Safety
Red Arrows. The first set of Red Arrows dates for 2012 has been announced, together with details of the areas of temporary restricted airspace – RA(T) - established to protect the Reds. Details of the RA(T)s are given in AIC Mauve 11/2012 available via the NATS/AIS web site at http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public/index.php.html. As always, the BGA urges all pilots to ensure that they know about these areas of airspace and make sure that they do not cause any infringements, inadvertently or otherwise. Throughout 2012 we will, again, be maintaining a calendar view of all RA(T)s announced at http://www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/airspace/rats.php
Olympic Airspace. The first set of official supplements to the UK Air Pilot (AIP) on the airspace changes during the London 2012 Olympics has now been published. The supplements are the legal notification of the temporary changes to controlled airspace in areas around the London Terminal Control Area which will be in place from 16 July to 15 August 2012. Some of this controlled airspace will be in low levels of what is currently Class G airspace. Pilots operating in this area during the Olympics period need to be aware of these changes. Full details are at http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=14&pagetype=65&appid=7&newstype=n&mode=detail&nid=2094. General information about Olympic airspace is at http://olympics.airspacesafety.com/
Airworthiness Directives. Grob 109/109B – Tail Plane Inspection. EASA has issued AD 2012-0027 for the inspection of the horizontal stabiliser nose attachment plate located in the vertical fin, Ref: MSB 817-058. Part A: external inspection within 10 flight hours or 2 months and repeat every 100 flight hours. Part B: internal inspection at next 50 hour check or within 3 months; repeat every 100 flight hours. Note 1: Part B requires an access panel to be installed, Ref: MSB 817-060. Note 2: Certification of Parts A and B and installation of the access panel to be carried out by a BGA authorised inspector. Details at http://ad.easa.europa.eu/blob/easa_ad_2012_0027.pdf/AD_2012-0027_1
GPS Jamming Trials. GPS jamming trials over the next couple of months have been announced, as follows: 5-9 March, Spadeadam potentially affecting NW England, SW Scotland, and as far south SE as Leeming (see AIC Pink 010/2012); 26-30 March, Stanford potentially affecting much of E Anglia and parts of the Lincolnshire coast; 16-27 April, Faraid Head and Loch Ewe with the potential of affecting flights in large areas of Scotland (see AIC Pink 008/2012). All AIS documents are available via http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public/index.php.html
BGA
New BGA Chairman. Pete Harvey has been elected as the new Chairman of the BGA. The election, held at our AGM on 3rd March, followed the retiral of Patrick Naegeli who had served the maximum 6-year term. Pete will be well known to many glider pilots, being one of our leading competition pilots (European Open Class champion in 2005, 2007 and 2009) and having served on the Executive Committee for six years. Pete assumed his new responsibilities

immediately after the close of the AGM. Patrick, who has recently been elected as President of the European Gliding Union, was elected as an Honorary Life Vice-President of the BGA as a mark of our gratitude for everything that he done for the Association over the last six years.
BGA Awards. The BGA made a number of awards at the AGM, recognising the work, usually performed in a volunteer capacity, that individuals have done for our sport over the years. This year, BGA Diplomas were presented to Graham Evison (Yorkshire GC), Moyra Johnson (posthumous, Yorkshire GC), Roy Gaunt (Wyvern GC), John Lavery (Ulster GC), Avo Mangoian (Crusaders GC), and David Wilson (Northumbria and Borders GCs) as well as to BGA Office Manager, Debbie Carr. The Bill Scull Safety Award was given to Tony Segal for his work on energy-absorbing foam and Special Awards were presented to Roland Stuck, ex-President of the EGU and to Roger Hopkinson and John Brady, both of the GA Alliance and the LAA.
Other Awards. The outgoing Chairman also reported a number of national and international awards, awarded to members of our community: an FAI Tissandier Diploma to Carr Withall; a Royal Aero Club (RAeC) Silver Medal to Diana King; a RAeC Diploma to Doug Jones; and a RAeC Certificate of Merit to Dave Masson. The CAA’s Bob Jones presented the CAA General Aviation Safety Award to Hugh Browning for his work on the BGA safe winch launching campaign.
