Olympic Airspace
NOTE: OLYMPIC AIRSPACE RESTRICTIONS BEGIN ON 14 JULY
Glider Intercept Procedures. Hopefully, all pilots are now aware of the airspace restrictions that will be in place during the Olympic Games. However, the military and the CAA have to plan for the worst should the prohibited or restricted zones be entered without the necessary clearances. The CAA has consulted with the BGA and has now developed specific glider intercept procedures that will apply during the period of the Olympic restrictions. All pilots who intend to fly during the period should understand these, in addition to being aware of how to comply with the restrictions. Ignorance will not be a valid excuse for failing to comply with an interception by a military aircraft. The glider intercept procedures are on the official Olympics Airspace website (http://olympics.airspacesafety.com/media/9618/glider_intercept.pdf) and the BGA Olympics web page (http://www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/airspace/olympics.htm).
Pilots’ Guide. A definitive pilot’s guide to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games has been produced by the Airspace & Safety Initiative (ASI). The 100 page manual pulls together details of all the various security and operational airspace restrictions in place for the duration of the Games, and details the specific additional procedures to be followed over the summer. The guide is only available in electronic format, either as a PDF download from http://olympics.airspacesafety.com/media/9639/airspace_guide_june_26.pdf or as a free iBook from http://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/2012-olympics-airspace-guide/id540319210?mt=11&ls=1. Although the guide is comprehensive, the ASI reminds pilots that it does not replace the need to observe official publications such as the UK AIP.
Use of 121.50MHz. Pilots, who believe that they have infringed or are about to infringe the Olympic Prohibited or Restricted areas, are advised to contact the Distress & Diversion (D&D) Cell on 121.500MHz immediately. Additionally, while the Olympic restrictions are in force, pilots are asked to minimise Practice Pans and Training Fixes on 121.500MHz. More details are in CAA IN 2012/101 at http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/InformationNotice2012101Web.pdf
Safety
Grass Cuttings. Although the recent weather hasn’t been much good for flying it has been ideal for grass growing. We would like to remind pilots of the perennial problem, should we ever get any sunshine, of grass cuttings drying out and becoming a highly inflammable material. We know that, if this builds up in wheel boxes, it can present a very real hazard. Even a slightly dragging brake can generate enough heat to set dry cuttings alight during tow out. Please don’t risk it – always make sure that there are no accumulations of dry grass in wheel boxes.
GASIL. The latest edition of the CAA General Aviation Safety Information Leaflet (GASIL), 2012/05 is now available at http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/2012%2005.pdf

RIAT Fairford. The Royal International Air Tattoo will be held at Fairford on 7th and 8th July. Due to the large number of aircraft involved, temporary airspace restrictions are in place from 4th to 9th July, including temporary airspace for the Red Arrows (on 6th, 7th, and 8th July) and for a large flypast of military aircraft on the 7th and 8th to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee. This flypast will form up south of Telford, route via Cheltenham, overfly Fairford and then route south to disperse in the Swindon and Chippenham areas between SFC and FL65. Details of the temporary restricted airspace are in AIC M061/2012 (Red Arrows), AIC M057/2012 (RIAT) and AIC M095/2012 (Flypast). All of these are on the NATS web site at http://www.nats-uk.eadit.com/public/index.php%3Foption=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=162&Itemid=59.html. Please ensure that you are aware of the airspace restrictions for this and other events throughout the summer by regularly checking the NATS web site or the BGA RA(T) calendar at http://www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/airspace/rats.php
BGA
Regional Technical Officers. We currently have three vacancies for BGA Regional Technical Officers – E England & E Anglia, West Country, and Northern Ireland. If you are an experienced BGA inspector and are interested in helping the BGA Technical Committee in your area, please contact the BGA CTO, Jim Hammerton (cto@gliding.co.uk). The role involves helping other inspectors, club visits, interviewing inspector candidates, and some quality assurance work.
Competitions and Cross-Country
New National Champions. The first national champions of 2012 have been crowned. In the 15m championship, at Lasham, Derren Francis (Windrushers) narrowly beat his CFI, Dave Watt, on the only day of competition possible. Phil Jones (Lasham) was third. BGA Chairman Pete Harvey (Windrushers) won the Open class event, also at Lasham, with local pilots Steve Jones and Kim Tipple second and third. Derren made it a double in the 18m event at Husbands Bosworth, followed by Russell Cheetham (the Gliding Centre) and Andy Davis (Bristol & Glos).
Wenlock Olympian Games. Midland GC is running a demonstration gliding event as part of the 2012 Wenlock Olympian Games. The Wenlock games, which were first held in 1850, are generally recognised as the inspiration behind the modern international Olympic Games that are, of course, returning to the UK later this month. The importance of the Wenlock games in Olympic history is recognised by the naming of the 2012 London Games mascot, 'Wenlock'. It is hoped that, following a successful demonstration event, gliding will become established as a permanent sport in future games. This year’s gliding event will be held at the Long Mynd from 14-21 July. More information is at http://www.wenlockolympiangliding.co.uk/index.html.
Juniors
Junior Gliding TV. If you haven’t seen Junior Gliding TV yet, check it out at http://www.facebook.com/ukjuniorgliding/app_57675755167
General
Unleaded Avgas. One oil company has already sent out leaflets promoting the use of Avgas UL91 unleaded. EASA Safety Info Bulletin 2011-01R2 (at http://ad.easa.europa.eu/ad/201101R2) offers guidance on the use of UL91. We are currently in dialogue with manufacturers to establish where UL91 can be used safely and will publish guidance on its use in powered sailplanes and tugs in due course.