Bristol airspace changes

and how they affect us…

 Background
• Air traffic in and out of Bristol and Cardiff is
growing
• Bristol and Cardiff airspaces are merging
and expanding
 How does this affect us?
• The “Bath Gap”
• Ubley
The Bath Gap - now
 The Bath Gap –
effective 31st August 2006

Bath Gap
3500’-4500’
 This definition shall be used by glider pilots navigating
without the benefit of an electronic moving map

The foot of the Cotswold

Escarpment northwards to
Dyrham Park

The clearly defined minor road from

Bath Racecourse running north to
the village of Wick at the foot of the
Cotswold escarpment

The western edge of the

built up area of Bath to
Bath Racecourse

The A367 main road from

Radstock to the
southwestern edge of Bath Bath Gap
3500’-4500’
New Airspace – Bristol and Cardiff
Airspace over Bath – Gap Closed
Gap Closed

FROCESTER:

4000
4500

3500

WESTBURY

MERE:
Airspace over Bath – Gap Open
Gap Open

FROCESTER:

4000
4500

4500

WESTBURY

MERE:
 Representation of CTAs to East of Bristol CTR
Gap Closed

Ceiling at FL105

CTA 8
CTA 6 4500 – FL105
CTA 3
*1 - Crossin
CTA 1 Colerne
Bristol CTR

Colerne ATZ
Spot Height
3500ft
719
2000ft AGL
2000ft
Spot Height 679
1500ft 620ft

Bristol CTR Bath

Surface to FL105 Keynsham Bath Racecourse Edge of Bath

*1 - Crossing Colerne only has a GAP of less than 2000ft. (Top of Colerne ATZ approx
2620ft amsl)
 Representation of CTAs to East of Bristol CTR
Gap Open

Ceiling at FL105

CTA 6 CTA 8
4500 – FL105
CTA 3 “The Gap” *1 -
CTA 1 Crossing
Bristol CTR
4500ft Colerne
Colerne ATZ
Spot Height
719
2000ft AGL
2000ft
Spot Height 679
1500ft 620ft

Bristol CTR Bath

Surface to FL105 Keynsham Bath Racecourse Edge of Bath
 Activation
• Can only be activated between 1000 local
and 1900 local or official night (whichever
is earlier)
• Can be activated by the local gliding clubs
and by five nominated members of the
Avon HG & PG Club
• Can only phone Bristol ATC no earlier than
2 hours prior to the ETA of the first glider
at the boundary of the Bath Gap
 In practice
Having arrived at Leckhampton (or Mere)
1. Phone Bristol ATIS (01275 473666) to check
whether the Bath Gap has been activated
2. If yes (and this will most often be the case), no
further action needed
3. If no, contact one of the five nominees (Tim
Pentreath, Ken Wilkinson, Stafford Evans, Nev
Almond & Richard Hellen) who will phone up
and activate the Bath Gap
4. Wait a few minutes and then confirm by going
back to step 1
 Glider Flight Rules
• Gliders operating within the Bath Gap
are to operate in accordance with VFR at
all times (ie. 500’ below cloud!)
• NB. IFR traffic (ie. airliners) will remain at
least 500ft above the glider block (ie.
5000’)
Ubley - now
 Ubley – after 31st August 2006
• The Ubley Glider Block is a chunk of airspace
from 1500’ to 2500’ that can be activated to fly in
• If flying xc you will also want to activate the
Halesland Glider Block which is south of the
UGB
• This raises the base in this part of the CTA from
3000’ to 4000’
• Activation will work in the same way as at
present - ie. calling Bristol ATC on 01275
473714/15, not one of the five Bath Gap
nominees
 Ubley and Halesland

FROCESTER:

4000
4500

3500
UBLEY BlOCK:
SFC to 2500 when activated

HALESLAND
BLOCKS WESTBURY

MERE: