Problems  for General Aviation

 

  Photograph of aeroplanes

 

The difficulties currently facing GA involve aerodromes and airspace.  There are 140 licensed aerodromes at present - the lowest number since World War II.  Of these, a number are facing closure in the near future and others may soon face restrictions on their activities.

A growing problem is the opposition of planning authorities who may be unaware of, or just unsympathetic to, the needs and benefits of GA.

Aerodromes are mostly unprotected from planning decisions and can be closed without the need for any formal procedure.  A major factor is their attractiveness to property developers who see, in flat, well drained sites with good road connections, excellent business prospects.

Environmental worries are another factor in aerodrome closures and the difficulty of licensing new aerodromes.  Three commonly expressed fears are:

  • aircraft noise
  • danger to property
  • that an aerodrome must inevitably develop into a major airport
These fears and beliefs are often strongly and genuinely held but most are susceptible to reasonable explanation.  Aircraft do make noise but this can be less of a real nuisance than many other local factors such as traffic, dogs, music, lawnmowers and people themselves.

Despite the claims of some activists, small GA aerodromes are often "greener" than their likely replacements.  An aerodrome is often a more suitable habitat for plant and animal life than housing developments, factories and roads.  Indeed, when faced with these alternatives, local residents may opt for an aerodrome as the "best of a bad job".

Much of the UK's airspace is regulated in such a way as to prevent its use by GA.  The regulated areas include:

  • airways
  • control areas and zones
  • "Special Rules Areas"
  • aerodrome zones
  • military flying areas
  • the airways and Terminal Maneuvering Areas (TMA)
These, particularly the vast TMA above London, form a ceiling below which GA is largely confined.  Much of this ceiling ought to be removed.  Where it must stay it ought to be raised.  The London TMA should be raised from its present level of 2,500 feet which unnecessarily confines GA to a narrow layer of airspace close to the ground.

 
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