Visiting Caernarfon

[PAPI 32]

Hopefully if the weather holds tomorrow I'm looking to fly to Caernarfon (EGCK) from Fenland (EGCL) I have been told from many sources it's some of the best scenery in the UK. Does anyone have any advice regarding routing over Snowdonia and negotiating the various airways surrounding Manchester?

[xz0npz]

From Fenland, route between East Midlands and Birmingham, then via SWB VOR (and a LARS) then Hawarden (pronounced "Harden"), then a service from Liverpool and fly up the coast to Llandudno, then direct down the Menai straights with a LARS from Valley.

Alternatively, fly over Snowdonia, but get a LARS from Valley as the fast jets will be flying between the mountains.

Avoid Manchester. They are great and friendly, but it's a long way around....!

Going over the mountains is just wonderful if the cloudbase allows. Perhaps call into Welshpool en route.

Whichever way you go, the flying should be good.

[Rod1]

I would recommend a high degree of caution if you are flying on Friday. The forecast is for quite a strong gusting wind and quite a bit of cloud, not a good combination for visiting that part of the world. Sunday would appear to be a much better bet.

Rod1

[Rob1975]

Visited a good few years ago, went up on a pleasure flight in a DH89a Dragon Rapide :ok: think thats gone to Air Atlantique now though - its got a nice little air museum too:) Caernarfon Airworld Museum (http://www.air-world.co.uk/Museum.htm)

[Heliplane]

I went there a couple of months ago and the scenery is indeed stunning. If you're going over the mountains, go high and watch out for RAF training areas.

Since I first visited (many years ago), they have built a shiny new terminal building. The only negative was the £15 landing fee - seemed slightly high for an uncontrolled airfield at the far rural reaches of the Southern UK chart but it's nonetheless a worthwhile flight.

[Phil Space]

pm me if you are going over the weekend

[englishal]

Don't be tempted to scud run in the valleys. I was there a couple of weeks ago and the cloudbase was about 4000 bkn to about 5500, so I went up to about 7.5k. Much safer up there, better contact with Valley, no granite to hit, out of the trubulence etc....

[IO540]

To plan a VFR flight you get the VFR chart and draw lines on it outside controlled airspace :)

Caernarfon airport and the surrounding scenery is very pretty and well worth the flight. Not a huge amount to see in the city - except the standard (for Wales) hordes of 14 year old pregnant girls pushing prams :)

Pick a nice day and fly straight over the top of all the terrain. Snowdonia is super from above.

Radio contact with Valley is dreadful. One hopes the RAF never has to actually fight a war around here :)

[GearDownFlaps]

IO , not just pushing babies I actually stood in disbelief last week watching said shellsuited single mum of 4 , 14 year old Chantelle jade Beckham Jones actually taking a pxxs in the street , what the hell is the world coming too???.
But yeh Caernarfon is a superb place to fly , if you fancy some cheap circuits nip across the straits to Mona , lovely airfield to visit its about a tenner for as many ccts as you want at weekends