Lots of off-limits airspace opened up because ash cloud grounded airliners

From http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/tra...cle7102383.ece

The clearing of the airspace has meant playtime for light aircraft pilots.

David Stubbs, who flies a CTSW, tells us what it has been like for the "little guys" allowed to roam the skies. (See the picture from his flight above)

"It really is an interesting opportunity to explore areas of sky not normally open to light aircraft pilots flying under what are called 'visual flight rules'.

"I fly a small two seater, normally we are forbidden to go even near the big airports like Heathrow and Stansted, and flying over them would lead to a very long time enjoying prison food. It's a safety issue. Now though the air traffic controllers are, if not relaxed, at least open to the idea that if the sky is empty of 'real' planes that they can give us little guys a break.

"So on Sunday given that the flight that I should have been on to Kenya had been cancelled, I set off in my CTSW aircraft from Sywell airport in Northants to fly to Essex, once in the air I tuned to the correct air traffic control frequency and listened as four or five other pilots requested a 'special clearance' for either the Stansted or Luton airport zones and then when there was a pause made the same call myself.

"The controller was very efficient, he set us up with courses and set heights for safety's sake, and vectored us over the airports. It was amusing to listen to my fellow pilots trying to hide the excitement in their voices and failing badly.

"I was instructed to cross Stansted at between 2000 and 2400 feet, quite straightforward really in the sunshine but it would have been a very different story without the controller as the combination of the normal summer haze and the volcanic dust made visibility so poor that it was occasionally like flying in milk.

"At times some of us felt that we could actually taste it and upon landing there was a layer of light brown dust on some of the aircraft. I sent the pictures that I took to friends and relatives, so far I have three replies asking if I can rescue their partners from the 'refugee camps' in Northern France. We will have to see."

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Meanwhile I'm trying to get my modification approval before my annual this weekend and all the FD engineers are stuck in Prague.