This page shows a few of the aircraft who have flown over the top of the site at less than 3000 feet, without due regard for safety, whilst we have been operating. We will never launch if we are aware of such an occurrence in progress, but common sense dictates that pilots should route around our site. Fully legible registration numbers will be obliterated here, but if we can read them we will routinely report such occurrences to the appropriate authority.
6th September 2004, afternoon, possibly just over 3000':
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6th September 2004, afternoon, not quite over us but very near:
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6th September 2004, afternoon, very low and directly over the winch. This aircraft had no markings under the wings:
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21st December 2004, afternoon, between 2000 and 3000 feet. This aircraft had indistinct markings under the wings:
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19th June 2005, afternoon, approximately 1500', just far enough away to not be able to determine the registration markings under the wings, but you know who you are:
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3rd July 2005, some time around mid day, directly overhead at about 2000' (I nearly got his registration but I could not get at my camera quickly enough):
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12th July 2005, 11:15am local time. The pilot has been traced, and has offered his apologies on behalf of himself and his flying school:
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16th July 2005, 11:52pm local time:
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16th July 2005, 12:19pm local time, registration almost visible:
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26th July 2005, 10:15am local time, Bell JetRanger helicopter from Southend Airport identified. This one blundered across the runway at a height well below our maximum launch height, and narrowly missed two airborne gliders, one in the circuit and one being launched. The pilot was invited to Wormingford for some appropriate education, and he did turn up, but apparently he did not see a major problem with flying at less than 2000' past 3000' of aerial cable. Barking mad. We are filing a CAA airprox report on this one:
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26th July 2005, 3:35pm and 3:45pm local time, Schweizer 333 helicopter and operating company identified and contacted. This pipeline inspection helicopter pilot is locally very experienced and is fully aware of our operations, which is a good thing, and also he did try to call us on the radio, but even so the wisdom of coming quite so close in the absence of a reply is questionable:
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2nd August, 16:49pm local time, I think this is a Robinson R22 helicopter, flying about 50m behind the winch, not particularly likely to kill himself just there, but if he had been just 75m to his left... A very stupid thing to do, and what's the exact point of coming so close?
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Yet another blasted egg whisk. 17th September 2005, 17:40. Just as well we had finished flying, eh?
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26th April 2006. This guy blundered over at an estimated 1500ft, just a bit to the west of the east launch point at 10.52 BST, 9.52 Zulu, flying from south to north. We have his number and will act upon it. The blacked out area is the minimum that one of our cables would remove from such an aircraft a few seconds before the subsequent crash.
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Saturday 20th May 2006. Jet Ranger, no markings evident, flying due East at circa 1500-1800 feet, position - along length of runway on same heading, directly overhead the whole length of runway. Thankfully, no club flying was going on at the time. Time 0938-0939.
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Saturday 20th May 2006. Cessna C172N, registration traced via G-INFO but obscured here, flying due East at less than 2000 feet, same track as the helicopter and overhead the runway throughout its length. Club flying was in progress at the time. Time 1453-1455. Great airmanship.
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Wednesday 19th July 2006, at 2:43pm local. A Danish registered spam can of some sort, blundering over at a mere 900 feet above the winch, when active flying and launching were in progress. I don't mind leaving the number on this one, as it was probably just lost and trying to find its way back to Denmark, so you have to feel some sympathy for the poor fool in the cockpit.
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Sunday 20th May 2007, at 6:14pm local, right over the winch at no more than 2000'. Top marks for bravery. Unable to read the registration due to the lighting conditions.
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Sunday 25th August 2007, at 3:13pm local, almost over the winch... just too far away to read the markings.
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Friday 2nd November 2007, at about 2:45pm local, a Piper PA28 Cherokee, which is registered to an owner near Norwich, and was heading in that direction. Unfortunately, the pilot was displaying very poor airmanship by flying close in front of one of our K13s which was in the circuit, hence we know the height as approximately 1100 feet AGL, and crossing the centre of the runway whilst the strip was active and launching could easily have been in progress. We have now changed from steel cable to dyneema, which experience on the ground shows is equally effective at cutting through metal (such as the winch) and a few loops of which would undoubtedly stop the engine, before pulling the aircraft into a fatal dive. GA PILOTS PLEASE NOTE: a contact with our cable is very likely to be UNSURVIVABLE! Read GASIL! The pilot of this aircraft has been traced and has been invited to Wormingford for some advice regarding our operations. Apparently the error occurred after an unplanned diversion due to weather, and the pilot has written a letter of apology to club members.
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Photos or verbal reports to Andy Sanderson, please, with date and time of occurrence (if possible).