ARC Signatory Course. The BGA is running an initial appointment and refresher ARC signatory course on 21 April, starting at 09.30 at Husbands Bosworth. To qualify as an initial appointment candidate, applicants must be able to demonstrate that there is a genuine need for additional ARC signatories in their area. Additionally, they should be able to demonstrate at least 7 years as an active BGA inspector or 3 years as a BGA inspector PLUS an additional 4 years experience in continued airworthiness. Refresher places are open to any current BGA ARC signatory wishing to update and to lapsed or suspended (not revoked) ARC signatories wishing to revalidate their authorisation. More detail at http://www.gliding.co.uk/technical. To book, please contact Debbie at the BGA Office – debbie@gliding.co.uk.
Club Management
Business Rates - Gliding Sites in England and Wales. The BGA rating team has been in negotiation for over 18 months with the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), an executive agency of HMRC responsible for business rates in England and Wales. These negotiations came about after significant anomalies in 2010 business rates valuations for gliding sites were identified by both the BGA and VOA. These anomalies have caused over-valuation and large increases in 2010 rateable values for some clubs. We are pleased to say that agreement has now been reached with the VOA for specific guidance and parameters relating to more consistent valuation of gliding sites to be made available to their valuers. We have now written to all club chairmen, treasurers and secretaries with a detailed explanation of what this might mean to clubs and what action they might want to consider taking now. If you would like more information or assistance with a rating negotiation, contact the BGA rating team via the BGA Office or get in touch with your regional Development Officer.
Regulatory
CAA Information on EASA Licensing. The CAA has published some information describing the transition from UK CAA/JAR licensing to EASA licensing at http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/620/Revised%20pdf%201%20March%2012CAA4459_EASA_quickg uide_emailer.pdf. A key point for gliding is that there is no requirement to comply with EASA

licensing rules until April 2015. Meanwhile, the BGA continues to be engaged with the CAA in establishing suitable transition arrangements for our sport and its pilots.
Italian Tax on Aircraft. The Italian authorities have introduced a property tax which will apply to privately owned aircraft. The rate of tax is based on the MTOM of the aircraft; for light sporting aircraft, including gliders, tax will be at a flat rate of €450 per annum. This tax will be levied on any aircraft, irrespective of country of registration, which land in the country and stay for more than 48 hours. Europe Air Sports believes that this is an unfortunate step and has asked the European Commission to study the tax carefully and to request that Italy deletes the provisions concerning the taxation of visiting aircraft. EAS has also drawn the European Commission’s attention to Council Directive 83/185/EEC concerning tax exemptions within the Community for certain means of transport temporarily imported into one Member State from another.
Competitions and Cross-Country
Gatwick Airspace Change. We are delighted to report that the CAA has approved the release of a 1000ft vertical section of controlled airspace to the south of Gatwick Airport. Details of the airspace change are at http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/7/20110901GatwickRCSADecisionLetter.pdf. We are very grateful to the BGA volunteers who worked so hard to effect this change and for the assistance provided by NATS.
Non-Transponder Areas. AIC Yellow 007/2012 formally describes the areas that have been designated for use by gliders without Mode S transponders above FL100. Areas are available in Scotland, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Wales, Dartmoor and Northern Ireland. The AIC can be accessed through the NATS/AIS web site at http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public/index.php.html.
Changes to Glasgow Airspace. AIC Yellow 008/2012 details the recent recategorisation of Class E around Glasgow airport to Class D. The AIC should be available on the NATS/AIS web site at http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public/index.php.html.
Juniors
Junior Championships and Two Seater Training. The organisers have announced reduced competition costs for this year: the entry fee has been removed and there will still be a number of free aerotows available. Applications are invited for those whose 26 birthday falls after 2012. Applications for the competition should be in by 31st of March (you can still apply after, but don't get priority), and applications for the two-seater training course should be in by 31st May. More details at http://www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/competitions/news.htm
GAPAN Flying Scholarships. A last reminder that applications for the 2012 Guild of Air Pilots & Navigators flying scholarships and bursaries for summer 2012 must be received by 21 March. Full details of all GAPAN scholarships are at https://www.gapan.org/career-matters/scholarships/
General
Army Sportsman of the Year. Congratulations to British team member, Allan Tribe, who has been named Army Sportsman of the Year. Allan has enjoyed success twice in the Interservices Championships and is a BGA Instructor Coach. He introduced gliding into the MoD ‘Battleback’ programme which helps rehabilitate military personnel who have been seriously wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan; this recently culminated with a triple amputee flying solo for the first time.