Airfield hopping Pennines trip.

[Whirlybird]

Monday's weather looks good, so the other half of the C150 group and I are planning a full day of airfield hopping over the Pennines. We'll be leaving from Sleap, and the tentative plan at the moment is Sleap - Huddersfield - Sandtoft - Hucknall (if open) - Sleap.

What are these airfields like, and is there anything we should know about them? Is there anywhere else nice to go? Who has good food? I've been to Sherburn and Nottingham, and much as I like both of them, I want to go to new places. But nowhere with runways of less than about 650m please; we're a little dubious about talking off in KF two-up in light winds on short runways. :eek:

[maggioneato]

Visited Sandtoft end of July, certainly would go there again, plenty of tarmac, food, friendly. Have you thought about nipping in to Sheffield as well, phone first for the first visit procedures. Hucknall hav'nt been to recently, it's down as being closed Mon-Fri. Have fun.

[DX Wombat]

Whirly, I've got a day off that day too. :) Do you fancy meeting up for lunch somewhere? I'll send you an email/pm with my telephone numbers. :ok:

[Whirlybird]

maggioneato,

Thinking about Sheffield, but prefer small places on the whole. Sandtoft's had a few recommendations; sounds like a good lunchstop. Hucknall is indeed closed; I just phoned them to check. :( Might go to Nottingham instead; been there, but it's nice.

DX Wombat,

Read your pm before your post, and wondered what it was about! I'll have to check the weather, and talk to Paul, but maybe we could meet at Sandtoft. In fact, if anyone else wants to meet us too, I'm sure that would be OK - a Northern mini bash/fly-in. Except if we're flying to four airfields in a day, we may not have that much time. Anyway, I'll call you Monday and hopefully we can work something out.

[VP8]

Whirly,

Try this link for Huddersfield Intl, go there even if just to land on Englands Steepest runway!!

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=134264&highlight=crosland

C Ya

VEEPS:ok:

[ShyTorque]

Or how about EGNF (NeverForp), which I believe still has UK's shortest licensed runways. The food's good (but check the PPR first).

See this website (nice pics):

http://www.jgruson.demon.co.uk/nether.htm

A return leg from there to Sleap would take you very close to Chatsworth House, which is a spectacular sight from the air, especially if the fountain is going. :ok:

[PPPPP]

Netherthorpe was very pleasant today when I dropped in from Barton, but the welcome in the cafe from an unsmiling youth was distinctly chilly ("Are you a member? "etc.) A local pilot kindly ordered a coffee for me but it did sour the experience somewhat...

[ShyTorque]

PPPPP,

I believe all you you need to say is that you are NOT a member of the "rival" Phoenix club!

There is a history behind that..... :E

[knobbygb]

Whirly, I won't post comments on Huddersfield beause they're all in the other thread linked above, along with a good piccie taken by that P**k person. This is a 'must visit' though'.

While in the area around Sandtoft, I'd recommend Wickenby, a bit further SE. Nothing there aircraft-wise but they have a pleasant cafe/bar in the bottom of the WW II control tower with a nice little museum upstairs. An X of (bumpy) hard runways of about 650m
Wickenby (http://www.jenna-c.co.uk/images/Sherburn/g-sack_w3.jpg)

Breighton is always worth a visit (many vintage aircraft in flying condition). It's just a few miles east of Sherburn. Being a bank holiday, I'd expect some of them to be flying, too.
Breighton (http://www.realaero.com)

If you're going further north, Bagby is one of my favourite fields to visit. Steep grass runway on a hillside, proper club atmosphere. Further south, Skegness is always interesting on a Bank Holiday Monday - especially if you like landing in a field of tents and being watched and waved at by hundreds of 'campers' - just watch out for kids on bikes chasing you as you taxi!

Oh, and I'd definately second the Netherthorpe suggestion - it's not THAT short! and well worth the effort.

Edit: By the way, all the grass runways at Sherburn are VERY wet and completely unusable so I assume all the other grass strips in thea area are knackered too!

Have fun.

[Whirlybird]

Thanks people. I fancy Netherthorpe, but a bit worried about the length - or rather, lack of it - of the runways. Wish this was a helicopter trip so I didn't have to worry. However, far more of a concern is if all grass runways in the area are knackered! :eek: Sounds like phoning for PPR and advice and info will be a necessity. I always do it anyway, but I'll make sure that this time I really, really, really don't forget. :)

knobbygb,
I've been to Bagby, and I agree, nice place; and the undulating runway is fun. I'd wondered about Wickenby, and hadn't thought of Skegness or Breighton. Back to a happy hour or so of drawing lines on maps I think.

ShyTorque,
I've flown over Chatsworth House; it was one of our points for the Dawn to Dusk a couple of years ago. Spectacular, as you say. I was supposed to be taking some people there today - a helicopter trip which was the main reason for my moving heaven and earth and twisting a few arms to renew my R44 rating last week. Then the trip was cancelled at the last minute. :{ Ah well, I have the rating now anyway, and at least I'll get to do some flying tomorrow.

