Coventry

[Aussie Andy]

Flew into Coventry for the first time yesterday - have to say what a surpirisingly good destination I found it to be: nicely busy, and with plenty of interesting a/c such as the Air Atlantique fleet of DC-3, DC-6 and goodness knows what else, and other a/c as well such as a wonderful looking Shackleton (presumably associated with the museum), and more!

Special thanks to the GA terminal - very nice, comfortably and with an excellent welcome from the great chap that was on shift there: really made us feel at home! (Thanks Patrick!)

We will certainly be back - next time will plan for time to see the museum!

Cheers,


Andy

[S-Works]

couldn't agree more. Coventry have gone from being quite unfriendly to the exact opposite. The new GA terminal is great and your'e right the guy who runs the receptions there is incredible, could not do enough to help us.

Landing fees are very reasonable for the level of service provided.

Air traffic are very accomodating. There R23 ILS is U/S at the moment, looks like it will need completely replacing so they were happy to arrange a slot for me to do the ILS05.

I think a few of the other "big" airfields should take a look at Coventry and realise that it is quite easy to integrate the profitable GA traffic with everything else.

[Aussie Andy]

bose-x: interesting about the ILS... the reason we went up there in the first place was for my mate to do some practice ILS with me as safety pilot... but even though we saw the NOTAM we thought we'd go anyway and do the practice on the way home at Benson instead, so I flew up there VFR and he flew back. We wondered whether the ILS outage was planned maintenance but apparently not from what you say!

But surely such a busy place will get that sorted before long?

Cheers,

Andy

[vintage ATCO]

profitable GA traffic
:confused: :confused: :confused:


:D :D :D

[S-Works]

There is no reason why GA traffic should not be profitable for a commercial airfield to accept. Provide good facilities and friendly staff and charge a fair landing fee and people will come and visit. Coventry shunned GA traffic for a long time with a desire to be the "new" Heathrow. Now it looks like they have realised that we can all play together nicely and are making positive efforts to make the experiance enjoyable!

I have certainly added it to my regular visit list!

I just hope it does not take them to long to get the ILS sorted on 23!!!

B-X

[High Wing Drifter]

Coventry would be the complete GA solution if it had a Cafe to compliment the environs and otherwise superb facilities.

[vintage ATCO]

There is no reason why GA traffic should not be profitable for a commercial airfield to accept. Provide good facilities and friendly staff and charge a fair landing fee and people will come and visit.

Interesting. Good facilities and friendly staff cost. So, your fair landing fee would be . . . . ?

I've often asked this question on forums and mailing lists, don't get too many replies!


VA :D

[rotorcraig]

I flew an R22 into Coventry a couple of weeks ago, and agree with all that it's a great place to visit! ATC and GA Terminal were both very helpful / friendly.

Landing fee was something bizarre like £9.78 ... computer generated total of ATC / Approach / Landing / Handling fees.

I generally expect to pay £5 at a small field with little / no facilities, £10 at a larger field with decent facilities ... don't remember being asked for more recently.

RC

[redsnail]

Cov's rwy 23 ILS has been out for weeks. Keeps it interesting doing a full procedural NDB/DME app at 0430....

Apparently the bean counters are discussing it....

[S-Works]

I thought it had been out for awhile, everytime I went past it was radiating TST and now it has gone silent. Did the NDB procedure yesterday as a direct arrival from DTY. Keeps you focused!

I do hope they get the ILS sorted soon.

Vintage: In answer to your question, I am happy at around £5-7 for a basic grass airfield and around £12-15 at a decent airfield with hard runway and an approach. When taking the twin in I expect to pay a little more. As an example, Guernsey is a regular destination for me and a weekends landing, parking and using the ILS rarely costs me more than 20 quid. Guernsey is a truly fantastic field.

I paid around a tenner (need to dig out the reciept) for my last landing at Coventry which is based on A/C weight. I think that for the facilities there it is very good value for money.

It is when you turn upto places like cranfield that has little to offer and pay close on £20 in a single that I don't think it is a fair fee. I took the twin there recently and got hammered for 40 quid!

