GSD 2011

Very nice video from BBC :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-14922152

Re: Six seaplanes and more…

I wish you a successful event in the air, on water and on land. Have some nice days & flights.

Lee-on-Solent

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Ladies and Gentlemen,

In the course of the planning for the Schneider 80 Event, I discovered that Lee-on-Solent (EGHF) is now one of the "Designated Airports" for Customs purposes.

This means that although the airfield is not currently included in the airport list shown on the General Aviation Report (GAR) Form; foreign visitors may fly there direct, rather than have to use a full Customs-attended airport such as Southampton or Lydd.

Therefore, if you are planning a trip to the UK in the future, you have another possible destination in England!

Just make sure you send the completed GAR to the appropriate place three hours before your ETA.

Best Wishes,

John R.

Six seaplanes and more…

Who said (again) it can't be done? Currently we are expecting six Amphibians from different European countries. Of course, some of Germany as well.

We are really looking forward to this event and to you participating in it!

John will send out some more flight related information directly to registered participants. So, if you are not on our list
http://www.german-seaplane-day.com/seaplane-forum/topic/437-Participants2011.html
register to get there.

Entry forms for pilots flying to ths GSD 2011

Some very useful info John collected for pilots flying from the mainland to England. We personally had good experiences with Lydd. Their service was fast and professional:

John:
If you are flying over you will probably be coming across the narrowest part of the Channel. There are two Customs airfields en route from there to Lee, which does not have Customs facilities. These are Lydd and Shoreham, so you will have to land at one of them first to clear Customs.

For Lydd, this link gives you the e-mail address to send the General Aviation Report Form:

http://www.kent.police.uk/about_us/policies/n/n127.html

and this is a link to the GAR Form itself:

http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/information/documents/cache/PDF/Document5809_494754.pdf

There is also an explanatory form at this link:

http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/information/documents/cache/PDF/Document5811_494288.pdf

Don't forget to file a flight plan and you will need to include an ETA for UK FIR boundary.

You can download UK aerodrome charts from this link:

http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public/index.php%3Foption=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=6&Itemid=13.html

Be careful with visiting or overflying Shoreham, as they are a bit edgy at the moment, having recently had a fatal mid-air collision over the airfield.

Negotiations with Portsmouth

After another meeting with the various Harbour Masters, I can confirm that we are permitted to land in the Eastern Solent in the Ryde area.

We did not need permission for using the Calshot area, but have agreed some suitable measures to make the operation as safe as possible.

A Notice to Mariners (like a NOTAM) will be issued requesting high speed craft to minimise wake when in the vicinity of the seaplanes.

BW.

John.

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Participants 2011

Weather will always have the last word, but so far the following Seaplane Pilots have announced their participation:

From Germany
Cessna 185 Amphibian
Registration: CS-DIU
Pilot: Sakhr Naal
Base: Munich

From Germany
American Champion Scout Amphibian
Registration: N314M
Pilot: Stefan Mommertz
Base: Munich

From Scottland
Cessna 172 Amphibian
Registration: G-DRAM
Pilot: Hamish Mitchell
Base: Glasgow

From France
Airmax M22 Seamax
Registration: F-JSJR
Pilot: Olivier Ripoche
Base: Chavenay

From England
Pereira Osprey 2
Registration: G-CCCW
Pilot: David Southward
Base: Ravensglass

From England
Cessna 182 Amphibian
Registration: G-ESSL
Pilot: John Russell
Base: Blackbushe

Free Hotel Accommodation

Participating pilots should note that they will now have their hotel accommodation and food paid for (up to three nights - 12th/13th/14th September).

Best Wishes,

John Russell

GSD 2012 location not set yet

While we of course wish all the best for the French intensions, just to make this clear: the location and people we will work together with in 2012 has not been decided yet. For 2011 we had to make a choice between three all very enticing possibilities and we will see what happens next year.

So far we are in the preparation of this years event and are looking forward to seeing you there!

Hopes for a 2012 GSD in North East France

Dear water friendly friends,

Good news for next year GSD : We have good hopes to open a seplane base near Saint Dizier (North-East of France)
See our link : http://www.francehydravion.org/content/nord-est-marne-lac-du-der

Kind regards
Olivier Ripoche

GSD - Schneider Cup link on France Hydravion website

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Website Problems resolved

Ladies & Gentlemen,

My website has had some drop-outs over the last week, so if you have had any trouble accessing the Registration Form, it can be found at:

www.euroseaplanes.co.uk/Schneider80.html

Alternatively, it is also available at:

www.theseaplaneclub.org/products.html

On this page there is a hidden link to the Form - simply click on the photo of the Supermarine S6b.

I hope this helps,

Regards,

John.

Schneider Trophy Celebration Registration Form

Ladies & Gentlemen,

To download this Form, please go to:
www.euroseaplanes.co.uk then:

On the front page: click on the "Schneider 80th" tab which will bring you to the "Welcome" page.

Click on the blue button at the bottom to obtain the Form.

Filling in the Form does not commit you to attending. By registering your intent to attend, you will help us to plan the accommodation and operational requirements, to ensure a successful Fly-In.

Thank You,

John R.

