Mark Swan, Director of Airspace Policy at the CAA, said:
“While the security restrictions required by the
Government to provide a safe and secure Games have had a
significant impact on many airspace users, the efforts
made by the CAA, MoD and others have ensured that as
many people as possible were still able to fly. I am
extremely grateful to the team of MoD controllers and
assistants who manned the Atlas facility and did such a
sterling job in providing a high quality service.”
Commenting on the role played by the recreational and
general aviation community Mark added: “Throughout the
build up to, and implementation of, the restrictions the
aviation community has undertaken some excellent
collaborative work through associations and
representative groups to help spread the detail of the
changes to pilots and this, without doubt, contributed
significantly to the successful outcome. We have had a
small number of infringements, but generally we’ve been
extremely impressed by the professionalism and attitude
displayed by pilots in coming to terms with the
additional requirements.”
From an MoD perspective Air Vice-Marshal Stuart Atha
said ‘‘I would like to thank the General Aviation
community for their cooperation during the Olympics
airspace restrictions. At the heart of the airspace
control measures was the need to create a known air
environment so that potential threats could be
identified. Inevitably, the measures adopted were a
balance between the security requirements and those
delivering scheduled services and the General Aviation
community.
“Throughout this I am extremely grateful to the aviation
community for their patience and support and how they
worked with us to develop our procedures. I would also
like to recognize the highly valued support of our
colleagues from the CAA and NATS, and indeed from my own
team in ATLAS control, many of whom were drafted in from
across the wider Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.
“By working together we developed a system that was a
crucial part of the contribution made by airmen,
civilian and military, to a safe and secure Olympic
Games. That security underpinned a successful Games for
Britain, as hosts and as competitors. Because of that,
the triumphs of Olympians like Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis
or Bradley Wiggins will rightly be the over-riding
memories of these Games.”
Following the removal of the main Olympic changes a
smaller set of restrictions will remain to protect the
main Paralympics sites until September 12 and various
shorter-term airspace restrictions will cover other
venues. Restricted airspace R005 at the Weymouth sailing
venues remains in place until 18:00 local on 8
September.
The remaining restrictions are primarily a smaller
Prohibited Zone (P114) centered on the Olympic Park and
two smaller prohibited zones over the rowing at Eton
Dorney and the athlete’s village at Egham. There is also
temporary restricted airspace over other venues, some of
which, such as Brands Hatch, have not previously been
subject to airspace restrictions during the Games.
The London Heliport at Battersea remains inside the
smaller Prohibited Zone but, as during the Olympics,
will have an exemption to allow operations. The
Airspace & Safety Initiative (ASI) is a joint CAA,
NATS, AOA, GA and MoD effort to investigate and
tackle the major safety risks in UK airspace.
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