Guest Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 In case you are non BHPA and have not received this communication I post it below in full: You may wish to take action if you feel your sport is threatened. Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) Eurocontrol, the ‘European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation’ has produced for consultation its draft version of its proposed Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA). Whilst the aim of having one single set of Rules of the Air that applies right across Europe may seem attractive, unfortunately whoever has written the draft has clearly not given a single thought to hang gliders and paragliders. Some of the proposed rules will have a massive detrimental impact on our ability to go and fly. (E.g. 4.6 bans flight below 500 feet – so ridge soaring will be effectively outlawed!) Unfortunately, the consultation period is very short, hence this email direct to each member. The BHPA will submit a response and the EHPU is also submitting a response both directly and through Europe Airsports. But we feel that Eurocontrol should also get a feel for the strength of our feelings on this matter – and therefore ask each of you to make your own response to Eurocontrol. Depending upon the outcome of this consultation, we always have the alternatives of going down the political (MEP etc.) route. But at this stage we just want members to complete and return consultation response sheets. ACTIONS: 1. Go to this Eurocontrol webpage and download a copy of each of the four consultation documents: http://www.eurocontrol.int/enprm/public ... 10002.html 2. Refer to the document attached to this email entitled ‘BHPA Comments on SERA Draft - V 1.0 3. Choose some of the points outlined and, in your own words, complete the ‘Consultation Response Sheet – Enclosure 3’ that you downloaded. Ideally you should express dissatisfaction with the SERA proposals along the lines of ‘the current safe, entirely legal activity would be made illegal by this change’. (The BHPA response will suggest alternate wordings – and it may be counter-productive if you try to create ‘in your own words’ alternatives to our proposals.) 4. Please email us any further issues that you identify in the proposal, for possible inclusion in the BHPA’s final submission. Use the subject line SERA. 5. Send your completed comments to Eurocontrol before the closing date of 12th April 2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 Francis, Welcome back. I have a question for the clarity of others. Where you say (E.g. 4.6 bans flight below 500 feet – so ridge soaring will be effectively outlawed!) How does this differ from the existing 500ft rule, and will it effect PPG. Again (the questions are for clarity) SW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 the current 500ft rule does not ban flight below 500ft rather it requires you not to be closer than 500ft to persons or structures except when landing and taking off. SERA, as currently worded, could mean that descent from above 500ft can only be permitted after joining the circuit and landing at a licensed field. PPG would not want to have to operate from licensed (controlled) airfields as they do in Germany? In any case gliders soaring a ridge are exempt the 500 ft rule. SERA does not include that exemption (although that is more likely an oversight than a deliberate omission) so if the current wording goes through ridge soaring will not be permitted. At present we can arrive at a ridge from altitude and soar it as a glider making some inaccessible (by road) ridges available to us. Apart from the 500ft minimum height there is plenty here to concern PPG. e.g the requirement to file flight plans etc when flying IFR effectively means no power-off thermalling to cloud-base, as this is IFR flight when you are within 1000ft of cloud above 3000amsl. We are permitted to do this now. e.g the minimum visibility rule, we currently have much more favourable minima than SERA wording allows. etc its all in the pdf. Read it and if any points concern anyone they can go to the website linked above and make their case. The more responses they get the more likely they are to re-consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgrant Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 Simon, Francis doesn't say that, the BHPA do. There is a whole lot more that could have an impact on those other than free flyers. Worth a read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 As I said, helping clarity not hindering. I don't care who says it if it's relivant and not BS. I wanted to make people more aware of the effects not the other way around. It's all good 'chillax' SW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTumnus8896 Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 As a glider pilot, the BGA is worried because: Flight Below 500' = No No off-airfield landings Gliding considered as aerobatic Any flight going through controlled airspace must file a vfr flight plan Not allowed to go within 1000' of cloud base in Class D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmer_Dave Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 I've been watching this on my local club forum and the chairman made exactly the same observations as Francis and the new member who's post I follow. It is vital that we all respond to these proposals. Doing nothing is not an option. Dont be complacent just because you may think some of the proposals are an oversight or just plain daft. It'll all go through if we all lie down and let it Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macey2kk Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 for those of us, whos heads this slightly skirts over ( me included in part ) but understand the need to be outspoken.. does anyone thing that a petition - (digitally signed by forum members) by this forum would be a good idea? similar to the ones at nr 10 online. just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_b Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 for those of us, whos heads this slightly skirts over ( me included in part ) but understand the need to be outspoken..does anyone thing that a petition - (digitally signed by forum members) by this forum would be a good idea? similar to the ones at nr 10 online. just a thought. Im sure you have to do it in your own words or the will not count it ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macey2kk Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 for those of us, whos heads this slightly skirts over ( me included in part ) but understand the need to be outspoken..does anyone thing that a petition - (digitally signed by forum members) by this forum would be a good idea? similar to the ones at nr 10 online. just a thought. Im sure you have to do it in your own words or the will not count it ! really... i meant in a petition format.... but if thats the case fair enough.. i just thik there may be plenty of people wanting to protect the sport that dont quite know enough to embrace some of the statements and answer in a professional manner.. i see it with the TRF and off road riding.. was just a thought.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_b Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 for those of us, whos heads this slightly skirts over ( me included in part ) but understand the need to be outspoken..does anyone thing that a petition - (digitally signed by forum members) by this forum would be a good idea? similar to the ones at nr 10 online. just a thought. Im sure you have to do it in your own words or the will not count it ! really... i meant in a petition format.... but if thats the case fair enough.. i just thik there may be plenty of people wanting to protect the sport that dont quite know enough to embrace some of the statements and answer in a professional manner.. i see it with the TRF and off road riding.. was just a thought.. Sorry I was misinformed You are correct petition if done correctly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 I think that most PPG pilots would agree that flying from an unlicensed field is a right we want to keep. Writing, in your own words describing exactly what your flying entails and that you are concerned that the current wording may be interpreted as meaning you will no longer be able to do things the way you do now. And that having to license a field or join a licensed operation would kill your sport due to admin and costs. The writers of this stuff don't know anything about your sport. Tell them what you do and how you do it. Thats all you need to do. But hang it on a concern . eg. "can I still fly from Fred's field anytime I want?" OR "Can I still fly at 10 feet kicking sticks in my own field?" OR "Can I still ridge soar from zero to 500ft?" If they get a hundred short essays on the joys of PPG and how you carry it out they will be able to understand what you need and also the strength of your feelings. BE POLITE and don't assume they are idiots, they are not. They have a job to do and one of their duties is to facilitate ALL aviation needs. HELP THEM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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