Negotiations with UK Authorities for Water Landings in the eastern Solent

The Course for our planned Schneider “re-run” in September is over an area of water controlled by the Queen’s Harbour Master Portsmouth. This is because Portsmouth is a Royal Naval Base and responsibility for security of the area was laid down in Laws dating from the 18th Century.

As the intention is to make water landings and take-offs within this area, I have been in discussion with the Authorities. The opening shots were fired by e-mail that resulted in a ban on seaplane activity in the whole area. This was followed by a telephone discussion.

The questions went like this:

QMP: “Have you landed in the Solent before?”

JR: “Yes”

QMP: “Nobody told me. How many times have you landed in the Solent?”

JR: “About 400 times in the last four years.”

QMP: “*!$^^*&>@*~!!”

I decided the best way to sort the problem out was to go and visit him and explain our plans for September in person. A Meeting was set up last week and I drove down to Portsmouth with written answers to their previous questions.

Before the Meeting my expectation of success was around 30%. However, by the end of the Meeting I estimated that the possibility of getting agreement had gone up to 80%!

The main difficulty in negotiations that any seaplane pilot will experience is the fact that those in authority have no knowledge or understanding of what seaplanes can do and the procedures they use to operate safely.

In the course of two hours I managed to answer all their questions and also understand their fears, which were based on safety, a natural ignorance of water flying and the modern need for protection against litigation.

At one stage they suggested the possibility of a special Seaplane Landing Area being created, which would in theory keep other traffic away.

I personally am opposed to “Seaplane Ghettos” for the reasons below, although I note that it seems a way forward for those in France trying to open up water areas.

In my humble experience, setting aside a Water Landing Area can be counter-productive for these reasons:

1) Any WLA has to be maintained with buoys and properly policed to ensure it is ‘protected’. This is an expensive process.
2) Seaplanes want to land and take-off into wind, so producing a runway shaped WLA will not provide functionality in all wind directions.
3) Safety can be compromised by placing a WLA in a single location. This forces seaplanes to land in this Area irrespective of the wave conditions within it, which could be too dangerous.
4) By creating a “No-Go” area for boats, this encourages them to route around the perimeter, sometimes at high speed, resulting in dangerous wakes crossing the WLA and making operations within it dangerous.

I would always advocate the same freedom for seaplanes as for boat traffic, with regard to the use of any given area of water; as long as good sense, seamanship and airmanship are applied to all water operations.

What I find ironic is that Seaplane Pilots have to be licensed to operate their aircraft and also possess a Seamanship qualification before they can use the water. Whereas many of the weekend sailors they encounter on the water have no qualifications whatsoever! Yet it is the qualified person who is so often penalised!

Perhaps this is because, as a lobby group, we are a small number compared to all the other water users and authorities.

If pilots are able to choose the safest place to land, where the effects of wind, wave and tide are optimum for safety, as well as operating defensively with regard to avoiding other boat traffic; then overall safety will improve for everyone.


I will report further on my progress with Portsmouth. My chances of success are also heightened by taking the Harbour Master for a flight to show him what we have been talking about!!

John Russell.

More Flyins wanted

The idea behind the German Seaplane Day is way more than just the organisation of one specific event. No news to that. What we want and wanted is to enhance seaplane flying in Central Europe. Something that everybody told me was not possible in Germany.

It is. Proof:

We have a Flyin at River Mosel in June which is not organized by us. This is a step into the right direction. Never before the first GSD such an event was being carried out there despite flying there since years. Maybe because the Germans only cherished their contacts within the country, maybe because nobody had the courage to carry this through.

Such when flyins evolve in addition to the GSD – that is exactly what we want, it supports our intentions. We need more of that, way more than just one event! This can only be a start

Anyway, we are starting slowly in Germany after years of idleness. Finally the community starts to move.

There are ongoing attempts to get permission to fly/land for more than one stationed airplane at Lausitz by Frank Degen. He is like us putting all his efforts into the case so that others can profit from his work.

There are first steps taken and ongoing in the Berlin area and also east of Frankfurt on river Main.

We are getting there. Slowly. But there had to be start.
It would be even faster and more efficient if all those hard working guys would exchange their experience over the forum to let others participate and in the same way maybe even learn from others. Not all mistakes and dead ends have to be experienced over and over again.

Documentation for microlights wishing to visit the UK

Ladies & Gentlemen,

What it boils down to is that homebuilts can visit without special Exemption provided that they give the CAA certain information and carry other documents with them when they visit.

Factory-built microlights have to apply for an Exemption, which costs £63. Discussions are currently underway to try to remove this outrageous charge, but it is doubtful whether they will be completed before September.

There are no specific technical requirements, although a transponder would be an asset.

i have this documentation in the form of pdf files, which can't be attached to this posting. Therefore would interested pilots please e-mail me at:

GSD@euroseaplanes.co.uk

and I will send them an e-mail with the files as attachments.

Best Wishes,

John R.

UK requirements for visitors

Sorry for taking so long to reply to this post, but I have at last tracked down the information you need.

Go to: http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP747.pdf

Pages 441 - 445 are the relevant ones.

Please come back to me if you need any more assistance.

BW

John Russell

Fresh Water Landings at River Severn

John just visited a possible fly-out site on the River Severn: "This much closer than the (possible) Welsh lake and does not involve flying up into the hills. Such a pleasant change to land on some flat water for a change!"