Dunstable Legal Requirements

Important legal information for the attention all Club Members.

Warning! Dunstable Downs is in close proximity to Luton Airport. The airspace surrounding Dunstable Downs is categorised as Class D (Luton CTR/CTA) and pilots must adhere to the Rules of the Air Regulations (2015) as stated by the CAA.

Flying is allowed (in certain areas) under the terms of a legal agreement, the (Letter of Agreement) with the CAA, which is reviewed yearly.

To fly at this site it is a legal requirement for all pilots to:

  • Be a BHPA Member and have attained BHPA CP(Hill) qualification + 10 hours airtime (under 10 hours only allowed after discussing your flight plan with a Club Coach). The onus is on you to find a Coach and discuss please.
  • Be Full Members of DHPC (see membership section; it is only £20).
  • To have been officially signed off by a DHPC Lead Coach as having received the Airspace Briefing. You will then be issued with a lifetime Airspace helmet sticker.
  • Be familiar with the local airspace with reference to a current airspace map, whether it be a paper or electronic map (1/2 mil paper maps are available at the London Gliding Club reception).
  • Fly with a calibrated Altimeter (Trigpoint is at the entrance to the Chiltern Gateway Centre, 797ft AMSL).
  • Also be familiar with, fly within the rules of, and fly only within the designated areas defined in the Letter of Agreement. Breach of these rules could result in imprisonment and a £2,000 fine.

Our club has worked hard to ensure that flying is allowed to continue at Dunstable Downs, please do not do anything to jeopardize this.

Please see the Dunstable Site Guide and the Letter of Agreement for more details. Airspace briefings can be arranged by contacting the Lead Coach to arrange a mutually convenient time and date. Please do not simply turn up on a flyable day and expect a site briefing, you will not be allowed to fly.

You can download the Airspace Briefing & Letter of Agreement (PDFs) by clicking the buttons below.