In this month’s edition:
- GASCo Safety Evening
- FASVIG (Future Airspace Strategy VFR Implementation Group) by Steve Hutt
- CAA issue simple guidance on fuelling your aircraft
- Take a Ride on the Space Shuttle
- Upcoming Events
GASCo Safety Evening
Last month the Strut hosted a GASCo Safety evening at the Swiss Cottage. It was very well attended with a number of non-member pilots also coming along.
The theme this year was on the CAA’s GA Safety Six:
- Loss of Control
- Airspace Infringements
- Runway Excursions
- Controlled Flight into Terrain
- Human Factors
- Airborne Conflict
and the decision making that can lead to saving or spoiling the day.
There were a number of scary videos of accidents and near-misses; no fatalities though, but only by good luck. These were used to introduce different aspects of the six. Useful and straightforward advice was presented. Two examples: The Farley List: Making your own personal currency chart to make sure you practice different aspects of handling. The ‘I’m Safe?’ Check-list:
Illness – Are you well enough to fly?
Medication – Side effects, covering problems?
Stress – Any pressure, passengers, annoyed?
Alcohol – No alcohol in the bloodstream is the only safe option (the legal limit is 25% of the UK driving limit)
Fatigue- -Enough sleep, well rested?
Eating – Had something suitable and nutritious to eat before the flight?
The evening certainly gave me food for thought. If you weren’t there but would like to follow this up, have a look at the GASCo web-site.
They even gave out surprise presents to round the evening off. I got a copy of James Allan’s ‘Clearer Horizons’, a nice book on starting to fly and extending your competence once you have your PPL. After I’ve read it my son will be getting it as a Christmas present. 🙂
Richard Griffiths
FASVIG (Future Airspace Strategy VFR Implementation Group)
On 1st July 2014 I took on the role of FASVIG Programme Coordinator. You may have seen my article in the October 2014 LAA Magazine. If you didn’t read the article or have already forgotten about it, you can (re)read it on-line here: http://www.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk/2014/Mag/Oct/FASVIG.pdf
Your assistance with input/comments/ideas to help formulate the FASVIP is vital. FASVIG offers a unique opportunity to improve the way airspace is managed in the UK for the benefit of GA.
Do please get involved. Don’t wait for others to say something. They may never do so. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and you will benefit from everything FASVIG manages to achieve.
The FASVIG Information Sheet is available here: www.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk/FASVIG/FASVIG%20Information%20Sheet.pdf
There is now a ‘FASVIG’ item on the main menu of the LAA website. This takes you to this page: www.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk/FASVIG/fasvig.html
which contains background information on FAS (CAA’s Future Airspace Strategy) and FASVIG (FAS VFR Implementation Group) plus links to FASVIG documents and other related material.
And finally, in order to facilitate improved visibility and development feedback we have created a dedicated FASVIG Forum within the LAA User Forum on the LAA website.
I have created a separate topic in the forum for each Draft Package of Change from the Draft FAS VFR Implementation Plan (FASVIP)
The LAA FASVIG Forum can be accessed here: services.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk/phpbbforum/viewforum.php?f=39
Please login and contribute to this worthy effort.
An introduction to the FASVIG Forum is here: services.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk/phpbbforum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=4340
Steve Hutt
CAA issue simple guidance on fuelling your aircraft
If you use mogas basically it seems to be ‘you are responsible – be sensible’. Published as a web-page at http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=1407&pageid=16578
Take a Ride on the Space Shuttle
Well, actually on a solid fuel booster as it powers the Shuttle in to orbit and plummets back down again in the course of eight and a half minutes. This is footage from a camera carried on the casing. It recorded the sounds too and surprisingly, there is noise in space.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aCOyOvOw5c
Check the speedometer in the top right corner; some rate of climb!
Upcoming Events
Wednesday 3rd December 2014 Strut Christmas Dinner at Toby Downland Carvery, Upper Brighton Road, Worthing, BN14 9JN (Lyons Farm, Worthing)
For the latest list of events, go to the Events page on the Strut website. It’s looking a bit thin at the moment, so put your thinking-caps on and come up with some things you’d like to happen in the New Year.
Light Aircraft Association Southern Strut 