2021: Surely, it's Not Beyond the Wit of Man..[1]

While enjoying/enduring my daily (electric) bike ride to work through the beautiful Dorset countryside, my father’s favoured and oft-used expression (it was one of many, I assure you) popped into my head. The Dorset morning was wet and miserable and it seemed that, as the year had gone on, nothing had really changed in the world. 

With neither bias nor agenda… COVID-19 and its growing variants were still very much with us and influencing our daily routines; our (UK) political construct still seemed to be bumbling their way through their political (and our everyday) lives; inflation is on the up (to be fair, we haven’t seen for a while); another COP26 summit produced a raft of carbon-reducing initiatives for us to consider and inciting a little “green” fervour (that noise died away very quickly, didn’t it…); and, a new resident in the White House (a welcome change for some…). Like I said, what had really changed?

To remove myself from an existential conundrum and ready myself for the working day ahead (quite right, too), my thoughts turned to the aviation industry - a fundamental part of my father’s working life and “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”: had much really changed in the aviation industry since our blog reflecting on a tumultuous 2020?

I acknowledge that what follows will read very much from an air traffic and airspace management perspective (it’s what Avigation does); but I will let you draw parallels where you feel that you can.

Picking up where we left off, the (then) prospect of a bright, shiny and new year ahead (i.e. 2021) provided the perfect opportunity for optimism (as does each 31 December… no change).  Were we right to be optimistic, or is the aviation industry still waiting for good news and hope for the future?  Were aviation’s “downturn” and the concomitant downtime the sector endured capitalised upon?  

An automotive engineer does not dismantle and rebuild a sports car when it’s travelling at 70mph (erm, 120km/h for non-UK readers…) in the outside lane of a motorway; no, the engineer conducts that activity in a benign environment where there is much less risk.  It was, therefore, not beyond the wit of man (thanks, dad!) to recognise the opportunity that the pandemic afforded the aviation industry. So, was the opportunity seized to rethink, reshape and modernise airspace, or to test and evaluate the introduction of new aviation technologies in the closest thing to a “blank canvas” that the industry had ever seen. Hmmm, what had really changed…?

As we approached 2021, we had high hopes that not only would our COVID-19-impacted lives general improve, but also that the aviation industry would see a recovery. Whilst there were some encouraging signs, the reality is that the aviation world remains in a turbulent state with many across every facet of the industry holding on by their fingertips - some with more success than others.  Government(s) seem oblivious to the damage caused by continual ‘volta-face’ on travel regulations, which - in turn - ripples across the whole industry (and to other supporting industries).  Thus, there seems to be little room for optimism - for a while at least; but hold that thought...

As some of you will be aware, the UK CAA’s regulatory guidance on changing airspace design and the redistribution of air traffic is CAP1616, which was first published in December 2017. Since then, 3 administrative updates have followed and a fourth edition was published in March 2021.  When CAP1616 was first published, the CAA committed to undertake a review of the related process(es) in 2021 (its Paragraph 36 refers). The CAA has started this review activity and expects to complete the process in winter 2022.  

The CAA intend to align their review “to CAP1616 principles on engagement and consultation [… and ...] it will involve initial stakeholder engagement at a representative level followed by a formal consultation process”.  This process will include internal and external workshops, public engagement (the associated survey is now closed) and a consultation process in Spring/Summer 2022 that will be “run via the citizen space platform and […] provide an alternative method of response for those stakeholders who are unable to respond using online methods”. So, there we are, there might be some change afoot: CAP 1616 is being “reviewed”. 

Like many, we are delighted that the behemoth that is CAP1616 is being subjected to such (overdue) scrutiny; one could posit, however, that it is strange to review a process, whose requirements have facilitated so few (we believe only one) applications to successful conclusion.

On completion of the review and CAA’s publication of an updated CAP1616 in the winter of 2022, we can but keep our fingers crossed that it offers a more realistic approach to the requirements, financial capability and resources of the aviation stakeholders that seek to employ it and benefit from it. Oh, and let’s hope that the revised process addresses the design and implementation of Point-in-Space (PinS) procedures for the helicopter community in a pragmatic manner! [Segues nicely into PinS…I thank you]

For those who have been following our previous blogs, you will know that PinS is subject VERY dear to our hearts!

Last year, top of our (aviation) Christmas list to Santa was for the UK CAA to move away from what is seen by many as an unswerving dedication to process and to start applying a modicum of pragmatism and common-sense to support PinS to benefit the rotary wing community (HEMS in particular). So has that happened? How much has changed in the intervening period…? Well, maybe the light at the end of the tunnel is not in fact a (CAP1616) train … maybe … and the UK CAA may in fact have experienced a “road to Damascus” moment on the issue of PinS… Clearly, it may not have been beyond the wit of man (or aviation regulator)…

There is no doubt that the light bulb has come on within elements of the UK’s aviation regulatory body!

The UK’s helicopter community continue to advocate that the CAA actively support the implementation of GNSS PinS procedures to enable safer operations all round. Our European neighbours seem to have overcome the issues and are facilitating PinS throughout the continental Europe. The EUROCONTROL PinS operation and generic safety case document[2] is deemed perfectly acceptable for European facilitation, why not in the UK?  Well, whisper it very quietly, there appears to be a more pragmatic mindset building in the CAA and one recognises that they cannot keep pushing this topic to the right. We live in hope and it genuinely seems that UK PinS are moving forward - finally. As such, there are reasonable grounds for optimism that the UK’s aviation regulator can align with many European aviation regulators and pave the way for widespread PinS implementation!  Time (2022, it seems) will tell. 

Cause for related optimism… I think so.

Before we go, for us, there were 2 notable aviation related events this year (among a great number, we know).

In April this year, we bade a sad farewell to HRH Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh who, throughout his life, was a passionate advocate for all things flying and aviation. He gained his Royal Air Force “wings” in 1953 and his Private Pilots’ Licence in 1959; during his flying career, Prince Philip logged 5,986 flying hours in over 60 different aircraft, including Concorde, and maintained an abiding interest in aerospace engineering. Among his many aviation-related patronages, he became the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Honorary President in 1966, an Honorary Life Member of the Royal Aero Club and Grand Master of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators (now the Honourable Company of Air Pilots).

In November, in the skies above Wiltshire, an electric aircraft built by UK-based aero-engine firm, Rolls-Royce, is believed to have set a world record, flying at a speed of 387.4 mph (623 km/h). The aircraft “Spirit of Innovation” is thought to have set new World Records over three different distances; the figures have been submitted to the World Air Sports Federation for verification. Spirit of innovation, indeed.

So, dear readers, another tumultuous year, but glimmers of hope and - yes - still room for optimism. 

We hope you all can enjoy a well-earned break over the coming holiday period, and our very best wishes to you all for 2022. 

Finally: Santa, no change to our list of last year, love and kisses, Avigation… 

P.S.  Eat your sprouts!

[1]   Noun: the human individual, as representing the species, with neither reference, nor favour to gender (binary, or non-binary)…

[2]  Helicopter Point in Space Operations in Controlled and Uncontrolled Airspace | Generic Safety Case, pins-apr-and-dep-safety_case-18122019.pdf (eurocontrol.int).

#AvigationLtd #PinS #HEMS #peaceandgoodwill #eatyoursprouts