EXPLAINED: Can you land a helicopter anywhere in Jersey?

Tuesday 26 July 2022

Under the law, aircraft are not supposed to land anywhere on the island other than a “certificated aerodrome”… so why was a helicopter given the controversial go-ahead to land at Les Landes racecourse earlier this month?

The landing, which was signed off by the Acting Director of Civil Aviation, has generated much debate among members of the local aviation and racing communities, and left many islanders wondering if this is the start of a new trend.

Express explains why that's not likely to be the case...

What does the law say?

Article 126 of The Air Navigation (Jersey) Law 2014 stipulates that "an aircraft shall not take off or land at a place in Jersey other than a certificated aerodrome... or subject to which such permission may have been given." Article 176 states that the Director of Civil Aviation may in writing exempt from any of the provision of [this] law.

Pictured: A helicopter was given special permission to land at Les Landes racecourse earlier this month.

In other words, if you want to land an aircraft outside the airport, you need special permission.

When might special permission be granted?

An example of this is at the annual Jersey International Air Display, where aircraft may be positioned in St. Aubin's Bay as part of a static display.

The Director of Civil Aviation is required to consider each request on its own merit, and in line with safety considerations.

What conditions have to be considered?

A risk assessment is usually performed, which takes into account factors ranging from ground conditions to obstacles that may be encountered on the approach and landing and whether the aircraft might suffer any technical problems.

How often is special permission granted to private helicopters?

Acting Director of Civil Aviation (DCA), Inez Bartolo, told Express they were exceptionally rare.

Pictured: Acting Director of Civil Aviation, Inez Bartolo.

She said she didn't believe there had been any, aside from on 8 July, since she took up her position in late 2020.

Why was an exemption requested on 8 July?

Paul Forster, General Manager of Hilti-Air, applied for the exemption.

"The basis for the request was because the passenger (a jockey) was taking part in a race at Ascot at 18:30 and then Les Landes at 20:15," Ms Bartolo explained.

"The racing rules meant that the pilot must be at the racecourse 30 minutes prior to the race, otherwise he could not take part; a flight to the airport and subsequent road journey would have resulted in the jockey not meeting the 30-minute arrival requirement.

"The proposed plan involved dropping the jockey off at the racecourse, then the helicopter positioning back to the airport to wait for the jockey, who would be driven back to the airport for the return leg to the UK."

What risks were considered?

Firstly, there were concerns about the ground being unsuitable for a helicopter due to its sloping nature, and that there may be aggregate around. However, a "reconnaissance visit" undertaken in advance of the landing where the Acting DCA was assured that a "suitable" site with no sloping ground or aggregate had been chosen.

Ms Bartolo was also satisfied that the weather conditions before and at the time of the landing wouldn't lead the ground surface to deteriorate and cause problems and that the chosen landing area was "within a landscape that is very open with no obstacles in the immediate vicinity."

Pictured: The risk assessment.

The potential for spectators to be injured during the landing was considered, but it was noted that the landing area had "no access opportunity" for members of the public.

Finally, the risk of the aircraft suffering "a technical fault on approach or departure resulting in a fire" was also considered. The Acting DCA was informed that there were six fire extinguishers available at the racecourse, as well as onboard fire equipment.

The risk was therefore rated "acceptable" given the "qualifications and experience of the pilot and the operator and the firefighting equipment available to suppress any resultant fire."

The final decision:

Having assessed the risks, Ms Bartolo said she considered "there was merit in allowing this one-off flight, as it would bring an international jockey onto the island and provide the community with an opportunity to watch the jockey take part in a race, that otherwise would not have been possible."

Pictured: The exemption document.

She added that she also believed it would "benefit tourism, the local community and highlight Jersey in the international racing scene."

Islanders were then given warning via the Jersey Air Traffic Control Facebook page.

Does this mean helicopters can freely fly to and from the racecourse from now on?

No – the special permission was a "one-off" and time-limited.

It only applied to one specific helicopter – Hilti-Air's G-HITB – and lasted from 00:01 to 23:59 on Friday 8 July.

Some confusion was caused as, after the flight, Atlas Helicopters began advertising trips to Les Landes from London, but this was removed shortly after upon request from Ms Bartolo.