GA Airspace going going gone… Where’s it going? Why’s it going? What could we be doing to prevent it going? These were the questions people were continually asking Kevin Bethwaite (President of Canterbury Gliding Club and an Air Traffic Controller in real life) during the Southern Regionals. He does his best to reply.
It seems to me that
tasks in the vicinity of Queenstown are
determination at any time. I also know that
most members have a
just about impossible to set. Especially
in 1988 a report entitled the Swedavia-
very
knowledge
for pilots who are not right up to the top
McGregor report was commissioned by
of how the airspace thing
echelon. Gliders are forced too low or too
the government to lay down how airspace
works but as it is impor-
wide of known lift in areas they need height
should be governed with a commercial
tant that we do know
to achieve a decent task.
entity (Airways) managing it. I’ll have to dig
limited
On day one of these Regionals we did
this report out and confirm some details but
with
in fact set one task to Cromwell. The task
my memory tells me that the report stated:
this article and hope that
setters spent a lot of time debating the
– That the airspace above New Zealand
others will contribute in
merits of it as the airspace here is now
was a national resource. (I assume
due course.
exceptionally confusing to GA. (This is the
this to mean like the sea bed and fore
about it I thought I’d get something
going
was
area where the new MOU gives us an area
centred on what is happening at Queen-
called NZG995 which can be opened on
stown. Pilots have had a reality check on
approval of Queenstown ATC).
The
discussion
at
Omarama
majority
what the changes to controlled airspace
I won’t go into details but suffice to say
in general in this area, and the loss of the
it caused problems for many trying to fly
previous Memorandum of Understanding
this task on this day and I would not recom-
(MOU) between Gliding NZ and Airways
mend this again.
has done to competition tasking. For those a little out of the loop, changes have been occurring at Queens-
shore, waterways etc) – That busy airports with jets as the operation
should
have
greater “protection” in the way of controlled airspace. – That at smaller airports with propeller aircraft as the majority operator this volume of controlled airspace would
The three points are questions I get
be less.
asked regularly.
– That in both cases the “instrument”
Where is the airspace going?
approach sector would have the
town where larger volumes of airspace have
The answer to the first question is
been designated controlled airspace. This
relatively easy, the changes have almost
is in order for the controllers at Queens-
entirely been uncontrolled airspace chang-
Someone else may know the answer
town to have a greater number of approach
ing to become controlled and the manager
but I have not seen any documented policy
and departure routes available for use by
of the controlled airspace is Airways. So I
from CAANZ saying exactly how they go
commercial passenger flights. While this
say it has gone to Airways.
about deciding to agree to a petition or
has been encroaching (restricting) airspace
Why is it going?
decline it.
traditionally used by glider pilots there was
The second question is not so easy to
greatest degree of “protection”.
In the absence of this it is just a guess
some relief at times of competitions as GNZ
put a finger on and I’d have to say I am not
as to what decision will be made.
had a MOU with Airways allowing added
really sure why.
What could we be doing to prevent it
access for these short periods. Most of this changed significantly this
I do know that CAANZ are the body tasked with determining what the dimen-
going? . This is the most critical one. Again I do
year when Airways cancelled the previous
sions/volumes
category
not have any magical answer to this and for
MOU. This was because of difficulties they
they all have. I do know that any party can
the purpose of this piece will just make the
now have in managing separation between
petition CAANZ to change the existing
following points:
are
and
what
arriving and departing IFR flights at Queen-
There is an airspace committee as part
stown, with the introduction of additional
of GNZ, and I am now a part of this, but I
Instrument Procedures commissioned by
would have to say it is asking far too much
Air New Zealand and Qantas. A new MOU
of a very limited number of volunteers to
was proposed (and agreed to) but the
manage this.
reality is this new MOU only gives access
I think that we need significant legal
to a tiny bit of space and it is almost more
and financial assistance to confront this
trouble than benefit.
problem.
If one is to seriously consider safety then my view is that competition gliding 30
December 2007
Without airspace we do not have a sport!