[Ludwig]

It would be interesting find out what a fair landing fee might be from both sides of the fence. One would need to discount the views of airfields that what to price out GA for whatever reason at the top end of the spectrum, and the tight fisted GA pilot who resents any type of landing fee at the other. How would one price the "right" price, especially where taking Coventry as an example, they are open anyway and the facilities are there anyway; what is the marginal cost of say a Cessna 172 landing there, plus a reasonable level of profit. Any operators care to venture an opinion?

On the flip side, what do we as pilots have to gauge reasonableness of cost. A days car parking in London, what £30?

It does occur to me however you look at it, anyone charging say £10 for a decent tarmac place like Coventry, is probably cheap; it probably cost them getting on for that just to administer the rendering of the invoice, especially if one pays by credit card.

What do we as a GA community think, as a nationally excepted landing charge might not be a bad thing - perhaps.


:cool:

[Skypartners]

We at Skypartners have been working our xxxxx off to get Coventry back on the GA map - looks like we're winning! Thanks for your kind comments. Do come visit again soon.

p/s we've had a coffee shop (open 7 days a week) since July and it's in the GA terminal. Hot food available mornings Monday to Friday. Maybe you last visited before then High Wing? Come on down soon and we'll buy you one of our delicious coffees. (Marc, Emma and Patrick from Skypartners)

[Aussie Andy]

I enjoyed the little coffee shop - the sandwiches were pretty fresh (more vegetarian choice would be even better ;) )

Andy

[Flyin'Dutch']

SP,

Wandered through the terminal yesterday and was impressed with the facilities.

What is the landing fee for singles under 2 tonnes?

FD

[DRJAD]

I, too, flew in to Coventry recently (27/10) with the ILS u/s, so visual.

Couldn't praise it too highly, though: really helpful ATC, and the welcome at the GA Terminal was great. It was such a surprise to be welcomed on the apron, and shown where everything was, rather than having to try to find everything.

Would be nice if the ILS for 23 is working again soon, but in the meantime Coventry should certainly feature as a good place to visit.

It was a particularly good feeling to make the approach to 23, along the bypass, seeing the traffic queuing below! (I often have had to drive to my company's office in Warwick, and that traffic towards the end of a long journey from North Yorkshire is vile.) Nice to think that Coventry will make the prospect of replacing the car journey with a flight feasible.

[pilotwolf]

Sounds damn good value to me...

Redhill is £15.45 upto 1500kgs fixed wing and £17.77 for single engine helicopters, plus VAT.

No hard runway, no terminal as such and discovered this PM that there's no cafe anymore...

[Blind lemon]

High Wing Drifter

You could try the pub 'The Oak' next door. Does good food too , well it used to.

:ok:

[MikeeB]

If any Sherburn peeps who post on here fancy a trip to Coventry, I'd love to sort something out.

I have relations nearby, so I'd like to do a dry run (or two etc.) with another pilot before taking the family down for the day next year.

Only passed my test a few months back, so looking to build up some experience !!!!

Cheers

-
Mikee

[Aussie Andy]

Good for you Mikee - that's the right approach / good attitude with a fresh-minted license, and so I hope your Sherburn colleagues take you up on it! Remember that not everyone reads PPRuNe though (buty it seesm like they do sometimes!) so maybe you should put a notice up in your clubhouse?

Best,


Andy

[MikeeB]

I go to the "social" nights when I can, and also have my name on the notice board. I might put something a bit more specific up to see if that raises any interest and mention it at the next get together.

[DRJAD]

MikeeB,

Happy to fly to Cov. again - perhaps you'd check your PMs, and we'll sort something out?

[knobbygb]

MikeeB, I've been to Coventry before from Sherburn and I'd be happy to go down with you sometime if DD can't make it.

Just checked the invoice, and earlier this year it cost £17.91 for a Pa28 which I thought was a little steep (the most I've ever paid). I didn't use any of the facilities (except the runway etc. ;) ) but that's my fault. My main memory is of a very efficient ATC dealing well with a busy little circuit in crap viz. - the only time I've ever had a 'land after' clearance.

