Covid-19 Tiers Update - 19th December 2020
Like all businesses, we are following the UK Government information closely, to ensure we continue to comply with applicable legislation, regulation, restrictions, and guidance.
On 19th December 2020 the Government announced that from 00:01 on Sunday 20th December both Berkshire and Surrey will be placed into Tier 4 (essentially a Lockdown). Blackbushe Airport is situated very close to the borders of Berkshire, Surrey, and Hampshire, but lies entirely within the administrative region of Hart District in Hampshire. Blackbushe Airport remains within Tier 2.
Blackbushe Airport will therefore remain available for any flights that are permitted under the regulations and guidance. However, we expect the volume of traffic to reduce, and so we may downgrade our service, or close at short notice.
Check Which Tier You Are In
We recognise that significant numbers of our users may live within Tier 4 areas. We re-iterate our request that nobody who lives in a Tier 3 or Tier 4 area visits Blackbushe Airport, except where permitted under the regulations.
Airport Users who live in Tier 4
In the Prime Minister’s statement he stated:
These areas will enter a new tier 4, which will be broadly equivalent to the national restrictions which were in place in England in November.
That means:
Residents in those areas must stay at home, apart from limited exemptions set out in law. Non-essential retail, indoor gyms and leisure facilities, and personal care services must close. People must work from home if they can, but may travel to work if this is not possible, for example in the construction and manufacturing sectors. People should not enter or leave tier 4 areas, and tier 4 residents must not stay overnight away from home. Individuals can only meet one person from another household in an outdoor public space.
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/prime-ministers-statement-on-coronavirus-covid-19-19-december-2020. Retrieved 19/12/2020
The DfT guidance on GA has not yet been updated to reflect Tier 4. We expect it may not be updated until next week. However, given the PM’s statement, our interpretation is that those airport users that live within a Tier 4 area should only visit Blackbushe Airport for one of the reasons applicable during the November Lockdown. You can find our information from that time here, and it includes the DfT guidance that was published at the time. We will update this if the DfT publish different guidance in the coming days.
Those reasons were:
Pilots operating Medical or Public Transport flights.
Pilots or Instructors engaged in CPL / ATPL training.
Pilots engaged in ferrying an aircraft to/from a maintenance facility.
Pilots operating engine health flights
Pilots operating currency flights for a licence or rating due to expire (not for renewing one that has already expired).
Airport Users who live in Tier 3
Follow the information we published on 17th December.
Airport Users who live in Tier 2
Users within Tier 2 may continue to operate flights for recreational GA and PPL training. Follow the information we published effective 2nd December.
Airport Opening Hours
We have already published our Christmas opening hours. We will endeavour to remain available for any flight that wants to use us, and is permitted under the constantly changing regulations and guidance. However, given a significant number of our users will be unable to (or choosing not to) operate over the next few weeks, we may accordingly reduce our staffing levels or operate reduced hours.
Check NOTAMs
We will publish any reduction in service or opening hours by NOTAM. Check them before you book out / PPR, and check them again before you travel to the airport. The airport may close at short notice.
Booking Out
All flights must be booked out the day before. If we don’t have a booking, we may operate reduced opening hours at short notice. All bookings / PPR must be made using the online forms. These come through on email, and can be monitored by staff from home even when we are closed. DO NOT use SMS / iMessage. These messages go to a mobile phone that remains in the tower, so if we are closed, we won’t get your request, which means we may not be open when you want to fly.
Check for a response before travelling to the airport. If we haven’t confirmed your request, it probably means we are closed.
At The Airport
Hands - Face - Space
Hands: wash your hands regularly and for 20 seconds
Face: wear a face covering in indoor settings where social distancing may be difficult, and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet
Space: stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with where possible, or 1 metre with extra precautions in place (such as wearing face coverings)
Remember the rule of 6 applies in outside areas
Thank you all for your continued cooperation. Remember, act responsibly, and stay safe.
Merry Christmas to you all and your families.