[Whirlybird]

Trip postponed until tomorrow. Because we don't like the idea of gusty winds over the Pennines, because we're fair weather pilots, and because we can. :)

[Whirlybird]

I just thought a few of you kind people who offered advice might like to hear what we actually did.

Got the TAFs early this morning and realised we'd got it right - wx looked fantastic. Set off for Sleap, then headed off to Crosland Moor, with Paul flying and me navigating us just around the edge of Manchester's zone. There was loads more cloud than there was supposed to be - always the way, isn't it - but we could still get the height to get over the Pennines. Interesting approach over quarries with downdrafts, over the heads of people and motorbikes on the runway who didn't move, by the side of horses who didn't stop grazing, on to the steepest runway I've ever seen. Paul hadn't flown for a month, and said it was...interesting. Went into deserted caravan, with no electricity, and no obvious place to leave a landing fee. Phoned the mobile numberr we'd phoned for PPR, and got told to wait; she was coming back in ten minutes. Airfield owner arrives and says no landing fee, especially as there was no coffee or electricity. But she turns it back on and we make coffee. I phone Sandtoft, our next stop, who say fine to come in, but they don't have any fuel. Crosland Moor have no fuel either. We actually have enough to make Nottingham, but being of the "The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire" persuasion, I'm not happy. I phone Nottingham, who say they have fuel, and Paul promises to dip the tanks at Sandtoft, so I relax. At least, I do until I see the steep hill that I'm supposed to be taking off on...going uphill. Interesting takeoff; airborne just at the top of the hill, but barely climbing either due to altitude or downdrafts or both. No real problem, as now downhill and no obstacles, so I head west for ever, looking at the fantastic views.

Eventually I make 500 ft agl and turn east for Sandtoft. A short trip with a bit of a tailwind, gradually descending out of the Pennines. We arrive there for a late lunch; lovely friendly little airfield, also very quiet; we seem to be the only people flying the day after a three day weekend. This time the landing fee is a whole £5; we're doing quite well. And the restaurant has so much choice we can't decide what to eat. We like it there; we'll be back.

Paul takes off for Nottingham, with a definite tailwind. We appear to have half tanks of fuel, as we should have, but we've been flying with carb heat on for a lot of the time as we had loads of carb ice earlier on (warm, humid day, so to be expected) so I'm still convinced we're burning more fuel than expected. An easy trip, now in bright sunshine and infinite vis. We've both been to Nottingham before; had wanted to go to Hucknall but they were closed, and I suppose two new airfields in a day isn't bad. Uneventful, easy landing, get fuel, pay a whole £10 landing fee, and get more coffee.

I take us off at around 5pm, heading west in bright sunshine. Unfortunately this means we're heading directly into the sun, which is fierce, and I've left my sunglasses in my flight bag. I hand over to Paul while I tie myself in knots trying to get to them, and eventually manage it. We divert a mile or so to orbit Alton Towers and take photos, and also get a break from peering into the sun. We have a headwind, so it's slow going, which at least gives us time to work out where we are, since we can't see much in the sun. But after Stoke on Trent we're on home territory and can recognise most of it...though that doesn't stop us heading for Shawbury instead of Sleap, and wondering how we got a few miles off track. :eek: But we realise our mistake, find Sleap, and are delighted that they're using 36 and not 23, which at least means we can see the runway on final, even if see nothing on base. Another uneventful landing, and then we put KF to bed and drive home.

A fantastic flying day, and since we only did about two hours each in total, it didn't even cost us that much. Thanks for all the suggestions. Next time we'll go to Sheffield, Netherthorpe, and Hucknall. Or maybe Skegness. Or maybe.... So many airfields, so little time, so few nice days. Ah well, there's always next year.....

[DX Wombat]

Glad to hear you had such a great time Whirly, sorry I was working and couldn't get to meet up but maybe another time. :ok:

[VP8]

Glad you enjoyed 'Uddersfield. Forgot to tell you about the downdrafts from the quarry!!

VEEPS:ok:

[knobbygb]

Sounds like a good day. Know what you mean about the sun - we were landing on 29 at EGCJ on Friday evening and couldn't even make out where the runway was. Luckily after 5 minutes the only cloud in the sky obscured the sun, otherwise we'd have been diverting.

Did you get to park next to the Fairey Gannet at Sandtoft? What a huge beast of an aircraft!

[GilStens]

Whirly,

Just seen your topic. It was a wonderful day for flying. I took some friends for their first flight in a mini aircraft from Sandtoft. They totaly enjoyed it and are converted.

Like you we had our late lunch there - you were in the corner and we were against the TV.

You took of for Nottm in front off me returning to EGNE.

PPruners get everywhere.

Cheers