Sodium lead in lights at Woodford, Cheshire in 1966

[Centaurus]

In late 1966 at Woodford, I was an RAAF pilot undergoing an endorsement on G-ARAY an HS 748 demonstrator aircraft. This was in preparation for ferrying two HS 748's to Australia.

I recall doing circuits and landings with test pilot Tony Blackman and the the mist was quite thick making it impossible to see the runway on the downwind leg. Eventually we saw a series of yellow looking lights on the ground which curved around base leg and led to the runway. It was quite eerie following these around with no visible horizon and not seeing the runway until mid final.
After the blue skies of Australia this combined semi IMC and visual flying was quite a novelty.

Were these sodium lights? And were these common at British airfields? Were they installed on both sides of the circuit and did they start half way downwind?

[Davidsoffice]

Probably quite common at aerodromes with a London Road base leg?

[chevvron]

Used to be curved sodium lead-ins to runway 33 at Sumburgh; helped you avoid the lighthouse on top of the cliff on short final. To see Viscounts doing a Spitfire type approach using these made things very interesting.

[FantomZorbin]

I believe it used to be called Drem Lighting. The sodiums were placed every 300' down the left hand side of the runway with, as you say, a 'lead in' to represent the ends of the runway. Sodiums were used as that light had better fog/mist penetrating properties.

The airfield I was at had the lights taken away after the grass cutter chopped the cable into handy 3' lengths with his machine! This was a real downer as the various Messes had to look elsewhere for their summer ball illuminations:E

FZ

RAF Drem - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Drem)

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

There are no such lights at Woodford. I'll go for it possibly being the undocumented 'Lostock Hall Road' approach.

[Wander00]

Bit like landing to the east at Watton - if it was misty it was quite easy to mistake the high street lights for the airfield!

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

Indeed there is no evidence of the sodium lamps now. They were there in the '60s, though. They were in yellow, box like housings. My memory is that they were both sides of the 08 threshold but that could be my hazy memory. As my experience was watching, from Old Hall Lane, G-ARAY doing circuits, I can't say if they were at the 26 end as well.

The man who would remember them in detail is The Vulcan.

[Sir George Cayley]

I think Tapleford Stawney still have some.

SGC