what possible reason is there not to allow people to fly on their own or with people from the same household?
P1ssing off those locked down on the ground? 
There is also a subtle political angle. The Minister for Transport, Grant Shapps, is a GA owner-pilot, and would be hung drawn and quartered and eaten alive by the media if he appeared to do anything openly favouring GA. He needs to keep everything totally transparent and justifiable. This is e.g. why letters sent to him re the dodgy UK CAA “bust them all” infringements policy are just passed to a chap in the DfT who sends you a boilerplate corporate-line reply.
It does appear to be the main reason for not allowing GA.
The direct CAA guidance on risk of transmission:
“In some GA flights, the risk of transmission is undeniably negligible, for example where the flight is a solo flight, from a private airstrip, in which no ground travel is required to access the airstrip. Nevertheless, such flights should not take place, in light of the blanket nature of the directive above, and the risk of an accident resulting in the need for social distancing measures to be abandoned.”
Anyone with a few brain cells bouncing around can see this nonsense.
The restrictions appear to be taken by some / many as an encouragement to shut everything down. Regardless of a genuine health reason.
I’ve been nearly a week for a reply to my questions from the airfield manager. Chasing him up, only gets a “I’ll reply as soon as I can” response. I’m not hopeful.
Peter & Skydriller, if you don’t mind me saying so your comments in posts 88 to 92 are particularly British.
I assume the FR24 you posted showing no flights in France was taken this past weekend. I don’t know why you would expect loads of flights in France. It was a bank holiday weekend so most business flyers would more than likely have taken a few days off with their families. Sport and leisure flying is not permitted since the beginning of the lockdown. Even if it was allowed they probably would not have been squawking mode S. All CAT flights have been reduced by the airlines themselves because no-one wants to fly anywhere.
As for Liberté égalité, fraternité, the motto of France. Freedom of thought, expression etc is a citizens right but only in so far as you don’t use it to cause harm to others. Equality is a citizens right. In the case of leisure and sport flying the FFA have to negotiate the freedoms not only with the DGAC but also with the department responsible for sports and leisure. It is difficult for them to maintain equality when allowing pilots to buzz around in club aircraft whilst still forbidding eg golf or tennis where distancing could also be argued.
Fraternité, well yes people are accepting the lockdown because most feel it is the right thing to do and that any relaxation will be welcomed but it will also need to be the right thing at the right time.
It is nothing like 75 years ago. The police/gendarmes are not from my experience demanding to see identity, although unlike the UK in France it is mandatory to carry identity at all times. You print off a piece of paper from the internet fill it out and show it if asked. You could in fact just write out the details on a piece of paper. The reason for the online form is that it is much clearer and easier for the police and yourself than someones scrawly handwriting. To have a conversation at the side of a busy road was also considered more risky than handing over a piece of paper.
But let’s see what happens on the 7th of May, I may think more British then.
I do worry though about all the people who must be trapped in their houses due to running out of printer ink.
Absolutely, it’s why I’ll never buy another Epson printer:)
Did I not read about rioting in France with people unhappy at the police and/or government?
I guess if they’ve got the fuel pumps off that does the job for them
There’s always some who riot over anything the government does. If the government had taken the opposite route the same bunch would be out rioting. Many don’t know what they want only what they don’t want, and even that they are not sure about.
gallois wrote:
Absolutely, it’s why I’ll never buy another Epson printer:)
I was told the journey to buy “printer ink” (assuming the shop is open) is not essential but we managed to print using homemade ink with beet
Epson printers do not allow the use of generic ink.Anyone want to buy some?
I switched from ink-jet to laser a few years ago for precisely this reason (plus the fact that if you dont use it for a week you don’t get a jammed up nozzle). Mutlifunction Colour laser printers are quite cheap these days and the cartridges last way longer than inkjets (which is good because toner carts are quite expensive).
To get my reply past Peter’s Topic Filter :D I was really happy to have a reliable printer for printing plates before going on training flights.
