Originally Posted by
tobster911
For example,
Flight for one requested with one carry on hold-all (less than 95kg together) from Manchester to anywhere in Kent, as close as possible to the Tonbridge area, ideally Laddingford Aerodome. Departing any time on either the Sunday 7th May or Monday 8th May. Many Thanks!
Now, as a pilot, I may not have any planned flights coming up, and I don't particularly want to post a flight on Wingly as I have nowhere to go, but I do have family in Kent, and I live in Manchester. Now that I've seen that someone else wants to go, maybe I could plan a trip to see my family, and take this person along too as they're willing to split costs. Makes perfect sense.
But you see? This request is problematic already... OK, you have a legitimate reason to wish to fly to Kent. Fine. BUT - a low hour PPL attempting to go into Laddingford? THAT is the first step to an accident waiting to happen. Laddingford isn't an aerodrome, it is an airstrip. Airstrips have all sorts of dangers waiting to catch out the inexperienced pilot. Be it high power lines on final, a substantial amount of sink / wind shear on short final due to local topography...etc... High trees at the end of the runway... Dogs running on the runway... Noise sensitive areas to avoid... etc.. This may make what appeared from the comfort of your chair to be a suitable airstrip such as Laddingford with 750m grass, which originally seemed perfectly within your C152/172/PA28 performance charts, become completely un-usable and actually quite dangerous!
I am pretty sure that it states clearly on the charts that Laddingford must be used by experienced pilots only, due to all these issues.
I am not against these services, I understand their purpose, but I think that their legality is occasionally on the dubious side. Be very wary!
(my 2 cents)