9 June 2016
The CAA is to re-issue a Safety Notice clarifying a confusingly worded change to the exemption from the 500ft (150 metres) minimum height rule for flying displays, air races and contests.
SN-2016/005 was issued earlier this week is to notify industry of the revocation of paragraph 4 (Flying Displays, Air Races and Contests) of ORS4 No 1124 (Standardised European Rules of the Air – Exceptions to the Minimum Height Requirements). SN-2016/005 can be downloaded from the link below.
It appeared to suggest that no aircraft in a flying display, air race or contest would be able to go below 500ft if the aircraft came within 1,000 metres of the crowd line.
Following conversations with the CAA, FLYER understands that what it meant to convey is that the blanket exemption from the 500ft rule will no longer apply to displays and races.
However, this does not mean that races and displays will not be able to go below 500ft in future. It just means that the event organisers will have to apply for the exemption that may, or may not, be given to the display as part of the event’s permission.
One of the events that would have been affected is the Red Bull Air Race due to be staged at Ascot on 13-14 August.
