Article from BTNews 6 APRIL 2020
FROM THE EDITOR IN CHIEF
We are fortunate that our present Secretary of State for Transport holds a Private Pilot’s Licence. This does not make him an expert when it comes to flying but at least the terminology and some of the aviation rules are not alien to him. Prior to his current position Grant Shapps chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation.
He urgently needs to remember General Aviation (GA) and consider how it can help in the present crisis.
Starting is easy. Using private pilots for moving urgently needed medical items. The General Aviation Awareness Council (GAAC) and its member organisations are ready to help.
GA is one tiny part of Shapps’ portfolio and problems at this time. The Department for Transport (DfT) is a huge assortment of interests all pulling in different directions and clamouring for individual treatment. Around him is the machinery of a massive government secretariat with close on 20,000 staff. He is accountable at Cabinet for railways, roads, ports and airlines. Shapps’ problem is that he is now cooped up at his Hertfordshire home (as seen on TV) with probably a couple of telephones, a video screen, and hopefully, two metres away, some secretarial help. Not the proletariat he is used to.
GA is massive.
According to the CAA there are 28,000 private pilots in the UK, and British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA), who represents 75% of professional pilots, has over 10,000 members. The British Business and General Aviation Association (BBGA) has around 180 member companies. There are 250 licenced airports, although most are now closed due to COVID-19 including in recent days Carlisle, Cornwall-Newquay, London City and Teesside, each previously offering scheduled flights. All say they will open voluntarily (or otherwise) if requested. And perhaps 750 landing strips and usable farmers' fields.
One could add to this list four Naval Air Stations and 36 airfields under auspices of the RAF.
In early 2018 the previous Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling, appointed former MP Byron Davies (now elevated to the Upper House as Baron Davies of Gower) to what he termed “A General Aviation Champion” within his department. He has been replaced by Phil Dunnington, one of the world's most experienced balloon pilots.
Mr Shapps you attended the briefing when the post was announced. In the words of the late Mike Ramsden, long-time editor of Flight International you are a "proper aviation person." Please do make sure that the DfT fulfils the task of coordinating GA at a time of real need for the country.
Please see "Recreational Flying Ban" in this issue.
www.gaac.org.uk/airfield-status
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All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum
Nick West, Westminster
The General Aviation (GA) community is the grass roots or lifeblood of aviation and fundamentally important to the future of the industry. It trains the pilots and aircrew needed to supply future growth across the globe (estimated at 650k in the next 20 years). The Air League is concerned that this segment of the industry could largely collapse if not appropriately supported. The UK’s aviation training companies aid exports through delivering pilots to many global airlines and consideration should be given to supporting training institutions, in order to break the boom and bust cycle of aviation training. The sector is already under strain from airfield redevelopment plans which are diminishing the capacity of the GA community. Pilot training is an essential role of GA and already the UK struggles to produce enough pilots to meet demand. The Air League is concerned by the impact of COVID-19 from a pilot training perspective, the scale of the problem can only be estimated at the moment, though based on the 9/11 experience, this will last for several years.