British Blue

British Blue PLC  - Flight Control

213c, Upper West Tring Crescent,

Westminster,

London,

EC1 1UP

Dear Sir,

Re: United Kingdom Airspace.

You may be unaware that the second Thatcher Government privatised the sky over the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, incorporating Wales and its Territorial Waters. Consequent upon this was the stablishment of "British Blue' which finally came to the stock market early this year. Accordingly your recent letter to the Office of the  Prime Minister has arrived upon my desk.

In your letter to us, you refer to information passed to you by persons of your own, occasional, aquaintance who patronise the 'Independant' newspaper, and you raise the matter of future changes of Regulation with respect to air transit above the UK & NI, incorporating Wales & its Territorial Waters. 

I can confirm that your access to the 'Casual Annual Permission Without Any Prior Application' (CAPWAPA) facility is to be withdrawn effective as from September.

You will recall that the 'Air Traffic and Flight Navigation (1915); Assorted Regulations Applicable To Air Freight By Abnormal Methods Of Propulsion', was enacted by His Majesties Govenment, during the First (or Great) War. Covered by these (then) emergency regulations were all active, and proposed, 'Vehicles capable of Sustained Levitation by means of Propulsion Systems other than Mechanical (VcoSLbmoPSotM)'. 

For your information, having legislated upon the matter of the suppression of aircraft noise from 'Residences of Persons of Note and the Need for Undisturbed Game', by the inclusion of a sub-clause in the 'Air Transport: Air Fund Tax - Exemptions (Bombers, Fighters and Reconnaisance Aeroplanes)' bill (enacted 23/07/16), Parliament then responded to the lobby from the 'United Kingdom  National Association (Incorporating Wales) of Pigeon Fanciers'.  The UKNA(IW)OPF 'Massed-Basket' event in Trafalgar Square (11/04/17) served both to highlight the splendid job its members were doing by providing a means of  Rapid Information Transfer (RIT) between the front line and the War Office and to confuse the resident, non-aligned, Trafalgar Square population.

During the ensuing Debate the words of Algernon Fitzwilliam Penworthy; member for Strawbotham, proved pivotal. "Mr. Speaker, I must tell the House the opinion of no less an expert on Pigeons than Mr. Albert Green of Dankwater View in my constituency. He contends that it is not known by what method pigeons navigate. It is his conclusion, therefore, that it is foolish for the Law to seek to regulate the flight directions of feathered spirits." (Hansard 19/5/17)  The House accepted this and agreed that by incorporating the word 'designed' within the leglation, Pigeons and Pigeon-fanciers would thus become dis-applied and therefore exempt. 

Having conducted extensive research, I confirm, as you rightly pointed-out, that members of the 'English, Scottish and Northern-Ireland (Incorporating Wales) Falconers League' (ES&NI(iW)FL) successfully argued, at the time, that the legislation applied equally to them - in the matter of their Falcons.

I am pleased to report that your correspondence, with reference to your own predicament, came to light, quite co-incidentley,  with a copy of each of the replies to you from the Ministers for War, Home Affairs, Transport, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Hunting, Shooting and Fishing (HS&F). I note that they concurred with your argument and effectively exempted you and your International Enterprise, forthwith.

Subsequent to this, Govenment commissioned considerable and learned research into air transport. In  his  report to Parliament, 'The Expansion In The Use Of Aeroplanes, Hot-Air-Balloons And Airships; And The Prediction Of Intraference With Other Significant Bodies In Flight: The Need For A Concept Of Sky-Density' (which subsequently became known as the 'TEITUOAHABAAATPOIWOSBIF:TNFACOSD Report'), University of Wigan Press, 1928, Professor Karl Nummerzwei Kleinersdorf Schwartzfeuer showed a collision risk factor of slightly less than 0.00034 whilst illustrating his proposed Sky-Density Factor of 2. You will, no doubt, recall his (Chapter 87) analysis which concluded that, since your activities were limited to the few hours before midnight on Chrismas Eve, the Sky-Density Factor Fluctuation Index would not vary by more than +/- 3.795. (It was later qualified by a deviation of 0.00009, after the University of Uttoxeter (Staffs) concluded that a variation of +/- 53.7% was required to model those commercial pilots who prefered to be at home for Christmas.) 

This was considered to be well within acceptable limits and the 'Select Committee on Flying Planes, Objects and Other Things' continued to over-look your contribution to air congestion on Christmas Eve.

During the Second World War, whilst a rapid development in aircraft design took place, Parliament was disinclined to look again at the regulations, since the forward propulsion method of aircraft continued to be by propellor.

However, as I am sure you are aware, since the end of the Second World War the turbo-prop and jet have been developed as alternative means of increasing flying speeds in the Commercial and Military Sector and I note, with regret, that the contents of your letter are unable to assure me that your traditional propulsion units are currently able to keep pace with these developments. 

Please find, enclosed, copies of Flight Plan Application Forms AS8a, Fc7b(sub), DR3b(special), GFT45(holiday) and BDJ-7.9.3 (low-level: winter). I also enclose, for your interest, a copy of MN45f-s(alternative date). 

You should complete, sign, and submit the relevant documents not later than 9 weeks before the event. 

You should also enclose your remittance in the sum of £3,476.92 (+VAT).

Yours faithfully,

 F.T.S/S.

The Hon. Ffortesque Timothy Smythe-Smythe.

N.B. Failure to comply with the Regulations of BritishBlue, its Partners, Subsidiaries and PALS will result in the Cancellation of your Flights.