Ideal Land-Away for a New PPL

[Information Delta]

Just got my license about 1 month ago. So far I've just been flying in the local area around Manchester (I fly from Barton) and getting used to being on my own.
Last week I got a briefing from my instructor about a flight to Caernarfon. On saturday I flew down to Caernarfon with my mum and dad as the passengers. What a great experience! My first land-away as a PPL.
Now all that training definitely seems worthwhile!
Now that my flights are becoming more structured my confidence is gradually increasing and would like to go to new airfields.
Have you any suggestions of nice airfields that aren't particularly challenging to get to from Barton? I hear Welshpool is nice but difficult to spot. Also Sleap might be an idea. Is there anything worth visiting further North such as Walney Island? All suggestions welcome.

Thanks for reading,:)

Information Delta

[Pilotdom]

Come to Sherburn!

[christimson]

....but not on mondays.

[ab33t]

Try Blackpoole or Half penny green

[Supersport]

Congrats on your PPL...

Carlisle... Nice Flight from Barton, over the Lakes...
Llanbedr... Soon to be open... I think :rolleyes: Nimbys :mad:
Campbelltown... A bit further afield... nice long strip...
Blackpool... Not quite the best field for a quick GA visit, the new FAB lounge / bar should be quite nice though...
Mona... I believe you can fly in there now... Maybe just at weekends?

Never visited Walney Island... but would like to :O

[tmmorris]

Definitely Sleap (pronounced 'Slape' by the way - lots of people get it wrong). Nice food.

Also Tatenhill though they are about to spend lots of money on it. Sherburn is very welcoming - you'll need MATZ penetration to land there, though, as indeed you will at Sleap (give them a ring first in either case and they'll gladly explain the standard procedure).

Tim

[modelman]

Coventry-biased because I'm based there.
Glenforsa Isle Of Mull
Peterborough-Conington
Swansea
Kemble
Derby
Duxford (loads to see)
East Kirkby (see their Lanc)
Shobdon
Sywell

Have fun
MM

[TheGorrilla]

EGLL
KJFK
YSSY
URMM

:\:eek::}:E:E:E

No, seriously Glenforsa is very nice.

[Shunter]

Glenforsa is indeed very nice, but perhaps it's worth considering consolidating your PPL skills and building up gradually to the longer trips.

EGLL
KJFK
YSSY
URMMI fed that through babelfish and it replied...

Pretentious, elitest bollocks from private flying forum quoting ICAO codes that the majority of pilots are clueless to identify. The txt speak of the GA world.

And yes, I know you were joking. Pity others don't get the message, forcing most readers to flick to google to find out what the hell they're on about.

[matspart3]

Gloucester (EGBJ!!) I'll buy the cakes!:ok:

[eugegall]

probly not very usefal! but 1 week after i had my licence i flew from fairoaks to le touquet. then from le touquet to dieppe. i really enjoy the challenge and i have already learnt so much!

[vanHorck]

When i got my PPL at Norwich, together with 2 other very fresh PPL's we convinced our preferred hours building instructor (Ed Chapman where are you!?) to start off with a mini tour of Europe...... Norwich- Rotterdam- Brussels (grass now closed) Dahlemer Binz Germany- Luxemburg international - Charleville (France) - Rotterdam - Norwich in 4 days......

It was...... Majestic ! And i never looked back! So i would say, immerse yourself!

Good luck!

[TheGorrilla]

Yup!!!

EGLL - Big zone near Slough, best avoided to keep ones licence intact.
KJFK - Best avoided if you want to stay alive (i.e. not be shot down by overzealous yanks in F15s that think you may only know how to turn and descend your aeroplane)
YSSY - Bit far in a Pa28 unless you're really keen on opera.
URMM - Middle of nowhere. Worth going there on a fly-out if you're really trying to hide from someone and you're fluent in Russian.

That should save you the effort.

[lauchiemb]

Why do you some of us insist on using ICAO codes rather than airfield names. It makes you look like a pratt and does noting to dispel the myth that most of us are a bunch of idiotic geeks.

I know about five ICAO codes bt heart, the rest I have to look up in my book every time. It is not helpful nor clever.

[Whirlybird]

Welshpool really isn't that hard to find...

After going through the low level corridor (I assume that's your route) head for Oswestry...biggish town with a north-south bypass, so easy to identify.

Follow the road south to Welshpool town...only town in the area, so hard to miss.

Welshpool Airfield is two miles south of the town. The runway is more or less north-south (04/22) so easy to spot from that direction. Coming from the East or West it's hard to find. I think it also used to have an NDB, or am I remembering wrong, or is that gone?

Nice place, shortish narrowish runway..but I forgot, you fly from Barton, so no problem. :ok:

[gingernut]

Tattenhill's nice and friendly, with the added bonus of a bloomin' big resevoir with a road going over it to lead the way:)

How's things at Barton, havn't flown since I got a mortgage?:ugh::*

[Them thar hills]

ID

How about Bagby / Full Sutton / Sherburn.
Painless, the odd matz to talk to, and maybe Leeds.

Make your own tea at Full Sutton, just how you like it.

