I am Elstree based. The points that make it not the best place to learn to fly are also the points that might make you a pilot that do not afraid of busy environment, it is so busy. Inbound aircraft has priority over a circuit flying one, so if I arrive after a nice day in France you have to aborted your landing and let me in. The reason is NOISE. There is a small group of 'Professional complainers' that do not make life easy, therefore there are restrictions that we all have to follow. Only the flying schools are allowed to fly the circuits (if you can call it as such) all the rest have to leave the circuit and fly 4 miles final so if we have to abort it is another 10-15min in the air. A Navajo owner did it 3-4 times on a busy Sat. afternoon, he was not happy.
Training.
Can be done only by Cabair and Firecrest, both have limitations. Cabair are expansive but have nice fleet, and always have aircraft to give away, you also must be a member of whatever scheme they tell you (Gold, Bronze or whatever). Firecrest are friendly with some good instructors (thinking of Jeff). The aircraft are safe but not pretty, they are also under the thumb of Cabair, they are not permitted to fly more then X number of training flights a day/hour.
Elstree Info.
Can be a bit hard on the pilot, depends who seats in the box. The person that you all refer to is trying his best to keep the temper down. After being inside the control box more than once I can understand him but do not agree with the attitude. On one hand he has the professional complainers on the phone telling him that a jet just flew very low over their house, he answers that this jet is a 747 from LHR does not help, they keep with the subject. Tell them that it was an emergency landing does not help either, Why did he has to fly over my house, he should not. Then, you have the first solo in the air trying to mumble something while at the same time a visiting pilot without a PPR asking for overhead joining (we do not have it). This pilot is where he shouldn’t...the telephone rings again...another professional complainer on the line, at the same time a non based non radio Cessna fly inside the helicopter’s training area at ~100’ forcing all to fly in all directions. I guess that you got the picture. By the way, I did not made it, it is all true.
The airfield as a whole.
Very busy and can be challenging to a pilot that is not used to short runway with obstacles on both sides, sometime I still judge it wrong. The runway has a shape of a stretched 'S', this airfield will demand the best part of you. You will find there tycoons and builders. To gain excess to the aeroclub one has to be a member, otherwise the Café that has recently changed hands, is open to all, and it also became much friendlier. It is not the nicest airfield around and it is not cheap flying from there, you might find better places but you will have to travel. You pay the money…