This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'General Aviation during COVID-19'.

From:
[redacted]
To:
[redacted]
Cc:
[redacted]; [redacted]
Subject:
FW: General Aviation during Protection Level 4 
Date:
11 January 2021 10:11:00
Attachments:
RE GA in areas other than England .msg
RE GA in areas other than England .msg
[redacted]
Not sure if this guy forwarded on his e-mail after he got my out of office but would 
you be able to deal with this? The attached is relevant.
Thanks
[redacted]
From: [redacted]@outlook.com> 
Sent: 08 January 2021 17:42
To: [redacted]@transport.gov.scot>
Subject: General Aviation during Protection Level 4
Dear Sir,
I am writing to ask if you could clarify the position on recreational GA flying within Scotland. Our 
community is debating this, and many are interpretating the rules incorrectly.
The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) 
Amendment (No. 10) Regulations 2021. S18 defines examples of a reasonable Excuse (to leave 
the place where the person is living).
S18 (t) states
(to) undertake exercise or recreation—
(i)
outdoors,
(ii)
that starts and ends at the same place, which place must be—
(aa) in the local government area in which that person lives, or
(bb) within 5 miles of such local government area, and (iii) is either undertaken—
(aa) alone, (bb) with members of that person’s household
I trust you would agree that General Aviation is an outdoor recreational activity if not being
undertaken for training or transportation. Therefore, on that basis, would you agree that GA
recreational flying would be acceptable to the legislation and morality of the COVID regulations
if.
a) If we take off and land back at the same airport/airfield without landing away
b) If we live in the same local government area as the airport/airfield (or within 5 miles of
it)
c) We fly solo or with a member of our household.

The potential impact on emergency services is in a multitude lower than other activities such as 
for example cycling where in 2019 over 3,400 people were either killed or seriously injured. In 
GA according to the AVI0401 published on the gov.uk website
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/aviation-statistics-data-tables-avi there 
were 4 deaths, 3 serious and 7 minor injuries.
General Aviation is inherently safer that many other sports, exercise, or recreational activities. It 
is however a recreation that needs a high level of currency to avoid skills erosion and a potential 
increase in accidents.
Our community may be small, but it is a recreational activity that we enjoy and that deprived of 
can have a negative effect on mental health. It is also one of the easiest to ensure compliance 
with COVID transmission limiting measures. You can’t catch COVID very easily at altitude 
enclosed in a cockpit alone or with one other from your household.
I await your response eagerly,
[redacted].
[redacted] MCIIS
UK: ­+44­ (0)[redacted]­
Email/Skype/Teams: [redacted]@outlook.com 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/[redacted]/