East Kirkby

[Croqueteer]

:ok:Just back from East Kirkby to see the Lancaster taxi. Very impressed with everything. Cheerful welcome, beautifully kept site, lots of interesting exhibits, and of course the Lanc. First rate NAAFI. Thanks to all the staff. A visit would not dissapoint and they deserve support.

[Sir George Cayley]

Did you fly in or visit by car?

Sir George Cayley

[mmitch]

I was amazed to find out that the Lancaster taxi rides are booked up until next year!
mmitch.

[Croqueteer]

:)I flew in, no problems, they have a huge area of smooth grass, about 600mtrs, but an extra 360mts concrete as well. £10 to the runway maintainance fund and £6 for the museum. Conningsby were very helpful. Check with their website for PPR.

[Echo Romeo]

Yep I concur, its a nice place to visit,especially by air, it has a certain kind of ambience, maybe thats because its the only place other than Coningsby you can experience a working Lanc :ok:

[manix-cs]

I flew in there last year, excellent reception and well worth visit.

[Mark 1]

East meets West there. You cross the prime meridian on landing.

[vintage ATCO]

RAFBF Air Display on August 6th. Yours truly manning the wireless. PPR essential.

[flybymike]

Never flown in although often had a hankering to do so. Looking at the photos and flight guides etc, I have always been a little baffled about the landing area, and the confusion as to where exactly the runway is located, whether it is grass or concrete or both etc. Is it clearly marked?

[Flyingmac]

http://www.pprune.org/library/flying_into_east_kirkby.jpgFlying in to East Kirkby - Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre (http://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/flying-in-to-east-kirkby/)

[flybymike]

Thanks for that FM. Is the runway actually marked out with numbers and the orientation clearly visible from the air?

[Croqueteer]

:ok:There's a day-glo marker in the hedge at either end, other than that it is a big old fashioned area of well cut grass. No runway side or centre markings.

[flybymike]

Ah thanks. Looks like they found a use for hi viz jackets after all.

[Pudnucker]

I flew in there recently on a tour with 8 other a/c. Awesome place. LOTS of sink over the trees on v.short final but otherwise great. Very relaxed people run it. Highly recommended!

[flybymike]

Which end of said "runway" are the trees on?

[Johnm]

Took an elderly lady Spitfire pilot there for project propellor, very good day out.

[stickandrudderman]

Didn't I see a news article recently about that Lanc becoming airworthy again?

[Fake Sealion]

I've flown in twice. The trees are at the western boundary, also a small lake -see google earth. Sink/rough air may be encountered here late final for a 06ish landing.
Just to emphasise, it is one big smooth grass field so runway direction is at pilots discretion with reference to wind & obstacles but most take a sort of 24/06 take on it, hence the orange market boards. I didn't need the concrete area so cant comment on its condition.

Well worth a visit. The place has atmosphere. With a resident ghost apparently:eek:

[flybymike]

Thanks Sea Lion. Very helpful.

[Diddley Dee]

VA

Looked at the 6th Aug event on their website but it is prebooked tickets only, if we were to obtain PPR would that negate the need to buy tickets for the event in advance?
TVM

DD (Moli)

[flybymike]

One has to wonder what the difference is between booked tickets and prebooked tickets..;)

[billiboing]

A little while since I flew in there but the only thing I would suggest that you guys watch is that the old hard runway to the EAST of the grass and concrete strip is still used by T21 open cockpit motorgliders who tow the gliders off the ground upto about 300ft from which they power away from. The hangar at the east end of the runway houses these Sedburgh T21 Motorgliders. Can be a little disconcerting to get chopped in half by an autotow wire. ( can be seen on google earth). The main runway was however in very good condition.

There was also a BA training captain doing low level loops in a microlight (YES- a microlight) last time. He has a little strip not far away from East Kirkby as well and is a friend of the farmer who owns the hard tarmac runway. He also had a L Spatz glider which he autotowed out of East Kirkby!.

So with Coningsby, gliders, motorgliders, low level aerobatic microlights plus the lanc- plenty to see and WATCH out for!



Still it is lincolnshire!

[EGBM]

Yep great place to visit - I also went on the 11th, a little strange to someone used to marked-out runways to find a landing square, but great nonetheless. As said, lovely and smooth to land on, and a superb place to visit. Definitely recommended.

Oh and if you've flown in you get a free cuppa!

[vintage ATCO]

RAFBF 6 Aug . . . .

Sorry, know nowt about tickets, best give 'em a ring.
I deal strictly with planes, me . . . ;) :) :)

[Flyingmac]

I got this email back from E Kirkby re August 6th. I'm afraid I won't be laying out £52 in the hope that the weather plays ball.-

You would need to buy tickets in advance I'm afraid, they are £13.00 adults.
The landing fee is £10.00 per aircraft.
I will also need the details of your aircraft and the expected time of
arrival.

Kind Regards,

Andrew Panton
Lincs Aviation Heritage Centre
East Kirkby
Spilsby
Lincs
PE23 4DE

01790 763207