Air Information Publications — Page 16, Lesson 27

I want to walk you through a couple of important sections from the UK AIP — the Aeronautical Information Publication. These are the kinds of pages you will consult during flight planning to know exactly where you can and cannot fly, and what special activity might be going on. Let's start with ENR 5.2 – Military Exercise and Training Areas. This is a table that lists areas where military training takes place, and it gives you all the details you need to avoid or navigate through them safely. The first column is the Name of the area. The example we have here is an Area of Intense Air Activity, abbreviated AIAA, called Oxford (h). The '(h)' indicates it is a specific named sub-area. The second column gives the Lateral Limits — that is, the geographical boundary of the area, defined by a series of latitude and longitude coordinates. For the Oxford AIAA, you can see a polygon described by four corner points, for example starting at 51°56'00"N 001°49'00"W, and so on around the shape. The third column is Systems/means of activation announcement/information for Civil Flights. For this area, it tells us that Radar services are available within this area from Brize Radar on 134.300 MHz. So if you are flying through there, you can contact Brize Radar on that frequency for traffic information. It also draws your attention to the Brize Norton Control Zone, and refers you to another part of the AIP, ENR 2-2-2-1/2, for more detail on that zone. The fourth column is Remarks and Activity Times. Here it says Hours: Permanently active. That means this area is always active — it is not turned on and off. The Vertical Limits are given as SFC to 5000 ft ALT. 'SFC' means surface, so from the ground up to 5,000 feet altitude. The remarks explain that there is intense air activity associated with closely woven civil and military climb-out and approach procedures for the many airfields in this vicinity. It advises pilots flying in this area to keep a constant vigilance, particularly during weekdays when military activity is at its peak, and especially in the area 8.5 NM/308°(T) and 6 NM/145°(T) from Oxford/Kidlington aerodrome, where aircraft may be holding waiting for clearance to join airways. 'NM' is nautical miles, and the numbers in degrees true are bearings from the aerodrome. Now let's move to ENR 5.3 – Other Activities of a Dangerous Nature. This table covers hazards that are not necessarily military exercises, but still dangerous. The example here is High Intensity Radio Transmission Areas, abbreviated HIRTA. These are areas around powerful radio transmitters where the radio frequency energy could be a hazard. The table has columns for Name, Lateral Limits, Vertical Limits, Advisory Measures, Authority Responsible for Information, and Remarks with Activity Times. Let's look at the first entry: Barford St John. Its lateral limits are given as a Radius of 0.05 NM centred on 52°00'01"N 001°21'05"W. So it is a tiny circle, just 0.05 nautical miles in radius, around that point. The Vertical Limits are ALT 850 ft — that is the altitude up to which the hazard exists, 850 feet altitude. There is no specific advisory measure or authority listed in this excerpt for that one, but the format is there for you to check. The second is Boulmer, with a radius of 0.9 NM centred on 55°24'00"N 001°37'06"W, vertical limit ALT 1600 ft. The third is Buchan, with a radius of 0.65 NM centred on 57°27'59"N 001°47'06"W, vertical limit ALT 4000 ft. Finally, we have a section on AIP AD – Aerodrome Categorization, referencing UK AIP AD 1.4. This tells you about the types of licences for civil aerodromes in the UK. There are two types: a PUBLIC USE LICENCE and an ORDINARY LICENCE. An aerodrome or heliport with a PUBLIC USE LICENCE must have its hours of availability notified in the UK AIP, and it must be available to all operators on certain equal terms and conditions. However, the text is careful to say this does not necessarily mean the aerodrome is available to all flights without limitation. As an operator, you must check and comply with the requirements and conditions of use indicated at AD 2 for aerodromes or AD 3 for heliports. An aerodrome or heliport with an ORDINARY LICENCE may accept flights operated by the holder of the licence, or by those specifically authorized by that licence holder. This normally means that prior permission is required for most flights. However, it does not exclude the possibility of scheduled or non-scheduled public transport flights being arranged after the formal agreement of the licence holder. So in summary, when you are planning a flight, you will consult ENR 5.2 to see where military training areas like the Oxford AIAA are permanently active, and you will note the frequency for radar services. You will check ENR 5.3 for HIRTAs and other dangerous activities, noting their exact position, radius, and vertical extent. And when choosing an aerodrome, you will check its licence category — public use or ordinary — to understand whether you need prior permission or if it is generally available.