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Watch out for a big "danger area" in the Dover-France crossing (and drone conspicuity)

Ibra wrote:

I had to fly once really low that I had to coast in at Margate/Southend as Dover Cliffs were high,

Its not only the cliffs at low level around Dover, there is also a mast there, maybe 25 or so years ago someone flew into its guide ropes, if I recall 4 were killed

United Kingdom

Indeed

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Jujupilote wrote:

The notam says Lydd ATC can clear you through. Better than nothing.

No, the NOTAM Ive read does not say that, it says a DAAIS is available from Lydd and London info.
This means they tell you if its active, they dont clear you through it if it is, its not a DACS like talking to Plymouth Mil crossing IOW to Cherbourg.

Regards, SD..

Those masts were the radar that detected incoming messerschmidts so the brits never withdrawn them (just kidding)

Ok, thanks for the explanation of the intricaties of uk atc. Knowing if an area is active or not is a special service then !

Last Edited by Jujupilote at 31 Aug 19:15
LFOU, France

In reality you can ask a variety of units whether some DA is active. I tend to ask whoever I am talking to. For example, passing D011 (west of EGTE) I asked either Newquay or Exeter, depending on the direction of flight. They just phone up somebody.

FIS (e.g. London Info 124.60) can also find out for you, but on nice weekends they can be way too busy. IME they can take many minutes, whereas a local unit is likely to know already and will reply immediately.

In this case Lydd will know the DA activity status, prob99 immediately, but you may not be talking to them, especially if IFR in/out of LFAT, and I don’t think Lille will know the status.

It’s same in France. You can ask a variety of units.

Sure there is a dedicated unit for this, too…

In this case, the safest (from the getting busted POV) way is to fly at 5000ft and if possible around the whole DA – which is a very long way over water. And any climb/descent into say LFAT (which is really close to it) ought to route away from it, in case the gradient is insufficient.

It is an incredibly stupid thing to have implemented because one normally starts the descent to the LFAT ILS platform (IAF) at a point which will bust this.

These are the drones in question

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I phoned up LFAT ATC about this.

They are of course aware. It screws the LYD* SIDs. IFR traffic will be instructed to climb above 4500ft in French airspace, but they can’t do much about VFR.

Currently, if I read it right, the 4500ft portion is active only at night

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Jujupilote wrote:

Those masts were the radar that detected incoming messerschmidts so the brits never withdrawn them (just kidding)

If the Brits had lost the Battle of Britain, they’d at least have proper joined up FIS/ATC nowadays

Low-hours pilot
EDVM Hildesheim, Germany

MedEwok wrote:

If the Brits had lost the Battle of Britain, they’d at least have proper joined up FIS/ATC nowadays

This made my day

This wall is straight across where I do most of my flying, so I’m not very happy.

EGHO-LFQF-KCLW, United Kingdom

MedEwok wrote:

If the Brits had lost the Battle of Britain, they’d at least have proper joined up FIS/ATC nowadays
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

Well, in that case, I am not sure we would be chatting on a forum and even less that we would be private pilots.

Deploying watchkeepers over the channel ? The brits are serious about this.

Last Edited by Jujupilote at 03 Sep 11:41
LFOU, France
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