2021 Airspace infringement retraining debacle. 

Jeez guys! This video has triggered all the Health & Safety police. We were ON THE AIRFIELD, on a private, gated, single track road when Archie had his seatbelt off and the phone was in a cradle or being held by Archie when I was on the road. I may be stupid, but I'm not THAT stupid! Thank you all for your concern, but, notwithstanding my infringements, I'm really not that stupid.

A great outcome in the end with the quality of your instructor - a confidence boost that you're a good pilot. You're picking up a lot of haters which you have to do when you're spreading important messages. Don't let them get you down 💪

Very useful video. It is a shame how you've been treated from the wankers at the first ATO. RU-vidrs need thick skin with all the toxic negative people commenting but these videos help everyone. We all make mistakes and we all learn by sharing our mistakes. Well done Charlie! Keep up the good work :)

Glad I watched this. Had a licence for a year now and although I would not fly through or over a ATZ normally its worth remembering if you do you need to be talking to the tower. Silly little things like that can catch you out out with small airfields.

Great video with all the usual learning points which are really valuable.

All very interesting - from a number of angles. The key thing, as you say at the end, is avoid infringements, almost at any cost! I'm lucky to be based in an area with lots of Class G but it makes me doubly careful when going anywhere with other classes either laterally or vertically. The CAAs role in all this actually paints it in a much more positive light than might have been expected so well done to it on that score. The really interesting issue is the action / reaction of the ATOs to your "influencer" (?) status. Is there a fear of being given a poor review or some desire not to open up their methods to public scrutiny? They could have asked you not to record any of the retraining or at least discussed it with you but, presumably, to accept and then decide to change their mind seems to me to be something of an own goal. I have to say, in my experience, I've come across very few examples of outstanding customer service fro ATOs and plenty of poor service so perhaps that's what has been at play in your case. Another angle seems to be as soon as anyone puts their head above the parapet whether complaining about poor service or making RU-vid videos they cab be ostracized by those who do not want their particular boat rocked. Anyway, excuse my rant, but glad it's finally resolved for you and may you fly trouble-free in future.

Hello Charlie, I wasn't sure whether you were just repeating my experience with re-training for airspace infringement. I fly My US registered AC50 and firstly they offered an instructor without a multi rating, then two instructors who bowed out and then a third who promptly went off to Spain. I have done the theory now but my aircraft's annual is extending due to back order of parts, so still no practical. By the way I have a US IR and also UK licence, with various ratings, about 5000hrs and been flying for more than 50 years. Regards, Martin

I never normally read the comments on these videos. But wow, lots of toxic people on here. How about a constructive conversion. Actually what am I thinking, these are RU-vid comments 🙈😂 Another good video. As you say you’ve done wrong, but learnt from it and taken onboard the training. Can’t understand why the first ATO didn’t just say we don’t want to be recorded and crack on.

Hi you seem to be a risk taker 3 air space infringements. And then record a blog whilst driving a car with you child sat with you. I think you could have done this sat at home without the risk of driving, and given full attention to the road ahead. Maybe a retest for your driving may be on the books in the near future. I would have respect you a lot more if you had applied your situational awareness to driving as well

That’s such a weird interaction with southwest aviation. If they were concerned about RU-vid why not just have a frank conversation and ask to keep the cameras off during training. Eg it could of been like in your blog something like anonymising them like you did with the gentleman who conducted your retraining.

Love the video and how open you're with everything. However you have at 4:58 you have a child in the front seat of a car going at some fair speed with no seatbelt on... Your holding a camera / phone as a selfie and the kid isnt strapped in, even if on private land the kid should have a belt on just in case.

Is your child wearing a seatbelt there? Or in a child seat? Hope you’re not holding the phone too. 🧐

Methinks a service provider afraid of somebody with a youtube channel would consider the implications of p'ing them off.... Audiences are notorious vigilante armies.... edit:as can be seen in the comments, lol.

Retraining with an examiner and being signed off? That's more like an unofficial test that has been contrived. Of course you are a huge danger, in those three infringements you were mere seconds away from causing mass devastation. No, of course you weren't. This whole minor infringement handling is OTT by an out of control CAA. For a start you're transponding so the CAT (which is all they actually care about safetywise) can see you. All that's necessary is a bit of a chat to understanding why it happened and how it can be avoided and if someone keeps infringing then perhaps a more in depth discussion. Of course somebody who wanders across the middle of a CTR (clueless as opposed to clipping or small error) is a real hazard and needs to be handled differently and most likely will need remedial training.

In my mind, if a teacher is not willing to teach someone who has a following, they know they can’t teach well and don’t want to get caught. Of course there are exceptions, but that’s what this case feels like.

Did any of the retraining suggest that making videos while flying an aeroplane could be the factor contributing to the infringements? Perhaps it's too much yakking to the camera when instead you should be concentrating flying the aeroplane !

4:50 - holding a phone while driving, plus a child in the front with no seatbelt... Love the channel but both are dangerous, even more so when combined...

The third infringement was typical of the crock of sh***te that is low level controlled airspace in the UK, in that the Bournemouth controller watched you steam into the Lee on Solent ATZ on his screen with no attempt to warn you. He was equally culpable but of course can shrug his shoulders and say something inane like 'Basic Service Guv, VFR, your responsibility...' This sort of thing would never happen on the Continent. In my opinion it is the CAA and NATS who should be brought to account, not private pilots such as yourself. As for children and seat belts, that's the 'Nanny State' in action, it's your responsibility as a parent to do what is best for your children and yours alone...