I spoke to Plymouth Mil – thank you all.
Couldnt be more helpful, and a good way of checking on the status before flight and which they were happy to do.
The danger areas around Southend are definitely active at times they say active.
We receive updates from marine related organisations who sometimes detail the contract companies that are carrying out the missile testing.
Southend ATC are always very upto date, and accommodating, and we regularly rely on them with a request for status, to decide a route when bimbling.
I asked the CAA airspace people about the legal status of DAs and they just shouted (completely unacceptably) rudely at me. I don’t think that the byelaws are actually enforceable in criminal court, but check with a specialist aviation lawyer.
I suspect that they are relying on Reckless Endangerment as opposed to anything actually directly enforceable in a court.
Having said that, it would be very stupid to fly in one.
I would recommend just giving Plymouth Mil a quick call for any within their remit, couldn’t be more helpful, very very good and ideal for route planning before setting off.
Regarding the Channel DAs inactive on weekends, I have just phone Plymouth Mil +441752557751 and was told they are always active and you need to call London Info 124.60 to get the latest. No comment on the assertion that they are inactive at weekends 
Eurocontrol happily routes you through them, today (Saturday).
The number is 01752557751 or 01752557550. These are not secret; they are on google.
However they won’t say if the Channel DAs are inactive. They say you have to call on the radio, which is bizzare.
Peter wrote:
Eurocontrol happily routes you through them, today (Saturday).
Sure, because zone activation is not reported Eurocontrol. Croatian control never does this and you always get routing like there are no prohibited zones. If they are active, ATC simply gives vectors for avoiding to IFR traffic while VFR traffic have to pay attention to NOTAM. We have similar situation for airports that are IFR/VFR depending on working hours and towering – for Eurocontrol these are always IFR airports because Crocontrol didn’t bother to send them detailed info.
Well, yes, most of Europe is playing that game, but you don’t get a routing through these on a weekday. On a weekend you do. So “something” has been passed on.
When crossing the channel I tend to ask London Info to confirm they’re cold as I’m coasting out. They are always cold on weekends, it would seem.
Of course on a weekday call Plymouth Mil. Even if hot, Prob90 there is nothing actually happening at that exact moment so they will apparently give you a ‘crossing service’.
Our Navy is so small these days that I think any actual live firing out at sea must be pretty rare.
I think the guys on the phone are just giving out the party line = always active so we don’t get it taken away.
The chances of there being any Royal Navy live firing in the channel on a weekend are so close to zero as to be zero. We have a tiny number of vessels and a small proportion of them are at sea at any given time.
Every time I cross I ask London info and am always told they are cold. Every time I call London info for anything at all I hear someone asking them about channel danger areas and I have never once heard them say that an area is hot.
