Gliders could be grounded by new European safety law

20.11.2010   (Channel 4 news)

Gliding – flying a plane without an engine – is popular in Britain, and we have
regularly produced world champions. But, as Keme Nzerem discovers, the sport is
under threat from a new European law.  
 
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) wants to introduce a new continent-wide
pilot’s licence which will improve safety.

But the licence means no more flying near clouds and restrictions on evasive
manoeuvres often necessary in cloudy British skies for gliders, posing a threat
to the sport which is enjoyed by 8,500 people in the UK.

Cloudy skies

The reason this is more of a problem for Britain than for Europe is cloud cover.
Clouds bring thermals, but also turbulence, and under the new rules pilots may
have to keep a certain distance away from them. In Europe, cloud cover is typically
much higher than in the UK – so piloting gliders in normal British conditions
could effectively be banned.


The EASA wants to unify training and standards across all member states, but
the new licence could mean specialist British safety training on how to fly close
to clouds is scrapped. Without this training, pilots say it isn’t safe to fly
because glider pilots have to know how to recover from things that might happen
in rough air, such as stalls and spins.

“We have some world-class glider pilots…why should they be put out of business?”

UKIP MEP David Campbell Bannerman is an amateur pilot, and told Channel 4 News
there was no good reason for the change.

“We have some world-class glider pilots. You know, we have 8,500 people that
enjoy this sport – it is a sport. Why should they be put out of business? You
know there is no good reason to do this other than this EU harmonisation agenda.”

But EASA told Channel 4 News that the gliding community of Britain should not
panic, as the regulations are still being worked on and could include exemptions.

British Gliding Association  

http://www.gliding.co.uk/


http://www.channel4.com/news/gliders-could-be-grounded-by-new-law