Airspace Infringements
Iain McDermott-Paine, Southampton Airport
AOA Representative – Airspace Infringement Working Group
Agenda
• Airspace Infringements – a definition
• The consequences of an Airspace Infringement
• The Airspace Infringement Working Group
• The UK picture – where do our Infringements happen?
• The 2015 plan – the 5 ‘hot spots’
• ‘Fly on Track’
• CAA Infringement Tutorial
• Some of the challenges
What is an airspace infringement?
“An Airspace Infringement is generally defined as a
flight into notified airspace without previously requesting
and obtaining approval from the controlling authority of
that airspace in accordance with international and
national regulations”
Source – European Action Plan for Airspace Infringement Risk
Reduction; January 2010
The consequences of an airspace
infringement?
Mid air collision or ‘Airprox’
• The worst case scenario
Loss of standard separation
• Potential to cause loss of control on board an aircraft, even injuries if violent
maneuverers are required.
• Risk of commercial traffic operating outside of controlled airspace
Operational impact
• Increased controller / pilot workload
• Adverse economic and environmental impact due to additional track mileage
• Disruption to schedules
Airspace Infringement Working Group (AIWG)
• National group chaired by CAA Manager Airspace Regulation
• Group has been in place for a number of years working on a range of
infringement initiatives
• Membership of AIWG includes:
CAA (Airspace, GA unit, Flight Ops, Communications)
Military
Aircraft Operators and Pilots Association
Light Aircraft Association
General Aviation Safety Council
British Microlight Aircraft Association
NATS (Safety / En route)
Guild of Air Traffic Control Officers
British Gliding Association
Airport Operators Association
UK National Infringement Data
Source: CAA Infringement Action Plan, 2014
‘2015 Hot Spots’
Airspace Infringement Working Group (AIWG) have identified 5 hot spots:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Southampton / Solent
Heathrow
Birmingham
Luton / Stansted
Gatwick
• Each aerodrome has been requested by the AIWG and CAA to set up a Local
Airspace Infringement Team (LAIT).
• The LAIT’s will continue to feed into the AIWG during 2015.
• Each LAIT must set targets for a reduction in high risk infringements (guidance
from CAA is between 30% and 50% reduction)
• The CAA may impose airspace mitigations if targets are not met
• This is a 12month programme though may be extended if recommended by each
LAIT and agreed by the AIWG
‘Fly on Track’
Independent resource primarily
aimed at GA pilots
Content includes:
• Tips on how to avoid an
infringement
• Statistics
• Radar replays of
infringements
• Pilot reports / Incidents
CAA Infringement Retraining / Tutorial
• Launched Autumn 2014
• Password can be sent to
infringing pilot by CAA and
licensing action taken if not
completed and passed within one
month
• 20 random questions, 10 minutes,
pass rate 80%
CAA Infringement Retraining / Tutorial (cont…)
• Not all infringing pilots are asked
to complete the test – each case is
reviewed to determine whether
poor airmanship is underlying
cause
• Distinct from existing licensing
action that can still be taken if CAA
deem necessary
• Tutorial available for all pilots
• Results analysed by AIWG
Some of the Challenges
•
Getting the message to the target audience - those with excellent airmanship
skills are often already the most engaged
•
Improving the reporting level and analysing trends from all available data,
including military
•
Is the underlying issue the Pilot, the Flying School, or the Instructor?
•
Possible Airspace mitigations and the impact on all airspace users
Some helpful links:
Fly on track
www.flyontrack.co.uk
CAA IN 2013/140 – Introduction of post infringement questionnaire
https://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/InformationNotice2013140web.pdf
Eurocontrol (including action plan)
http://www.eurocontrol.int/articles/airspace-infringement-initiative.
Any questions?