Night Flight
Mar 9, 2008 10:48:15 GMT 1
Post by Admin (Annette Andria) on Mar 9, 2008 10:48:15 GMT 1
we laugh at this but ?
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News in Farnborough
Night flight still a mystery
by Pete Castle.
An “unknown aircraft” that flew low over Farnborough airport in the middle of the night last week did not land, planning officers have concluded.
Bosses at Rushmoor Borough Council asked airport owner TAG to investigate after someone complained that the airport had broken operational guidelines by allowing a night landing.
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Mike Williams, of Wilton Court, Farnborough, who lives directly below the flight path for aircraft on approach to the airport’s main runway, wrote to the council’s planning department last week, complaining about what he called a “dangerous” night movement.
He alleged that a light aircraft landed at the airport at 2.53am on Wednesday last week (February 27), taking off again 12 minutes later, at 3.05am.
“Both these times are well outside the agreed planning restrictions,” Mr Williams wrote.
“This practice is particularly dangerous when it is outside the control operating times.”
A spokesman for TAG Farnborough Airport said: “We were made aware of the complaint by Rushmoor Borough Council.
“It was fully investigated by us and the investigation found that there was an unknown aircraft which was tracked between White Waltham and Farnborough.
“The important point is that it did not take off or land at Farnborough Airport. The airport was closed. There was a report and it was investigated as soon as it came to our attention.”
A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it was not uncommon for an aircraft to fly to a designated point, such as a closed airport, at night before turning around and flying back again.
He likened such an incident to a car driver testing out a new sat-nav system by driving to a closed petrol station, before turning around in the forecourt, and driving home again.
“In principle, there is no reason why a light aircraft cannot fly at night over an airport before turning around and going back,” he said.
“I have no details of this specific case, but it could be that a pilot practising his night-flying skills took off from a small airport and has planned a route to turn over Farnborough Airport.”
The spokesman added that the CAA would only investigate such an incident if there was evidence that a pilot had broken flying regulations.
However, a pilot would not break any regulations on low flying unless he was below 1,000ft over a built-up area or below 500ft over open ground.
Staff at the West London Aero Club, based at White Waltham, said that although the club did run night flying courses for trainee pilots during the winter, all the club’s aircraft and those of members had to be back on the ground by 8pm.
Ben Holland, operations assistant at the club, said: “We sometimes get a random helicopter flying in at night.
“The police helicopter comes in for night practice. It has been here two or three times in the last month. It just touches down for a moment before lifting off again.”
A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said that checks on the records of the force’s two police helicopters showed that neither aircraft was involved in the flight over Farnborough.
Keith Holland, head of planning at Rushmoor Borough Council, said that under the terms of the airport’s legal agreement with the council, TAG investigates all complaints.
“They have very sophisticated monitoring equipment which is able to track aircraft virtually at any time of the day.
“We don’t have many complaints and we have found that frequently in the past complaints that come in are relating to planes flying overhead, which is not unusual.
“Clearly that is not the responsibility of any operator at Farnborough Airport.
“They have clear planning conditions and night flying is not permitted. If they were doing that they would be in breach of planning control.
“I would probably guess that [Mr Williams] has heard it and assumed that it was an aircraft coming in or going out of Farnborough.”
He added: “We have got no evidence that TAG are in breach of their planning conditions.”
A map of the “unknown” aircraft’s movement showed that it had come in from the north before turning around and heading back again, Mr Holland said.
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News in Farnborough
Night flight still a mystery
by Pete Castle.
An “unknown aircraft” that flew low over Farnborough airport in the middle of the night last week did not land, planning officers have concluded.
Bosses at Rushmoor Borough Council asked airport owner TAG to investigate after someone complained that the airport had broken operational guidelines by allowing a night landing.
Advertisementyour story continues below
Mike Williams, of Wilton Court, Farnborough, who lives directly below the flight path for aircraft on approach to the airport’s main runway, wrote to the council’s planning department last week, complaining about what he called a “dangerous” night movement.
He alleged that a light aircraft landed at the airport at 2.53am on Wednesday last week (February 27), taking off again 12 minutes later, at 3.05am.
“Both these times are well outside the agreed planning restrictions,” Mr Williams wrote.
“This practice is particularly dangerous when it is outside the control operating times.”
A spokesman for TAG Farnborough Airport said: “We were made aware of the complaint by Rushmoor Borough Council.
“It was fully investigated by us and the investigation found that there was an unknown aircraft which was tracked between White Waltham and Farnborough.
“The important point is that it did not take off or land at Farnborough Airport. The airport was closed. There was a report and it was investigated as soon as it came to our attention.”
A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it was not uncommon for an aircraft to fly to a designated point, such as a closed airport, at night before turning around and flying back again.
He likened such an incident to a car driver testing out a new sat-nav system by driving to a closed petrol station, before turning around in the forecourt, and driving home again.
“In principle, there is no reason why a light aircraft cannot fly at night over an airport before turning around and going back,” he said.
“I have no details of this specific case, but it could be that a pilot practising his night-flying skills took off from a small airport and has planned a route to turn over Farnborough Airport.”
The spokesman added that the CAA would only investigate such an incident if there was evidence that a pilot had broken flying regulations.
However, a pilot would not break any regulations on low flying unless he was below 1,000ft over a built-up area or below 500ft over open ground.
Staff at the West London Aero Club, based at White Waltham, said that although the club did run night flying courses for trainee pilots during the winter, all the club’s aircraft and those of members had to be back on the ground by 8pm.
Ben Holland, operations assistant at the club, said: “We sometimes get a random helicopter flying in at night.
“The police helicopter comes in for night practice. It has been here two or three times in the last month. It just touches down for a moment before lifting off again.”
A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said that checks on the records of the force’s two police helicopters showed that neither aircraft was involved in the flight over Farnborough.
Keith Holland, head of planning at Rushmoor Borough Council, said that under the terms of the airport’s legal agreement with the council, TAG investigates all complaints.
“They have very sophisticated monitoring equipment which is able to track aircraft virtually at any time of the day.
“We don’t have many complaints and we have found that frequently in the past complaints that come in are relating to planes flying overhead, which is not unusual.
“Clearly that is not the responsibility of any operator at Farnborough Airport.
“They have clear planning conditions and night flying is not permitted. If they were doing that they would be in breach of planning control.
“I would probably guess that [Mr Williams] has heard it and assumed that it was an aircraft coming in or going out of Farnborough.”
He added: “We have got no evidence that TAG are in breach of their planning conditions.”
A map of the “unknown” aircraft’s movement showed that it had come in from the north before turning around and heading back again, Mr Holland said.