Airport operations from Tuesday 19th May
THIS POST IS FROM 16TH MAY AND HAS BEEN SUPERSEDED - READ OUR CURRENT INFORMATION HERE
Further to the Department for Transport’s latest guidance regarding Recreational General Aviation, Blackbushe will commence our phased opening from Tuesday 19th May.
Phase One
Tuesday 19th May - Tuesday 9th June (First 3 weeks of opening)
There will be several changes and limitations to how we will operate. When reopening the airport, we have to consider not only the needs of our customers, but also the safety of staff, and the financial impact on the business.
To understand the needs of our customers we conducted a survey which received 175 responses in the first 24 hours. All businesses must comply with the Government “COVID-Secure” guidelines, which include reducing staff numbers to the absolute minimum, and adapting workspaces or procedures to facilitate social distancing. Finally, there is a significant cost associated with opening the airport, and it is likely that our income will remain reduced, certainly while flight training remains prohibited.
Reduced Opening Days - We will be open from Tuesdays to Saturdays but will remain CLOSED on Sundays and Mondays.
Reduced Opening Hours - We will be open from 0915 - 1800 local, Tuesday to Saturday.
Out of Hours flying is not permitted, either on closure days or during evenings.
Any flights outside the above times will need to be covered by a paid extension at normal rates. See our Price List for more information.
We will be operating with less than normal staffing numbers but the Tower and Fire Service (RFF2/3) will be operational.
The Cafe will NOT be open. The cafe are considering their future opening plans but it will not be open next week.
There will be no toilet facilities available.
We will not accept physical payments by any means (including Credit / Debit Cards). Any payments which fall outside of standard weekly billing for those with Credit Agreements, will be made by telephone or we will email you the invoice for payment by Bank Transfer.
Please help us by booking out in advance (the day before would be perfect), but if not, BEFORE you head to the airport for your flight.
Please make use of our PPR / Booking Out forms as appropriate. Alternatively send us an SMS (07710 364 933). It takes a lot longer to take down booking details by phone than it does by electronic means, and with fewer staff in the tower, we may not always be able to answer the phone.
All flights must adhere to the Department for Transport guidelines that only solo flights, or flights where everyone is from the same household, are permitted. We will continue to monitor all relevant government guidelines and adapt accordingly.
ENSURING WE ARE COVID SECURE
In order for the airport to re-open, we have assessed the risks to staff and users. The staff have been issued with the new internal COVID-19 procedures which aim to ensure our airport conforms with Government guidelines. This has lead to several new measures to ensure that we are COVID secure for everyone at the airport:
Social Distancing will need to be observed at all times. This means remaining 2 metres from other airport users.
Fuelling: The Fire Crew will be on hand to provide fuel in the usual manner. There are some points to note:
Pilots must remove their fuel caps and then stand away from the refueller
Pilots must not touch any elements of the fuel installation, including the bonding cable. Please allow the refueller to work.
There will be no need to sign for fuel, but you should verbally confirm with the refueller the quantity uplifted so our records match yours.
Pilots are to replace their own fuel caps (which is best practice anyway).
The Fire Crew will be issued with suitable PPE for their own safety and yours.
Hand Sanitiser stations will be available at gates between air and landside, and in the refuelling areas. However, we recommend all pilots carry their own sanitiser with them for use as they move about the site.
There will be strictly no admittance to the Fire Station, Terminal Building or the Tower for visitors. Fire Crew will be paying particular attention to the pumps, but if you need to alert Fire Crew, a ‘door bell’ has been installed at the Fire Station.
Phase One will last for at least the first 3 weeks. At this point we will take a decision on whether we move to Phase Two which would include opening 7 days a week, or permitting out of hours flights. This will be dependent on demand and any further updates to DfT / PHE guidance.
Preparing to Fly
Most pilots won’t have flown for over 8 weeks. It’s understandable that we may all be a little rusty. Before you fly, make sure you do the following:
Check the CAA Safety Advice & Tips from CAP1919.
