER LIMIT 1,000(1 0: FLIGHT INFORMATION RE. ON$ Division of Britain's airspace. Shaded sections are terminal control areas, which in instrument weather become controlled airspace. Airways are all controlled airspace, but have a minimum level of 3,000ft. London and Manchester Control Zones are permanently subject to instrument-flight rules airports which have an instrument approach system, where transi-tion floor-level drops to 700ft. This non-VFR airspace will be of limited width. Transition areas will be pierced by VFR corri-dors "as required and as possible." All this means that, except when flying in the vicinity of con-trolled airports and of some uncontrolled ones where special instrument procedures apply, a private pilot in America has onlyto maintain 1,200ft or less to know that he is clear of controlled airspace—and he can legally fly, if he wants to, in the low VFRcontact visibility limits "clear of cloud and in sight of ground or water." Complete revision of all the airspace in the United States willnaturally take some time, especially as the structure is to be amended piecemeal. But the important decision—the policy-making one—has already been taken, and became effective last Tuesday. In Great Britain the Royal Aero Club soldiers on, pressing forsimilar freedom of the air below 1,500ft except in the vicinity of large airports. To be fair, under-airways ceilings in the UK arealready less restrictive than those in the USA—minimum airways height over the whole of the British Isles is 3,000ft. But theairway corridors are not the whole picture—there exist large areas of controlled airspace with a much lower floor. The LondonTerminal Control Area is an example. It has a "stepped" floor, in places not higher than 1,500ft, and it covers the greater part ofSouth-East England. Since this minimum is height above sea level, and the highest ground in the area is nearly 1,000ft in places,the slice of airspace to which VFR-coRtact pilots are restricted when visibility is less than five miles is barely 500ft thick. There is also the thorny problem of the size of control zones.To the general satisfaction of the private pilot—and apparently without much hindrance to the IFR operator—the London Zonewas last year realigned and reduced in size. But it is still 32 statute miles across at its widest point, the Gatwick Zone is 27 miles long(nearly 14 miles each way on the extended centre line of the runway) and the Southampton Zone, covering Hurn and Eastleighjextends from north-east to south-west no less than 44 miles. All Controlled airspace around Paris has been experimentally arranged as shown in this diagram. Only the area outlined in heavy bhck extends upwards from ground level; the remainder of the contro.ep space has a floor which steps up from 1J00H to 3,000ft. Below this the air is actually reserved for light aircraft only, and transports o" IFR flight-plans are not allowed to enter
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