Here we go with the latest UK restrictions on GA – came out today.
Near the end is a link to “GA maintenance check flights” but it leads to a page which has no info on this
Commercial pilot training may continue. Other pilot training, appears not.
There is a usefully vague reg on “engine health flights”:
Engine health and maintenance check flights and flights to maintain currency only, that would otherwise lapse during the planned lockdown period, should only be conducted where there is an urgent requirement to do so, and alternative options are not available.
Such flights, where conducted, must be kept to the minimum duration possible and should land at the same airfield from which they departed.
The above also means that if your license / class rating was going to lapse due to CV19 regs preventing a flight with an instructor/examiner, those flights can be done. That’s important, otherwise the CAA would have to yet again extend the current concessions which mostly expire on 22nd Nov 2020.
You aren’t supposed to fly from A to B other than for maintenance reasons which would include collection and delivery of a plane from maintenance. This is in line with the previous-wave regs.
This
We recommend that flight training for private pilots not continue while the national restrictions are in place.
suggests that ground school (in practice, in the PPL, this is self study and then going to the school to sit the exams) can continue.
Wonder why the ‘minimum duration possible’ – once you’re in your plane, you are at no risk of spreading or catching COVID, so it shouldn’t matter if you fly for 10 minutes or 3.5 hours, the risk is more or less the same (and given an engine health flight is almost certainly going to be done VFR, the biggest risk of a prang is during takeoff and landing, so the risks by extending the bit between the takeoff and landing are absolutely minuscule. Is it because the CAA fears that there should be no impression that someone might be getting a little bit of “fun” at the same time?
Is it because the CAA fears that there should be no impression that someone might be getting a little bit of “fun” at the same time?
Exactly; this is all wholly to minimise envy (and thus backlash against the politicians) among the locked-down public sitting on the ground, but they can’t say that.
Realistically however one does need to “look after” one’s local airport which would also end up in the line of fire. So, last time round, I used to do my flights on overcast days, and climb straight into the cloud, or above it.
Now the weather is generally colder, I’m sure it will be taking much longer to get the oil up to a suitably warm temperature. I know in mine in the winter it can be difficult to get the oil up to a decent temperature
I hear that the DfT (whose head is a GA pilot) has stopped training and tests,
@Peter I see EXM flights taking place today for CPL or IR tests.
Yes, commercial training continues.
Latest tonight:
Not that it makes much difference: EGKA 051650Z 35008KT 0100 FG BKN000 05/05 Q1036 
Our Jodel DR1050 was sold, and I’ve been waiting for suitable weather to fly it to Kirkbride, where it would be hangared until the new owner collected her.
The weather is now suitable.
Kirkbride and her final destination are both closed.
Maoraigh wrote:
Kirkbride and her final destination are both closed
I never understood how can UK airfield runways be closed? I can see why you need someone to be there in “licensed airfields” but I never felt the need for someone to hold the runway for me as I land/takeoff in good weather? even lot of unlicensed runways, including grass strips, are now closed with no visitors even if they fit the guidelines criteria…
I understand they are “private business” rather than “public assets” (well aside from Biggin Hill & Sandown that have been open for business all year around), the rest of airfields seems to be operated like Finchingfield summer camping centre or Kew Gardens in regards to Covid19
They just can.
Sandown shut during the first CV19 wave, IIRC. Actually many UK airfields did, often trapping based pilots there and often even denying them the ability to do an engine run. Same in France (where aeroclubs got a special agreement with the DGAC for engine runs, but private owners could not) and probably same in other countries.
I am really surprised Kirkbride is shut. Is there a law in Scotland mandating that? It is basically just one guy with a handheld radio.
Kirkbride is Cumbria. As I sit here in Perth looking out over the airfield, it looks like business as normal. With fog…
