A glider pilot has just launched into the air in Southwest England and released from the winch when they see a Cessna flying below them.   They take immediate action to avoid the aircraft and later file a report with the UK Airprox Board (UKAB).

UKAB Director Simon Oldfield tells us more about this incident and the review that followed.

We also speak with experienced glider pilot Andrew Watson and highlight the potential risks involved when flying near or above active gliding sites.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Airprox report 2022173 (UK Airprox Board)
• Airprox inside magazine – February 2023 (UK Airprox Board)
• Report an airprox (UK Airprox Board)
• Flying over gliding sites (UK CAA)

In May 2022, an Airbus A320 approaching Paris Charles de Gaulle airport was given an incorrect altimeter pressure setting, which caused the barometric altimeters on board to show that the aircraft was nearly 300 feet higher above the ground than it actually was.

The crew were unaware of the problem and didn't see the runway because of bad weather. They carried out what they believed was a normal go around and never realized that they came within six feet of hitting the ground.

In this episode we talk to aviation experts at the UK CAA and NATS to get their perspectives on what happened, the risks involved and the safety guidance in this area.

Guidance and resources mentioned in this episode

• SN-2023/003: Risk of Controlled Flight into Terrain during 3D BARO-VNAV and 2D Approaches (Altimeter Setting Procedures)
• Safety awareness video about this issue
• Information on the A320 incident at Paris Charles de Gaulle (Skybrary)

How do airports manage the risk of runway incursions?

We talk to Heathrow Airport’s Head of Airside Operations Trevor Waldock about causal factors that can lead to an incursion and some of the safeguards that are in place to prevent them.

You’ll hear about the safety guidance and procedures that are followed at airports and the importance of a ‘just culture’ where everyone is encouraged to report safety concerns and incidents. We also discuss the challenges of working through and emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Guidance and resources related to this episode:

• European Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Incursions (EAPPRI)
• CAP 168 –Licensing of aerodromes
• UK (EU) No 139/2014 - The UK Aerodrome Regulation, UK Acceptable Means of Compliance and Guidance Material, and UK Certification Specification and Guidance Material for Aerodrome Design
• CAP 790 –Requirement for an Airside Driving Permit (ADP) scheme