Not much radio work in any of this, if that's what you like.
And some very nice scenery coming east over the Dales.

Today looks good so far !

(ps chuck a few tea bags and a small bottle of milk in the back !!)

:)

TTH

[Whirlybird]

Why do you some of us insist on using ICAO codes rather than airfield names.

I agree. Since it means I have to look up where these places really are, and I rarely have the time, it means I tend to ignore the relevant thread/post. And I bet I'm not the only one! Straightforward names of airfields, please!

[Information Delta]

"How's things at Barton, havn't flown since I got a mortgage?:ugh::*"

Barton's great at the minute. Some nice new aircraft there now. Friendly FISO's and a great atmosphere especially on a warm summer day. BBQ's outside the clubhouse etc, great stuff!

Thanks for all your suggestions guys. I think I might try Welshpool as my next trip. Been to Blackpool and Half-penny green on my QXC but I think they're worth a return trip! Carlisle also sounds interesting.

Thanks once again:)

Information Delta

[Localiser]

Yes, Shobdon is a nice spot. Worth a look and when I last went (admittedly about 15 years ago) it had a great cafe too. Should be a nice trip from your part of the country too...

Good luck

[TheGorrilla]

Because they wind you lot up when you don't know what I'm talking about. You only need look at the first 2 letters to realise all but one of those airfields isn't in the Uk and the one that is is a rediculous suggestion for a ppl land-away.

Lets face it who fancies going to MINERALNYYE VODY or has a clue where it is anyway.

Chaps, if you have a dig at me for putting 4 letter codes on here I think it's because you didn't get the gist of my post. Chill out!!

[tmmorris]

While I'm on pronunciations Tatenhill is pronounced 'tate-uhn-hill' not 'tattenhill' - the mis-spelling above suggests some people think otherwise, and I've heard it on the radio, too.

Tim (former Burton on Trent resident!)

[TotalBeginner]

As you mention pronunciation, may I ask how you pronounce these? I've been too embarrassed to ask before... :O:O

Hawarden
Caernarfon
Haverfordwest
Turweston

[Whirlybird]

Hawarden - pronounced "Harden"
Caernarfon - Pronounced Cire (rhymes with hire) - nar - von
Haverfordwest - pronounced as it looks - haver-ford-west
Turweston - ditto, I think - ter-west-on

Hope that helps rather than confuses!

And Sleap is pronounced Slape

[TotalBeginner]

Cire as in Kire or Chire (like cello)?

Sorry I haven't got a clue about Welsh :O:O

[Them thar hills]

So if there was an airfield at Slaithwaite ?? (there nearly is !)
The beeb are lost with that one.
:)

[Whirlybird]

Cire as in Kire, sorry!!!

[Windy Militant]

Haverfordwest - pronounced as it looks - haver-ford-west

Or if your a local, Hafford or Withybush or if your brave Hwlffordd
(How do I say that) (http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/livinginwales/sites/howdoisay/alphabet/) Pronounced h-wul-forth.

If you're going that far south you could drop in on Blaenannerch or rather West Wales international at Aberporth.
Shobden's nice and there's a good caff and a small museum at Wellesbourne Mountford if you don't want too much tounge twisting. ;)

[MeiklePap]

When I first got my ppl the first away visits were close to home and within my comfort zone. Now after several years its the time rather than the challenge that Im up against.

Start slowly and build up your experience and if in any doubt get someone who`s been before or an instructor to come with you.

Every time I did a check flight or conversion on to a new type I would try and take in a new airfield and benefit from having an instructor with me, especially as I was paying for him anyway.

[Sam-MAN]

I haven't even flown in a light aircraft yet but...

There is a small parachute airfield in the south lakes called Cark Airfield. Spent many happy hours/days there when we had the caravan next to the airfield :ok: Friendliest people you could ever meet there, they really are. I'd advise a trip up there if possible! Stop off for a bit, have a coffee and a chat ;)

Sam

PS - I think it is quite hard to arrange a flight into there due to all the meat bombers, but I'm not sure :ok:

[jaycee58]

Come to East Anglia...from the north you can fly over Cley (say Cly), and maybe follow the coast to Happisburgh (haysburra), or go inland over Costessey (Cossy) and Wymondham (Windum) and you'll find Old Buckenham airfield close to the TV mast at Talcolneston (Tackleston) or drop into my home airfield at Beccles which is actually at Ellough (Ella) or go south and land at Monewdon (monnadun)! On the way you'll pass the disused airfield at Debach, and I have no idea how that is supposed to be pronouned :bored: (but I think it's Debbitch)!

[igarratt]

replied as to tag the thread as lots of kewl routes to play with.:ok:

Def sleap, the airfield is great, the club house friendly, cheap and the cafe does great food while your watching the traffic.

If you want to try a bit more of a challenge try Coventry, ye, bir and east mids to play with. Read UKGA for tips, no PPR, aviation club will handle you, feed you, show you the billion old timers there, fuel you up and brief you on the local airspace, top GA airfield.

Also moving to Barton from Liverpool, poss looking for a share in a 28, drop me a pm if you fancy meeting up in the club for a pint.

have fun