NOTAM/restricted zones over explosive factories

[taff224]

Hiya all,

I've recently changed jobs to a site that builds ammunition and as I left an aviation job to go there I checked out one of the aviation maps for the area and noticed a nice red circle over the site. I assume this is an exclusion zone (I think I asked one of the pilots and he confirmed it)

Therefore I was a bit surprised to have seen 3 helicopters and a light aircraft fly directly over the site in the last month or so.

Any ideas where i can check the exclusions zones in force...and who to contact if people are breaking these.

I'm more concerned for the pilots as we have an area on site that burns the waste explosive off.....the fireball can reach a good couple of hundred feet sometimes.

Thanks

Chris

[Maude Charlee]

Also, be aware that a red circle does not automatically mean a total exclusion zone to all traffic. It may be a danger area, and as Mike has said, this may only be in force at particular times and not permanent; it may be a restricted zone, and only restricted to certain aerial traffic (eg, most prisons are restricted zones to helicopters but not fixed wing a/c); or it may be a prohibited area, like nuclear power stations. Each of these zones will have a specified size, and there is no universal size for any type of zone - it is decided on a site by site basis.

The a/c you have seen in the vicinity may be further from the site, or higher than you estimate - it is notoriously difficult to gauge a/c height accurately from the ground as the sky does not give you any easy points of reference. Also, all of these zones can be accessed subject to the proper authorisation being obtained regardless of their status.

Finally, there are some sites, such as ammunition dumps for instance, which will be marked as restricted zones to military traffic on military low level charts, but will be unmarked and unrestricted on civilian charts to civilian traffic.

Certainly the CAA will be in a position to assist with the specifics of any zone in effect at your location, but there is no broadly applicable answer to your query which applies at all such sites.

[southside]

Exactly. Totally concur with Maude. If your exclusion Zone is an "Industrial Hazard" then the chances are that Light aircraft and Rotary wing have to avoid it by 1/4 nm. Thats not far and is difficult to judge it.

[Old Smokey]

A point or two to consider taff224, is that most Restricted / Danger Areas etc. associated with explosives, live firing etc., have a lower altitude limit, and, in the case that you quote of periodic burning off of waste explosive, possibly a time bracket within which these risks exist.

If the transiting aircraft that you've noticed were at or above the lower altitude limit, or operating outside the NOTAM times of risk, then no real problem exists.

Regards,

Old Smokey

[taff224]

Thanks for the info gents,

I apprecciate that I don't have all the info about the specific zone in place which is why i am after the info as to where to look. I am pretty sure of the height of the aircraft and that they are directly over the site.

It's just when I asked the site safety people about it I was struck by thier lack of knowledge or concern....sort of a 'yes there is something in place but we haven't a clue and ignore it anyway'....which i thought was a bit slack.

Thanks for the info.

taff

[Helinut]

taff,

Also try the NATS AIS website. That is where all such things should be communicated. Also get to have a quick look at the relevant aeronautical chart for the area concerned.

http://www.ais.org.uk

Helinut

[Genghis the Engineer]

There should be some text next to the red circle on the chart, what does it say?

G