Hucknall, you're all invited!!

[Flyboynick]

HUCKNALL AIRFIELD, NOTTINGHAM
SATURDAY 21st AUGUST 2004
PFA ROBIN HOOD FLY IN

Everyone welcome, Free Landings, Aerial competitions, Food and refreshments available, Stalls and displays, Camping available overnight with a barbicue. Avia Special Antonov 2 in attendance.

Please come and support a great established fly in at a cracking airfield.

If we get enough support how about a PPRUNE gathering at the base of the windsock at 13:00 I'd like to put some faces to some of those usernames!!

Hope to see as many of you there as possible on the 21st.

Happy Landings

Nick

[javelin]

Jav will be there in my Champ !

[squawking 7700]

I'll fly in on me pushbike since I live less than 2 miles from Hucknall.

Will the AN-2 be available for instructed flights? It'd be a good 'un to get in the logbook.

7700

[S-Works]

its a petty they seem to be so uninviting the rest of the time. I have been trying to fly in there for 2 years and everytime I have called have been made to feel unwelcome so did not bother to go and we ony live 30 mins away!

Any reason for this?

[DubTrub]

Mr X:

They are not at all uninviting...perhaps your means of asking is not fully understood.

Hucknall is a very welcoming grass-roots field.

DT

[QNH 1013]

Thats not been my experience at all bose-x. I have flown in many times and always felt welcome. I am assuming you realise it is only open at weekends for visitors because of the RR engine tests that are carried out during the week.
Hucknall has two long grass runways and they don't charge a landing fee. That is pretty welcoming to me.
Looking forward to the fly-in.

[S-Works]

What is it with these forums that one someone publishes a personal experiance as a question everyone feels the need to either accuse the writer of either asking "incorrectly" or convincing them they are wrong. I find it offensive that I "may have asked the wrong way", I am perfectly capable of asking politely for PPR and airfield details. A couple of thousand trips requiring PPR have given me some practice.

For the record both myselrf, my wife and my friend have all made the phone call and on each occassion have been told that they are not really keen on visitors. Yes I understand that it is only open on a weekend.

Like I said this is from personal experiance to date. However I will try again for the fly-in.

[QNH 1013]

Hang on a minute, I'm certainly not trying to convince you that you're wrong. All I was doing was giving my personal experiences which seem to differ from yours.

I don't see why you think it is wrong for me to post different personal experiences (i.e. good) of Hucknall.

Looking forward to the fly in, but not sure what I will be taking.

[TonyR]

I would love to come to the fly-in if I can fit it in.

I did phone Hucknall about a year ago as I had some business nearby but was told in no uncertain terms that they did not accept visitors. I even got the company I was going to see to phone and they were told the same (they are about 1 mile from the airfield).

I wanted to land on a Friday and depart Sunday, I went to East Mid instead and took a hire car.

Tony

[Rod1]

Tony,

You will never get permission to fly in on a Friday. The airfield is only open to visitors on Saturday and Sunday as it is used for RR engine tests.

Rod1

[TonyR]

That was not explained to me at the time and I would have been landing in the late afternoon.

Anyway I'll do my best to get to the fly-in

Tony

[Brooklands]

Tony,

Just out of interest why didn't you go to the 'real' Nottinham airport (Tollerton), it would be a bit further from you client than Hucknall, but a lot better the East Midlands (which now likes to think its Nottingham airport).

Brooklands

[Flyboynick]

Thanks everybody for your interest. Regarding the airfield I'm not a member of the Merlin Flying Club who operate the field just an East Midland Strut member. I've always had a very pleasant reception from the club when I've visited. The problem with the field is that Engine test bed that exists at the centre of the field is used for testing jet engines at max rpm for long periods and sometimes up to destruction. The position of this to both runways would cause a very interesting crosswind. The merlin flying club do operate some of their aircraft during weekdays but only after they have cleared it all with the Rolls Royce test crew this is the reason for no visitors Mon-Fri. Sat and Sunday no problem. But I'll reiterate that you'll be warmly welcomed on Sat 21st Aug when the test bed will definately be turned off!!!!

Squawking 7700 check your pms regarding the AN2

Nick

[Mark 1]

Just to re-iterate a few things.
I am a member of the club at Hucknall, and have been for nearly 25 years.

We encourage visitors on Saturday and Sunday. There is a landing fee now - £3 unless you have a reciprocal arrangement - and it does include a free cuppa for all on board.

PPR is still required at weekends (can be on the R/T) as engine testing can occasionally (rarely) take place at the weekend. If you saw 'Top Gear' on Sunday, you'd know not to go behind a 90,000lb thrust engine at full power.

Use during the week is restricted to club members, after first checking with the Rolls-Royce test facility and security.
The introduction of a landing fee was to defray some of the cost of maintaining the aerodrome licence, which is otherwise maintained purely at the effort and expense of the (non-profit making) club members.

It's a popular event and I hope to see lots of you there. Why not have a go at the balloon bursting, let's see who's really 'Top Gun'.

[TonyR]

Just out of interest why didn't you go to the 'real' Nottinham airport (Tollerton)

Because I was gettting the runaround for a hire car

The company would have picked me up there but I wanted to visit some friends and make a weekend out of it, so East Mid was the best option

[Flyboynick]

Sorry to hear about it TonyR. Look forward to meeting you on the 21st. we should have an excellent turnout as long as the weather improves.

Nick

[Flyboynick]

Hi everybody,

Its now only 1 week to go to our fly in at Hucknall. There's a few of the East Midland Ppruners hoping to meet up with you all.
We've got plenty to keep to busy in the air and on the ground. The airfield is open from 10am till late with two nice long grass runways and there's a warm welcome to anybody that can make it in by air or car.

See you all on Saturday 21st at EGNA

Nick

[Flyboynick]

I've seen the forecast for Saturday 21st August 2004 and our praying to the weathergods has paid off. All we need now is ppruners and their aircraft. This is my last nag. A warm welcome will be given to you all. We've got two lovely smooth grass runways both in excess of 700 metres. Look forward to meeting all you ppruners at 13:00 under the windsock!!

Nick

[Rallye Driver]

Flew the Arrer in today for a most enjoyable afternoon. Some interesting aircraft attending, shame we didn't identify any other Pruners. :{

Thanks to all the Hucknall team for a very slick service despite aircraft popping up from everywhere.

Great to see the Rolls Royce Spitfire do a display too.

An interesting flight inbound, with gliding competitions, aerobatic competitions and the Red Arrows to avoid en route. :}

Hope to be back again next year.

RD :ok:

[Flyboynick]

Well what can I say. I called this thread Hucknall you're all invited and you came!!!. Can I thank you all for attending we had over 160 aircraft and came very close to running out of parking areas!!. (We'll mow some more for next year). The event raised over £500 for Cancer Research UK so I've had a very heartfelt thank you from them. I had some very positive comments and as Rallye Driver says its a shame we didn't identify the PPRUNERS but I never got back from the marshalling to sort it out.
Anyway thanks again and lets all meet up again for The Robin Hood Fly In again next year, hopefully the same time (the Saturday preceeding the August Bank holiday for your diaries) watch this space!!.

Thanks very much

Nick

[oscarmike]

Hi Nick

This was my first ever fly-in, and what a great experience!

Loads of interesting aircraft to look at , and the display by the Spitfire was a very unexpected treat!

Thanks to all concerned.

Regards

OM

:ok: