LBA viewing locations

[HXdave]

hi all,

apart from at the end of the runway, next to the car park by the graveyard, does anyone else have any suggestions for good viewing places around LBA. i must admit, i have had a drive round but with it being almost in the countryside everywhere around the airport seems to be country lanes where it would be inadvisable to park for fear of obstructing other traffic.

many thanks in advance for any help offered here.

HXdave:ok:

[howard2107]

Theres a place opposite the main terminal its a field, you can park but it is rough and i mean very rough.

Access is quite easy, if you are coming from Harrogate direction, pass under runway at the traffic lights turn left (murgatroyds chippy is on the right)the viewing field is just a few yards up on the left.

From Bradford/Leeds turn right at the same lights.

The fish and chips are good as well. Iam in no way associated with murgatroyds.:)

[BYALPHAINDIA]

Otley Chevin is excellent, Especially when R14 is in use.:)

[HXdave]

thanks for the reply guys, but where exactly is Otley Chevin?

will be travelling from bradford way, if that helps.

[scamptonboy]

HXdave,

Another option would be to park up by multiflight cafe which is open to the public and serves tea, coffee and fairly good food albeit a little pricey. Turn off to the right about 100 Yds before the A658 tunnel road as you travel from Yeadon (should be signposted anyhow) under the Rwy.

And directions to otley chevin as follows.
Follow A658 to airport from Rawdon / Yeadon under runway and when you get to the roundabout carry straight on. Travel along the A658 passing the heliport and keep going for about a mile until you get to some traffic lights at a cross road, turn left here. Travel along here"Otley Old Road" for approx 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile and you should see a signpost for the Chevin Lodge and a turn to the left "York Gate Rd" take this left and again travel along here for another mile or so, you will go past the entrance for the Chevinl Lodge and about another 200 or 300 yards along you will come accross the Royalty Pub on your left. Park up here and buy a pint and if Runway 14 is in use for landings then enjoy.:ok::ok::ok:

Scamps

[HXdave]

cheers guys for all your info..........

:ok:

[Yeadon Dam]

The Royalty pub on the Chevin is a good bet on sunny days when runway 32 is in use.

The bench on Victoria Avenue is a belter, especially when it's sunny.

[Leezyjet]

The place that Howard2107 mentioned is locally kinown as the "Bomb Holes". If you follow his directions, but rather than take the first turn on the left at the top of the hill, travel about 1/4 mile further and there is another entrance on the left which is a bit flatter.

If you park along the track down here, and walk towards the airport fence and follow it along, there is a public foot path that runs around the perimeter of the southern side of the airport. If you walk along for a few minutes, you will eventually come to the 32 threshold from where you can stand and watch the a/c.

http://www.airliners.net/photo/-/-/0515264/L/&sok=V0hFUkUgIChwbGFjZSA9ICdMZWVkcyAvIEJyYWRmb3JkIC0gWWVhZG9u IChMQkEgLyBFR05NKScpICBPUkRFUiBCWSBwaG90b19pZCBERVND&tbl=AIRPORT&photo_nr=2&prev_id=0647683&next_id=NEXTID

In the pic in the link, the "bomb holes" is the sandy area behind the Multiflight hangers, just to the left of there you can make out a red/white hut and that is roughly where the path starts. Just where the piano keys are at the 32 end, to the right is a small hedgerow - thats where the path takes you to.

:)

[Flightrider]

From that photo, add met vis down to about 1000 metres RVR and that's about the position in which a Spantax 737 emerged from the murk on finals to 14! After a violent late correction to line up with the runway, I seem to recall that he eventually touched down somewhere between the intersections of 28/10 and 01/19 and disappeared in a huge cloud of spray, last seen hurtling towards the end of 14. It was an approach never forgotten by anyone who had the courage to keep their eyes open at that moment. The aircraft disappeared from view into the murk, but the terminal windows were rattling with the noise of the reverse thrust!

Shortly after LBA ATC had scrambled every fire engine in sight to the end of the runway in anticipation of the worst, the event was crowned by a great exchange from LBA ATC with the pilot, which went something like this:

LBA ATC : Spantax 746, are you still with us?
BX746: Affirmative sir. What time my slot for Spantax 747 to Palma?

One of many events from the Spantax school of flying. Many fine things have fallen by the wayside in aviation over the last 20 years, but Spantax certainly isn't one of them.

[DX Wombat]

The place that Howard2107 mentioned is locally kinown as the "Bomb Holes". The proper name for it is Pine Tree Hill - at least accrding to the local constabulary. ;) on finals to 14! After a violent late correction to line up with the runway, I seem to recall that he eventually touched down somewhere between the intersections of 28/10 and 01/19 and disappeared in a huge cloud of spray, last seen hurtling towards the end of 14.Where was this? EGNM doesn't have a runway 28/10 and, as far as I know, it never did.

[HXdave]

thanks for all the info here guys.

DX Wombat, just 1 quick question.......

The proper name for it is Pine Tree Hill - at least accrding to the local constabulary. ;)

any particular reason it is known by the local constabulary? are you likely to get clamped or questioned? or has it got more of an 'adult' reputation?:\

[HXdave]

in answer to an earlier post, rwy28/10 i think is now just used as a taxiway, however i used to see it in use many years ago. typically, it was the shorts 330's & 360's that you tended to see, but this was many moons ago, probably back to the Capital Airways days or even earlier. if you have a look at google maps, you can still see the 28 / 10 painted on the thresholds, however on the LBA charts it now only shows as taxiway.
:ok:

EDIT:
apparantly, not all verions of google maps show the old runway markings, and recent versions show it converted to a taxiway. however in the ariel photo of LBA above, you can just see the rwy markings on 28/10 with 28 on the right hand side of the picture.:ok:

[BYALPHAINDIA]

Did my Training Landing on R28 mainly, I think I have landed on R10 only the once.

HX DAVE, You are absolutely ok to park on Plane Tree Hill, I have being going up there for over 25 years.

Remember one of the first times I went upon the hill, I took all the 'BackBox' of the exhaust away:ugh::ouch:

You just have to drive very slowly and play - miss the holes.

There was a rumour years ago, That there are chemicals buried under the hill and the field opposite, And the council were talking about digging up the hill.:confused:

And yes it is a local 'meeting place' - after dark as you would expect.

BYAI :ok:

[JB007]

Wow, the memories - nice pic LeezyJet! I used to "scramble" around on a small motorbike on the "Bomb Holes" and never new it was called Pine Tree Hill...never seen a Pine Tree!!!!

Happen to be scrambling when a certain British Airtours L10-11 landed! The silence on the hill was defening...

[HXdave]

BYAI, thanks for the info mate, and also the warning too. good job it's coming upto summer and it's still light on an evening............

wouldn't want to get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time... :uhoh:

[Flightrider]

EGNM doesn't have a runway 28/10 and, as far as I know, it never did.

Right, time for a quick tour through history then! Best if you open the photo in the link above - it's a useful guide.

As far as I know, LBA had three runways in war-time - the main runways being 01/19, 28/10 and an under-developed strip called 15/33. All three are still in existence today and visible in the picture - the main runway (15/33 now 14/32) and the other two as taxiways.

01/19 is the tarmac strip running from lower left to upper right of the picture, intersecting the main runway just after the 32 threshold. Its use as a runway was long since discontinued. It was latterly known as the North/South taxiway and rather restricted in terms of the size of aircraft which it could handle in view of the loading strength of the tarmac. An Aviogenex 727 was told by ATC to keep moving - quickly - after vacating right off Runway 14 onto the North/south to avoid sinking into the tarmac! #

In the top-right hand corner of the picture, the turning pan at the end of Runway 01 can be seen; this was used as a parking lot for snow-clearance vehicles for quite a long time, but also was the temporary parking place for the fleet of Capital Shorts 360s when that airline ceased flying.

28/10 is the tarmac strip running from mid-left to lower right of the picture. It was used as a runway up until around 2004 - primarily for flight training but also for a number of commercial movements given the main runway's propensity for crosswinds. Many a Shorts 360 and a few Air UK F27s used 28 for arrivals in high winds. There was also an occasion when the British Midland / Airways International 1-11-300 which haunted the Heathrow route for a couple of years landed on 28 late one night when operating the BD420 flight up from Heathrow. Its arrival caused great consternation in the Aero Club bar, since most of the occupants were rather worried that dear old G-WLAD would end up stopping alongside someone's Austin Montego in the Aero Club car park. The headwind down 28 was apparently so strong that it stopped in good time, where 28 met the main runway.

In the mid 1960s, 15/33 was developed as the primary runway and it used to be 5,400ft long. If you look back at the linked photo, the runway used to end at the inner marking points after the 14 threshhold, shortly before the bridge which houses the A road passing beneath and the exit to the left (as in this picture) onto the main apron. Some kindly soul decided that a nice big red and white checkerboard was needed at this end of the runway, just to remind you that the end of the runway was approaching fast. Largest aircraft at this time were Britannia's 737-200s (plus the odd Orion and Air Europe ones too), with British Midland Viscounts on the Heathrow run.

The runway extension from 5,400 to its current 7,382ft length was opened in November 1984 with visits from Wardair Canada and British Airways 747s on the same day. At about the same time, the runway was also re-aligned to become 14/32 in view of magnetic shift. British Midland upgraded the Heathrow service to DC9 operation from April 1985 and numerous other large aircraft visits started at around that time. Some forgotten include the JAT 707 and Iberia A300 every Sunday afternoon; others better best forgotten included the British Airtours TriStar every Monday afternoon.

First Concorde visit was Air France in August 1986; never to be seen again at Leeds. BA then took over Concorde's infrequent visits, although the crowning moment of Concorde operations at Leeds (excepting that rather nerve-racking landing on 32 in about 1995) was a particularly lame and very high flypast one Bank Holiday Monday in about 1989 (in the days where BA still permitted such things). The Midland 412 (a DC9-15) following the big white bird up from Heathrow decided that he'd like a go at a flypast, and coolly upstaged Concorde with a rather low and fast beat-up along 32 before landing, for which the pilot was allegedly b****cked rigid after the event. Fine flying though.

And yes, the hill is Plane Tree Hill. Not a pine tree in sight, and I suspect there never was either.

[JB007]

Nice one Flightrider!:ok: I remember it all!!! (Apart from the bit about mid 60's!)

[Yeadon Dam]

You could always sit around Yeadon Dam and watch from there. Ice cream van there most days as well. Good for non-metal bird spotting aswell.

[JB007]

And The Albert is just down the road for a pint of Yorkshire's best!

Is the Tut 'N' Shive still open in Yeadon, bottom of "The Steep"?

Thread Creep sorry! I seem to have turned this into Pub Spotting...

[682ft AMSL]

A couple of pictures to help illustrate Flightrider's great post.

LBA in 1947, taken pretty much from the same spot in the air as the one above
http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=2002821_32288760&DISPLAY=FULL

15/33 under construction : 1964
http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=20051013_91811771&DISPLAY=FULL

My own favourite memory from pre-extension LBA days was the green telephone exchange box at the end of 15. Could stand on that as a 10 year old, look over the fence and be looking straight down the centre line about 25 metres back from the start of the runway. That you had to wait 4 hours between movements did take the shine off of things! Always amused that in these post extension days, aircraft landing on 14 touch down pretty much where they did on 15 due that cursed displaced threshold

[scamptonboy]

682ft AMSL

My own favourite memory from pre-extension LBA days was the green telephone exchange box at the end of 15.


ahh the good old days.....15 departures were the dogs K**B as a youth, especially the B737-2 or 1-11 blast offs. Clinging onto the fence for dear life whilst balancing yourself on the GPO box.

Scamps

[Leezyjet]

Flightrider

I too remember that, except the 60's bits. I remember that BD DC-9 very very well, I was up that footpath I mentioned in an earlier post watching that and I have it on video somewhere at my folks place. I'll have to try and dig it out next time I go home and get it on Utoobe or something.

I also remember seeing a Monarch 757 come in BEFORE the extention was built. At the time it was the biggest a/c to have visited LBA. Got pis of that at my folks place from the terminal building. It is also the first a/c that I can actually remember seeing with 4 wheels on the main gear :8

On a BY 732 flight into LBA as a youngster one very stormy day with lightning all around and the a/c bumping around all over the place. That was back in the days when flying was a real luxury and not that many people did it. The cabin was eerily silent as that little 737 was bouncing around, and as we were about to land, my Dad (who used to fly l/haul regularly back then)shouts out " Don't worry - if it goes wrong there is a cemetary at the end of the runway". :E:O

Once went up to the bomb holes one summer evening with a couple of friends on our bikes, and climbed over the fence to play in that old burnt out wreckage that used to be next to the boundary fence - what a/c was that BTW - any reg/type info ?.

Is the Tut 'N' Shive still open in Yeadon, bottom of "The Steep"?

Rick, last time I in Yeadon, it was still there but was called the "Tut 'N' Shive Too". Was quite innovative back in the day when it first opened with the toilets for seats !!. My neice and her other half now live in Yeadon and frequent "The Aviator" on the High Street, where the cinema used to be. Not been myself yet, but the say it is pretty good and does good food too.

:)

[Mooncrest]

Oh, happy days. I too have many fond memories of perching precariously on the GPO boxes at the end of 15 whilst the 737s revved up for takeoff. Hanging on for dear life was all part of the thrill until the day I WAS blown off the drystone wall across the road by such a departure. I played it a bit safer after that. Occasionally, you'd get some interfering a**e trying to spoil the occasion, usually an airport copper or a particularly nigglesome middle aged member of the public with a few anatomical issues, an annoying tone of voice and a rude patronising manner toward anyone who didn't jump when he commanded. Silly old b*****d. Regulars probably know who I mean.

Strangely enough, the Britannia pilots didn't seem to mind...

I have a few photos of that 757 on its debut. Drew quite a crowd it did. Sad to think it's now on its last season with Monarch. Oh well:{

Oh by the way, recommend avoid the T&S. Just a personal opinion but there are better pubs in Yeadon.

[DX Wombat]

any particular reason it is known by the local constabulary? are you likely to get clamped or questioned? or has it got more of an 'adult' reputation?Sorry I've only just managed to return to this thread. The hill is apparently known officially as Pine Tree Hill and, as someone else has remarked, I have never seen a pine tree, even a dead Christmas tree, there. The Police do Patrol it and certainly keep it under observation as they are trying to stop the idiots who hurtle around it at stupid speeds endangering the lives of those who just want to sit peacefully watching the comings and goings, not to mention causing a noise / fumes nuisance and tearing up what remains of the grass areas. I happen to know about the name becasue I was sitting there one evening using my radio (I have an Amateur Radio Licence) when a Police 4WD hove into view. They had come, amongs other things such as a security check, to try to catch the little perishers on bikes who had been making life a misery for the rest of us. Needless to say the little dears had vanished so they conducted a security check - all very polite, cheerful and good natured. I thought they wanted to speak to me because was using my radio but they hadn't even noticed it! Instead the two or three of us remaining all had official notices handed out to us to say why we had been asked if they could look in the car boot. I was apparently stopped and searched under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. As I said, there was nothing sinister or nasty about it and it has given my friends something to laugh about ever since. Parking and driving is now very restricted up there with an official notice marking the place you are not supposed to venture past in a vehicle.
Flightrider - thank you for the information :ok: You learn something every day. :)

[LN-KGL]

scamptonboy
Another option would be to park up by multiflight cafe which is open to the public and serves tea, coffee and fairly good food albeit a little pricey. Turn off to the right about 100 Yds before the A658 tunnel road as you travel from Yeadon (should be signposted anyhow) under the Rwy.During one of our visit to LBA three years ago or so we left our parked at Multiflight Cafe. We walked back to Victoria Avenue (A658) and continued along the fence in the direction of the tunnel and found a stone bench that was perfect to use to get a view over the fence. At that day runway 32 was used and this is an example of shots that can be taken from that bench.

http://www.plane-spotter.com/Jpegs/EuroTour2005/LBA/G-CELE2.jpg

During our short visit in August 2006 was a different piece of cake. Our team came in from Amsterdam on the evening of the 8th and we all went strait to bed at the nearby Travelodge hotel shortly before midnight. The next morning I woke shortly before seven, and the only noice I could hear was birds singing and the odd police truck whooshing by. Since the telly didn't work on my room I powered up my portable DAB radio and there it was "24 suspected arrested in and around London for an alleged terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives carried on board several airliners travelling from the United Kingdom - and all UK airports closed". All three of us decided not to get near any airport that day, but first had to get some breakfast and fetch our rental car at the airport. It was no waiting time to get a proper English breakfast in one of the airport facilities at LBA, and after breakfast we got our car and headed off for the Heartbeat country. That we made a detour past Linton-on-Ouse on our way up to Goathland and on our way down again paid a short visit to the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington is a whole different story - one time aviation anorak .... :)

If you are interested, I shot some photos out the hotel room window at LBA that morning and have stitched them together to a panoramic view. Here is the link to LBA in silent mode: http://www.plane-spotter.com/Jpegs/EuroTour2006-2/LBA/LBA_panorama.jpg

Kurt

[Flightrider]

I'm 99% sure that the old wreck on the south side was a Vickers Varsity. The only other thing which I think it could have been was an Avro Anson but I think it was a bit big for that. Rumours of G-DASI, the old Air UK shed, taking over the role were grossly exaggerated.

On the subject of being at the end of the runway, does anyone recall the British Island 1-11-500s blasting off 14 to Palma and Mahon every Friday and Saturday afternoon in the Intasun and Arrowsmith days? That was always a good laugh, not least watching it stagger down the valley trying to gain height and leaving Leeds quivering in its wake. That was, of course, after soaking anyone standing near the end of 14 with the de-min water injection at the start of the take-off roll. There were a couple of those who very nearly brought a whole new meaning to the phrase "we've captured the localiser".

[fawcettjones]

The best location for runway 32 landings is just off Scotland Lane. A public footpath leads to the approach light columns and you are perhaps 100' below the aircraft. You also have great photo opportunities at this location. Aircraft can be seen approaching fron the south east over the Leeds district of Cookridge.
From the A 658 (Bradford/Harrogate) roundabout travel beyond the terminal until you get to the "T" junction. Turn right onto Scotland Lane. Be aware that taxis use this route at speed!
Travel aprroximately a mile and you will see a signpost for a public footpath. Park on the left and walk up the hill.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UTF8&q=Leeds+Bradford+Airport,+Yeadon,+Leeds,+UK&ll=53.866523,-1.656919&spn=0.01202,0.026908&t=h&z=15

[ILS32]

If my memory serves me right,the first jet aircraft to land at the LBA was a BAC 111 bringing Leeds United back from a European Fairs Cup game.
I think it was an Aer Lingus Aircraft.

DX Wombat

Yeadon Moor top is known as Plain Tree Hill and not Pine Tree.

ILS32

[BYALPHAINDIA]

Flightrider, Your'e 100% right.

It was a Vickers Varsity that was parked there for years.

I think it finally dissapeared around 1992??

I think the 1st 1-11 was an EI machine??

[Midland 331]

FWIW, I remember a LHR-MME DC9 diverting in there, pre-extension.

Leeds was "out" when other places were open, but, conversely, when fog had closed other airfields, Leeds was high enough to be out of it, and open!

r

[Leezyjet]

fj,

I have to disagree. That spot off Scotland Lane is only ok if you only want to see the bottom of the a/c flying over your head, and very limited side on views but for full side on shots is not very good.

On the Google Map, where it says "Yeadon Moor Road" just off Bayton Lane, this is where you can park to get on the track I mentioned. You can see it if you zoom in, it is along the line of the hedgerow that runs around the peri fence. If you follow the track futher to the end, it will take you past the approach lights (it's the path that is in between the 2 fences at the location you mentioned - that is frustrating as you cannot get onto it from there) and back onto Scotland lane a bit further along from your spot.

:)

[DX Wombat]

Yeadon Moor top is known as Plain Tree Hill and not Pine TreeTrust Plod to give me incorrect info! :)