Familiarise yourself with our Rules & Procedures. In particular, whilst we have been closed, we have made the following changes:
Revised joining procedures depending on if you are coming from within Farnborough CAS or from outside.
Introduced abbreviated clearances for VFR departures by home based aircraft.
Familiarise yourself with the Farnborough CAS including our FAQs.
Familiarise yourself with our noise abatement procedures.
BOOKING OUT
If you are able to start booking out over the remainder of the weekend, then please do so using our webform only. We will begin replying to those bookings from Monday 18th May.
Happy Flying!
FAQs
Why are there reduced opening days and hours?
We employ staff on a variety of contracts and working patterns. All of our staff work alongside all of their colleagues which does not help prevent the spread of any virus if someone in the team contracts it. To reduce staff exposure to each other, we will be grouping them into “Teams” who work at different times. We will start with Team A from Tuesday 19th May. We have calculated the cost of bringing 5 members of staff back from Furlough Leave and made estimates on the landing and fuel revenue we will get. We believe this will be financially sustainable.
To open every day, we would need to bring “Team B” back from Furlough and would double our staffing costs. With the restriction on Flight Training, we don’t believe we would get sufficient revenue to cover anywhere near this cost.
To move to Phase Two, we will need to see sufficient revenue and demand to cover our costs.
Why Tuesday to Saturday?
This was lead by survey responses. The most popular day to fly was Friday (65%), followed by Saturday (62%), and Thursday (57%). Monday was the least popular (49%). Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday all had 55%. Our staff have families too, so we felt it was most appropriate to give them one weekend day off, given the similar demand on Tuesdays to Sundays.
Why can’t we just fly using Out of Hours Procedures when you’re closed on Sundays and Mondays?
There are several reasons for this:
Out of Hours flying is different in 2020 to previous years. the new Farnborough CAS requires pilots to activate and deactivate the LFA. There is a small risk of pilots who extend their downwind leg infringing on the Farnborough CTR. We only had 4 weeks for Pilots, Blackbushe FISOs, and Farnborough Controllers to get used to the new CAS, and we’ve now had 8 weeks of closure. We think it prudent to allow everyone to re-familiarise themselves with the airspace before expanding into OOH. None of us wants to see a big spike in infringements right away.
Pilots are likely to be a little bit ‘rusty’ and we have a fleet of aircraft that have not been flown very much. There is likely to be a small increase in the number of times pilots encounter difficulties and having the support of an ATSU and RFFS will be useful if this happens to you, albeit unlikely.
We expect to see a rise in noise complaints from local residents who will be more sensitive to noise having become accustomed to silence. In particular with our immediate neighbours, during opening hours we are able to better deal with complaints as we can see where aircraft are and whether they have overflown noise abatement areas. If we are not there, it will be the complainer’s word against the pilots and difficult to resolve. We would rather let the residents become accustomed to the return of aircraft noise, and reintroduce OOH flying later on.
Will the airport be open to visiting aircraft?
Yes, visiting aircraft are welcome!
Why isn’t the Café open?
The cafe business is privately owned and run. Government rules mean they cannot open for dining in. They have their own commercial decision to make on whether they can offer any other services such as take-away.
Why are there no toilet facilities available?
We have taken the decision during Phase One not to provide toilet facilities in order to limit the spread of the virus. Most customers would usually use the cafe toilets which is closed. The facilities elsewhere are not easily accessed by customers without close interaction with staff. The passenger lounge toilet is only designed for occasional use and would quickly fail if used by a large volume of people.
This position is in line with other outside venues who are keeping their facilities closed at this time.
Have staff received guidance on the correct use of PPE?
Yes, as part of our Safety Management System, all staff returning to site will be issued with full guidance on our COVID Secure policies that include PPE use.
Will you supply gloves and sanitiser for airport users?