[PhilD]

pilotwolf

I flew in to Redhill for the first time this year, on a Saturday. I remarked to the bloke in the tower that it was very quiet, he agreed and told me that they were trying to encourage more GA traffic.

He then handed me a bill for over £15 landing fee.....

So..grass runways, no cafe, no instrument approach, no nothing. I'm not surprised hardly anyone goes there.

[DRJAD]

KnobbyGB,

Similar charge for me a few weeks ago - didn't seem too steep at the time considering the welcome and facilities.

Perhaps (MikeeB & KnobbyGB) we should look at planning at three leg journey? EGCJ - EGBE - ???? - EGCJ

D.

[MikeeB]

:)

Another journey I would like to do next year is Goodwood. I know a guy who works there. Does all the trackdays etc. around the race track so hopefully I can fly in one day, and blag a ride in a fast car or two ;)

Basically any experience at all will be great for me !!!!

Things as simple as listening to people talk on the radio are a great help. You get to know what to expect, and what to say back. (I talked to Leeming or Linton for the first time on Saturday)

Landing at other airfields.

Tips on navigation.

They are all things that I wish to build on.

Regards

-
Mike

[High Wing Drifter]

Blind Lemon

[QUOTE]You could try the pub 'The Oak' next door. Does good food too , well it used to.[/QUPTE]

I didn't think of that, made do with the coffee machine in the corner :O

[MikeSamuel]

Would recommend the short (10 minute) walk to The Mill if you are planning on having a meal - It's a good place to eat, drink and be merry...

If any of you are planning to fly-in and want to come over the Christmas period let me know and I'll show you around! Maybe we could make a fly-in of it - after all we've had a load of Cov Bashes with very little actual flying taking place!!!

The Ibis hotel room parties were quite interesting though...

:cool:

[DOC.400]

COV is one of UK's best kept secrets!! Ironically my boys were shown a computor to play on Flight Sim when last there!!

Can only echo the comments of those above.

Ask to taxi to Kilo for the museum, take some ID or landing fee slip and you can (used to be able to!) go thru a security barrier and turn right for the museum -well worth it on an open cockpit day where a guide will show you around.

MikeeB: Will be driving at Goodwood Monday April 12th next year if you want to make a trip of it.

-see:

http://www.wraysburytyres.co.uk/pages.phtml?CAT=15&ID=27&UID=

for the beast.....

DOC

[Skypartners]

Sadly not anymore due to post 9/11 security upgrade. When you visit park up on the main apron and come into the General Aviation Terminal. Bring a high vis and some ID and you can take the short cut to the museum via airside after booking in.

[DOC.400]

Tks for the update Sky, did seem too easy!! -legs it is then!!

DOC

[Flyer Flier]

I really have to add my recommendation to anyone considering a day trip out to Coventry. It is so typical that having driven past the museum so many times over the last few years on my way to fly at Aerotech, I never found time to visit the museum til this summer. What a superb and interesting amount of exhibits they have, well worth a visit. So my tip is to fly down and combine a tour round the air museum with a lunch at the Old Mill. Can't go wrong for a great day out.
Cheers
FF:ok:

[SlipSlider]

from Coventry airport website: "No aircraft built prior to 1960, not flying a public transport flight, will be required to pay a landing fee." Really? no catch? :D if so, a 'must do' on the list for next year.

Slip

[MikeSamuel]

A thread almost identical to this has been running on the Flyer forums. Maybe we can get the two groups of forum users together and have a fly-in next year sometime. The place is certainly big enough, and I'm sure Skypartners would join me in welcoming you and showing you around!

The museum is definitely worth a visit - so how's about it?

[DOC.400]

"a fly-in next year"

LOL -I wondered who'd be first to suggest this!!

We know where, now the question is, when???

DOC

[Skypartners]

You took the words right out of my mouth! Someone choose a date and we'll arrange a) a tour of the Air Atlantique classic fleet, b) a landing deal and for those wishing to make a weekend of it free overnight parking and some good local accomodation rates.

[DOC.400]

Sky -you star!! Well up for this as long as it doesn't clash with half-term end of Feb or Easter hols or August!!

DOC