At 05:42 03 July 2008, Sukumar Kirloskar wrote:

One of the books of Philip Wills has a chapter that describes how the
BGA
was able
to obtain the freedom to fly gliders in controlled airspace in the UK.
As
I recall, this
was the result of a statistical analysis on the probabilities of mid air
collisions. Would
anybody know where I may be able to lay my hands on this report or
anybody

provide it or perhaps a copy of the chapter of the book.

It has been many years since my reading the book to which I no longer
have
access.
I am an inactive glider pilot in Bangalore India that has airport
problems
which
however are not related to gliders . The way the BGA tackled their
problem
so many
years ago may have relevance hence my request.

I am also making this request to the BGA.

Thanks,

Sukumar


Sukumar,

you might wish to consider the German model. Gliding is a significant
sport in Germany and has a high profile. Gliding clubs are granted access
to controlled airspace in the form of glider sectors/boxes. e.g. Stuttgart
CTR has 4 or maybe 5 glider sectors within it (I haven't got my Germany 6
chart at work!). These are opened up by arrangement by the gliding club
that 'owns' the airspace or by a call to ATC when you are flying.

The extent that the controlled airsapce is opened up in Germany is
impressive and is not reflected in the UK's approach. Belgium, where I
fly, relaxes the airspace at weekends for gliding. Its still very
complicated airspace mind you!

Similarly Madrid CTR has a glider box extending south to clearer airspace
to allow gliders from Ocana to fly (national glding centre).

You probably don't want to fllow the Dutch example who have made all of
the Netherlands TMZ in increasingly restrictive steps until 2010.

This link (a French example) may give you an idea
http://www.jeppesen.com/wlcs/index.j...c_features.jsp


Gavin
Std Cirrus, CNN now G-SCNN, #173
LSV Viersen, Keiheuvel, Belgium