Sanitiser will be provided at points where touching common surfaces is unavoidable. i.e at entry points between landside and airside. Gloves will not be provided as their incorrect use can actually spread the virus. Current guidance advises regular hand washing and use of sanitiser is much better at preventing the spread of COVID-19.
Why can’t we have self-service fuelling?
The pumps do not have self-service systems installed which usually include a payment system, electronic logging of uplift quantities, and safety instructions to pilots. The current equipment is leased from BP who don’t facilitate such systems. Self-service refuelling is an item we will be considering when reviewing our contract in Summer 2021.
Can I still request bowser refuelling?
Bowser refuelling will be available to those aircraft parked on hard standing and that require it as usual. However, we will have fewer staff onsite, so there may be a longer wait. If you can go to the pumps, this would assist us while we operate with reduced staff numbers. Alternatively, if you can book out the day before your flight, and let us know you want bowser refuelling, we may be able to do this in advance of your arrival (workload permitting).
Why can’t you close the airport to non-flying visitors?
There is no practical way to stop non-flying public entering the car park. Once we are open again, leaving the gate closed would introduce a further area where lots of pilots would be touching, risking the spread of the virus. On a fine weather day, we expect to be busy and we cannot risk cars queuing on the A30 as they wait to get in.
We will be communicating with local communities and ask anyone not involved with an aircraft flight not to come to the airport car park, but to observe aircraft from the north side or other areas.
Will car parking be spread out further to assist with social distancing?
We don’t foresee an unmanageable number of cars arriving at the same time that would prohibit social distancing measures. We note that supermarkets have managed without this step so we don’t feel it is a necessary measure. Please use the full car park to spread out as much as possible.
What if there’s an emergency? How do I maintain social distancing?
In a full emergency, the preservation of life of those involved is the primary concern, and in such situations our RFFS will prioritise that over social distancing measures. We will still have first aiders onsite, as required legally, and they have revised guidance on how to do this. Our normal evacuation points are to the main car park, and even with many pilots onsite, it will be possible to maintain 2m from one another should the airport be evacuated.
What kind of flying can I do? Can I fly circuits? Can I fly in the local area? Can I go out on day trips?
All the aforementioned types of flying are permitted as long as the guidance laid out by the Department of Transport is adhered to.
Please remember to be considerate of those on the ground who may still be isolating. Whilst recreational pursuits are permitted by the government, aviation is one in which participants do create noise for others.
During our Engine Health Flight Day, whilst the immediate communities in Yateley and Hartley Wintney were very understanding, the majority of complaints came from those living in towns and village further away where aircraft overflew. Please fly considerately, and as high as possible to reduce your impact on others. This is good practice irrespective of the current situation.
Why have you waited this long to open?
Whilst we recognise there have been good arguments both sides regarding Recreational GA activity resuming sooner at Blackbushe, we have respectfully followed the CAA and DfT Guidance.
Why aren’t you allowing students to fly with instructors?
This isn’t our restriction. The Department for Transport have specifically lifted restrictions on solo flights only or flights where everyone is from the same household. Training flights are not possible due to directions on social distancing.
Do I have to PPR in order to fly?
Yes, this is a standard requirement at Blackbushe but it will also enable us to collect data on who is onsite so that contact tracing can be carried out if necessary. We would prefer you to use our electronic PPR / Booking Out forms to do this.
It is also to ensure we can manage the number of aircraft flying and not put pressure on our staff. Remember the DfT guidance:
Pilots resuming recreational GA activity are asked to be mindful that air traffic services are still limited, with NATS trying to reduce non-essential activities, including services to GA. This is to ensure the resilience of the critical air traffic management services while complying with current guidance by not having more people on site than necessary.
While most GA activity occurs outside of controlled airspace, and therefore does not involve NATS, pilots should therefore be mindful of the strain their activity places on other essential services.
The lower airspace radar services which NATS provide are also offered on a when possible basis, so could be turned off if necessary. Similarly, access to Class D could also be simply refused by the relevant air navigation service provider if it has to prioritise other airspace users.