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Checking the windsock on short final

No, AFIS does not issue roll clearances nor anything else neither in Germany nor elsewhere. AFIS only provides information and in addition to that represents the owner/operator of the airfield so can prevent you from starting/landing/parking somewhere by exercising ownership rights. Depending on the status of the airfield (public airfield, special use airfield) those rights can be broad (club airfield: I don't like the paint of your aircraft, you can't land here) or very restricted (public airfield: only in cases of imminent danger).

Yesterday, quite windy, I was returning to homebase, radioed in but nobody was at the airstrip to answer, so I overflew the strip to check the windsock.

It was limp in morning when I left but it wasn't there any more!

I landed with reference to some nearby farmer's smoke. I checked the club windmeter once on the ground, 17kts crosswind.

Happy only when flying
Sabaudia airstrip LISB, Italy

I always check the windsock on short final, as with reds/blues/greens. what is the windsock doing? Again, on arrival at unmanned strips, or overhead joins, non radio, always a quick check on the sock. Last week I was departing a pretty isolated strip, 8.00 in the evening, and as I was about to back track onto the runway, (scolded myself because I did not use the safetycom), a voice came on the radio, 'aircraft on runway, we are coming in'. After my exclamation, and scolding myself, I retreated back to the intersection, apologised, and told him to continue and I would wait. Issue was, we were using, clearly identified by the sock, 23, he was coming in on 07. There was a good 8kts. I offered him the information, which he ignored. It is a 620mtr strip. I sat back and watched the show.... Well the first, "I smell an accident", saw him complete a very late go around, after he floated past me at the half way section, the second was a low downwind attempt, aborted, he then lined up on final, for the correct 23. I refrained from comment, but so did he, not a word, of thanks, nothing. Obviously oblivious, and appearing not to care, as to what the wind was doing.

Fly safe. I want this thing to land l...
EGPF Glasgow

Achim,

in the UK, the AFISO does issue clearances to aircraft maneuvering on the ground.

I don't think it is ICAO standard, but in the UK, that's the way it is.

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

in the UK, the AFISO does issue clearances to aircraft maneuvering on the ground.

I don't think it is ICAO standard, but in the UK, that's the way it is.

The basic point here is that all UK land is owned by somebody, and that "somebody" controls what is allowed to happen on that land.

The man on the radio does not own the land but is acting on behalf of the landowner.

The man on the radio can also refuse the landing, though (I am told by someone in the business) he has to pass a specific message along the lines that on behalf of the landowner you are refused permission to land.

This has been abused on some occasions where people were refused a landing at an AFIS airfield e.g. because, the man on the radio claimed, they were inbound from abroad and did not send in a GAR form. That is bollocks because an airport has no right to see a GAR form; it is a confidential document sent to the govt authorities. These abuses are very rare though. There is just a "human tendency" for many A/G or FISO people to act as ATCOs.

There is no concept of the US-style "public airport" which has to accept all traffic that turns up, etc.

This also means that every UK airport is thus potentially PPR. Many are full-time PPR and some become PPR during certain times.

Also, ATC (but not AFIS or A/G) control the air even at a Class G airport, within the ATZ (which is about 2nm radius), and can issue clearances in that piece of air, SFC-2000ft AGL.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
25 Posts
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