Should we be worried?

[Jim Bittlestone]

Ive been on pg forum and csc forum recently and both are discussing free flying being at risk across Europe.
Sorry i havent got a link but im on my phone.
Something to do with airspace across europe being unified, proposals by eurocontrol and banning flying under 500ft.
We have until 12th April to respond which isnt long.

[gary stenhouse]

depends if it is agl though i think the other countries are ignoring it as that means you will never ridge soar again.


I don't know if the British are overreacting because it comes from Brussels - Europe, but at least we should take notice of their panic.
It is all about some new regulations quoted, that aircraft is not allowed to fly under 300 m AGL, only if taking off, landing or having special authority. So ridge soaring could be prohibited .... can't believe it.
I think it is just a British allergic reaction to anything that comes in from Brussels - Europe.
Knowing Britian is so overruled, and Britain is lobbied so anti-Europe, it is easy to understand that there is paranoia. I think we still have margin to believe in common sense on the continent.
For instance, a paraglider is not a registered aircraft. But anyway, if interested study it yourself.


Please find the letter of the chairman of their federacion, asking for urgent help.
///////////////////////////////////////////////
Standardised European Rules of the Air

Hang gliding and paragliding is once again under serious threat. Eurocontrol, the ‘European Organisation for
the Safety of Air Navigation’ has produced for consultation its draft version of its proposed Standardised

European Rules of the Air (SERA).
Whilst the aim of having one single set of Rules of the Air that applies right across Europe may seem
attractive, unfortunately whoever has written the draft has clearly not given a single thought to hang gliders
and paragliders. Some of the proposed rules will have a massive detrimental impact on our ability to go and
fly. (E.g. 4.6 bans flight below 500 feet – so ridge soaring will be effectively outlawed!)
Unfortunately, the consultation period is very short, hence this email direct to each member.
The BHPA will submit a response and the EHPU is also submitting a response both directly and through
Europe Airsports. But we feel that Eurocontrol should also get a feel for the strength of our feelings on this
matter – and therefore ask each of you to make your own response to Eurocontrol.
Depending upon the outcome of this consultation, we always have the alternatives of going down the political
(MEP etc.) route. But at this stage we just want members to complete and return consultation response
sheets.
ACTIONS:
1. Go to this Eurocontrol webpage and download a copy of each of the four consultation documents:
http://www.eurocontrol.int/enprm/public ... 10002.html
2. Refer to the document attached to this email entitled ‘BHPA Comments on SERA Draft - V 1.0
3. Choose some of the points outlined and, in your own words, complete the ‘Consultation
Response Sheet – Enclosure 3’ that you downloaded. Ideally you should express dissatisfaction with the
SERA proposals along the lines of ‘the current safe, entirely legal activity would be made illegal by this
change’. (The BHPA response will suggest alternate wordings – and it may be counter-productive if you try to
create ‘in your own words’ alternatives to our proposals.)
4. Please email us any further issues that you identify in the proposal, for possible inclusion in the BHPA’s
final submission. Use the subject line SERA.
5. Send your completed comments to Eurocontrol before the closing date of 12th April 2010
to;
Mr Olivier MROWICKI
SES Mandate Manager SERA
EUROCONTROL
Rue de la Fusée, 96
B-1130 Brussels, Belgium
E-mail to sesframework@eurocontrol.int or Fax to +322 729 5190
Martin Heywood
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

[GlennP]

Since Eurocontrol has no mandate to create laws I wouldn't panic just yet. The proposals would have to be drafted after Eurocontrol had carried out a consultation and prepared a draft report for the EC.

The EC would then have to debate the proposals in Brussels.

Crucially our airspace is governed by the CAA on behalf of Parliament in laws contained in the ANO. Ie statute law. Any change to that would have to pass through Parliament. Whilst I can see Labour rolling over and giving the faceless unrepresentative bureuxcrats in Brussels I can't see the Lib Dems or Tories doing that.

Lobby your MEP and communicate your objection via the SERA consultation.

[gordie]

I don't know if the British are overreacting because it comes from Brussels - Europe, but at least we should take notice of their panic.
It is all about some new regulations quoted, that aircraft is not allowed to fly under 300 m AGL, only if taking off, landing or having special authority. So ridge soaring could be prohibited .... can't believe it.
I think it is just a British allergic reaction to anything that comes in from Brussels - Europe.
Knowing Britian is so overruled, and Britain is lobbied so anti-Europe, it is easy to understand that there is paranoia. I think we still have margin to believe in common sense on the continent.
For instance, a paraglider is not a registered aircraft. But anyway, if interested study it yourself.


Please find the letter of the chairman of their federation, asking for urgent help.

Gary I take it the above is not your words or thoughts but pasted from PG forum?

As for all the above most if not all BHPA members will have received our BHPA Chairmans letter by e.mail a few days ago and many of us I am sure have already replayed. We have been in situations like this before when European legislation has threatened our freedoms, Single payment subsidy and Transponders being examples of this. With out the BHPA and many of its members making the effort to object to these previous schemes we would have lost many of our freedoms to fly. I would therefore suggest we all respond as our chairman has asked to this latest threat rather then putting our efforts into just debating it.

[Jim Bittlestone]

ive received nothing, has anyone?

[gordie]

Hi Jim,

Contact the BHPA and make sure they have your current e.mail address correct. As you probably hand wrote it when you first applied for membership they may have entered your details with an error on your address.

[RonDon]

Ive received nothing, and i am a member of the BHPA. But debated it we must! its call democracy. We seam to be very sort of it in this country at the moment.

[Jim Bittlestone]

Rang the bhpa, they didnt have my email address.
Everyone should have received a letter by email last week apparently which is why i dont understand why no one has posted anything on the forum?
Theres a link on the bhpa website about this.

[GlennP]

I didn't get an email either and my email address is DEFINATELY correct as I only rejoined 2 months ago.

[Jim Bittlestone]

bhpa told me if you had no email last week they do not have your email address on their records. Email or call with name and bhpa number.

[colin keightley]

I gave them my email address 2 weeks ago and i didnt get one either but ive allready replied as it has been passed on by so many people and groups now i think everyone has heard about it and what to do

[Kitt Rudd]

Ive received nothing, and i am a member of the BHPC. But debated it we must! its call democracy. We seam to be very sort of it in this country at the moment.

Maybe Ron being a member of the BHPC rather than the BHPA is the reason why you have not heard
Kitt