THE future of Lasham Gliding Society remains deeply uncertain following the release of a Civil Aviation Authority-commissioned report by into future airspace sharing around Farnborough Airport.

Relieved at first by the report’s recommendation which is for withdrawal by TAG Farnborough of proposed changes to controlled airspace that appear to far exceed its current operational needs, the response by TAG, as part of the consultation feedback on the report, is devastating and could sound the death knell for Lasham.

Furthermore, in a statement to the Alton Herald, TAG Farnborough confirms that it has “no intention of withdrawing its airspace change proposal to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)”.

But while agreeing to participate in any forum aimed at mitigating the impact of the proposed design on general aviation traffic, in its feedback statement TAG warns that the current proposal “cannot be withdrawn due to the impact it will have for other stakeholders” – namely Southampton – “in terms of the proposed implementation date of March 2017”.

To the layman, this statement appears to introduce the inclusion of at least one other significant party into the equation, which was not made clear before, and that the outcome is a “done deal” which would not only put a stop to gliding from Lasham, by leaving insufficient uncontrolled G-class space in which gliders currently fly but could, it is feared, see the introduction of flight paths over an area extending from Binsted and Bentley in the north to south of Petersfield, and including Alton.

Even more worrying, while the FASVIG report is calling for withdrawal of the current airspace change proposal, it is understood the CAA is calling for stakeholders to meet to discuss how it can be taken forward.

It is a situation that has shocked Lasham Gliding Society, which has said: “This proposal as it stands is a threat to our survival at Lasham, and we are currently seeking legal advice.”

Commissioned by the CAA, to look into TAG Farnborough’s controversial airspace change proposal, the review has been carried out by FASVIG, who work to ensure that airspace is available for visual flight rules users through the core areas of activity, namely modernising airspace structures, access to airspace, and visual flight rules efficiency enablers, all three of which are pertinent to this proposal.

FASVIG believes that while the impact on powered aircraft would be manageable, on gliding it would be “significant” and, in the case of Lasham Gliding Society, “operationally critical”.

The review shows that while the Secretary of State for Transport has approved a rise in permitted movements to 50,000 per year, the growth at Farnborough since has been “modest and well below forecast”. Nonetheless, it highlights TAG’s intention to exclude all ‘extraneous aircraft’ from its proposed controlled airspace.

FASVIG points out that the current airspace design relies on acquisition of “discreet blocks for the sole use of Farnborough traffic” rather than using more innovative air traffic co-ordination tools which, it says, “would mitigate the need for new controlled airspace”.

It concludes that “a suitably amended design could form the basis of an agreement between all parties”.

According to FASVIG, while the TAG proposals seek to provide safety and security for its own operations, “even if the permitted movement limit was reached it would benefit only around 32,000 passengers, compared to many more GA movements”.

Having consulted extensively with TAG Farnborough, Lasham Gliding Society, the Southdown Gliding Club at Parham and other organisations with an interest in the airspace, including the Ministry of Defence and RAF Odiham, it has found that while TAG had made “substantial efforts to redesign the proposed airspace to accommodate other airspace users, there were still conflicts”.

On Lasham, it states that while TAG has changed the airspace design to better accommodate gliding, the loss of local flying and soaring opportunity remain significant.

A tabulated graph shows quite clearly how the “severe” impact of new controlled airspace on LGS would be “operationally critical”

In the short term FASVIG is recommending that the CAA does not countenance this ACP, “nor that of any other proposer with the same or similar restrictive intent.”

In responding to the FASVIG report which, he confirms, makes clear the extent of the likely impact on Lasham Gliding Society and other airspace users, East Hampshire MP Damian Hinds, said: “The report also calls for the airspace change propopsal to be withdrawn before a revised version can be reviewed and discussed, and suggests that the Civil Aviation Authority could delay a decision on this until after a wider decision on new runway capacity in the South East has been made.

“I am writing to the CAA again to seek clarification on this and to press the case again for impacts on Lasham and on local communities to be fully taken into account.”