Air Traffic Safety remains an issue – latest updates

Posted Category: Civil Aviation, News

 

Readers of this site having an interest in air travel safety matters will have been following the FoI exchanges underway with the Civil Aviation Authority the M.O.D. and the Scottish Government about this subject.  The latest response From M.Stevens CAA.RE. Re. Air Traffic Safety FoI request  is provided so that the reason for this reply is understood(CAA response 06.06.16) which include new requests for information. E.g. as in the  AMENDMENT. Re. Air Traffic Safety   as follows:

Dear Mark    (14.06.16)

Further to my letter of 5.6.16 in respect of  FoI request F0002371, information received has led to this amendment being of relevance to the subject in hand.

The information gathered is as follows:

It is clear that Aviation safety issues involving wind power are gaining attention and concern globally.   Together with UK websites such as

www.windsofjustice.org.uk  see: https://www.windsofjustice.org.uk/…/air-traffic-safety-issu…/ others are also working to raise the profile relating to aviation safety being paramount over and above the construction of turbines.

These are links to relevant items from Sweden and Estonia.

The first is from Sweden and this is the link to the Google translation: http://bit.ly/1Q05ZBU

The Military in Östergötland do not wish to have turbines around their air force base and will not allow repowering either.

The second and third pieces comes from Estonia where it appears that the Defence Ministry is not authorising wind farms which threaten aviation safety. It seems from the article that they are rightly being ultra careful about where they will allow wind farms – and as can be seen from the second Estonian link, the wind industry is predictably ‘unhappy.’

http://news.postimees.ee/3605473/wind-farms-interfering-with-military-radar-images

Wind farms interfering with military radar images – Local News – Estonian news in English

Wind farms interfering with military radar images – Loca…

Defence ministry has declined to okay plans for many a wind park in Estonia as turbine blades interfere with image in air surveillance radars. Officials say be…

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In light of the above and the issues highlighted in the previous letter, will the CAA advise the UK government and M.O.D. that similar action should be adopted for both civil and military UK airports? If not, please provide reasons for denying our civil and military pilots, our citizens in the air and on the ground, the same protection.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs. V.(Christine)K. Metcalfe.

This Reply has just been received and is receiving attention

The dialogue and matters raised are of importance not only to air travellers, but all those living on the ground near airports with wind turbines built in close proximity.  This is certainly the case with Glasgow, and possibly Prestwick International Airports and the ever increasing applications for extending Whitelee wind farm.  Therefore in the absence of media coverage, this site may be the only access that the public may have to the full dialogue – other than the CAA website where FoI exchanges are supposed to appear.

 

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