Fairoaks

[keeders]

Hi there,

I am hoping to fly from Bristol to Fairoaks next week, weather permitting. I would be grateful for any comments / suggestions / advice especially from any locals / regulars.

The part that makes me slightly nervous is being in the LTMA !.

I have had a quick check in Pooleys and will do so again, but any local knowledge woudl be really useful.

Thanks,

Keeders

[Tall_guy_in_a_152]

I am not based at Fairoaks, but fly in from time to time.

To keep things simple i.e. not upsetting Heathrow Approach, I always arrive from the South.

Guildford cathedral is a useful VRP (in the SW corner of the town). I usually make my 1st call to Fairoaks from there to announce my intentions. Routing North from there you will soon have the airfield in sight and can join the circuit however you see fit (or the AFIS/AG suggests). I have only ever landed on R06, so I join crosswind over the numbers of 24 for a left hand circuit. This will keep you well clear of the M25 and M3 and therefore inside the ATZ.

It's a friendly place with a reasonable(ish) landing fee (cannot remember exactly how much) that you pay in the tower.

You can also pop into the Transair shop for a poke about.

I just had a look in my log book and it is 18 months since my last visit. Time flys. Hopefully a Fairoaks regular can 'top-up' or correct my comments above!

TG

[2Donkeys]

I go into Fairoaks occasionally, and what Tall_Guy says is quite true.

First time around, approach from the south; the disused airfield at OCKham VOR is a pretty good visual reference.

Circuits do not need to be excessively tight for airspace reasons, but there are some rather nice houses at various points around the field, and I would imagine that the operators would appreciate it if you could arrange your flight to avoid annoying them too much :D

[PhilD]

Don't forget to be at or under 1400' QFE by the time you cross the railway line at Woking to be in the special rules area, and that a telephone briefing is mandatory for first time visitors.

[AlanM]

The part that makes me slightly nervous is being in the LTMA !.

I guess you mean flying near the LTMA!!

Try and stay out of it - unless you are loaded and don't mind paperwork!

Seriously, speak to TF before you leave as required by the local rules.

For the last bit, give Farnborough LARS a call on 125.25.

Just check your route and the CAS thoroughly and it will be a doddle!

[Hersham Boy]

I've not flown in/out but I used to be local. The locals are mostly loaded and VERY touchy about GA. I'd suggest a call to ascertain circuit procudes and where to avoid overflying - I also believe they have limited movements required as well, so PPR is prob well-received if done initially by phone.

When you fly in sight of Wisley (the closed field with OCK VOR on it), shed a tear for such a marvelous looking expanse of tarmac having fences across it to deter even an emergency landing! :(

Enjoy sunny Surry

Hersh

[Saab Dastard]

Keeders,

Being a local, I can offer the following -

You don't need to enter the class A airspace (London CTR) with a SVFR to get into Fairoaks. The ATZ is Sfc- 1500 feet, and the southern portion of the ATZ is outside the Heathrow zone - it does lie beneath the LTMA (above 2500 feet). So approached from the SW-SE < 2500, you are in class G until within the Fairoaks ATZ. You don't need to speak to Heathrow at all, unless you want to transit to Fairoaks SVFR from the N or W.

Others have already given good advice - PPR, talk to Farnborough LARS, route via Guildford and Ockham. Of course, you can route "British Rail" along the Basingstoke - Woking railwayline, but it is probably easier to come from the South on your first visit.

I suggest that you keep on 125.25 until near Ockham, then call Fairoaks. Ockham is a bright yellow at the moment, whatever the flowers are! There is a very visible light-grey rectangular tower block in Woking that is a useful landmark, too - it helps to pinpoint the railwayline that you need to be at 1400' QFE by. Don't get any lower though, as circuit height is 1000'.

Note that the taxiways have changed, so your Pooleys is probably out of date. If you are landing on 24, no real change, although you may be asked to hold at the new junction before getting clearance to the apron. Landing on 06, you vacate left at the end of the runway as before but then take the first left, rather than continue straight ahead.

I'm not aware of any restrictions on number of movements, but do call the tower for a briefing.

Enjoy your visit.

SD

[Tall_guy_in_a_152]

Heading wildly off topic here, but the yellow flowers around Ockham are probably rape (strange name). I know, because I am strongly allergic to the pollen :{ . The seeds are used to make vegetable oil.

Back on topic,
I don't have a current flight guide to hand, but looking in my '96 Pooleys there is a mention of maximum altitude in the ATZ of 800 ft when Heathrow Rwy 05 is in use for Landings or Rwy 23 for take-offs. I never noticed that before, but then it is a rare event at Heathrow. Presumably Fairoaks R/T would inform you if that was the case.

TG

[Thrifty van Rental]

As a regular user of Heathrow, I can tell you that the runway arrangements have changed a bit!

Time to invest in a new Pooley perhaps? :)

[Tall_guy_in_a_152]

To put your mind at rest, the '96 Pooleys is here by the computer for use with Flight Sim only! The 2003 guide is in my flight bag at work.

I had thought that 09 and 27 were the only runways in use these day at LHR, but late last year I was there (as pax) and several aircraft were lined up to land on 23. Two aircraft, the first a Korean 747, did a go-around and the 'queue' switched back to 27. It was a very stormy evening, but I could not see from the lounge if there had been an incident on any other runway.

TG.

[Warped Factor]

TG in a 152,

I don't have a current flight guide to hand, but looking in my '96 Pooleys there is a mention of maximum altitude in the ATZ of 800 ft when Heathrow Rwy 05 is in use for Landings or Rwy 23 for take-offs. I never noticed that before, but then it is a rare event at Heathrow. Presumably Fairoaks R/T would inform you if that was the case.

05 ceased to exist as a runway a number of years ago, when they built stands on what was the threshold.

23 is only used when the mean southerly crosswind component on the main runways exceeds 25kts. If 23 is in use it's likely that keeders won't be making his trip :)

It makes for an interesting shift when we are using 23 :}

WF.