Raydon airstrip

[nouseforaname]

Hi,

looking for deatils of a strip called Raydon, its just off the A12 about half way between Colchester and Ipswich. Luckily it's about 2 miles from where i'm trying to get to so really trying to find details on it.

No one in the locality knows anything about it!!

Thanks in advance

[airborne_artist]

Some constructive Googling is reqd. Try "Raydon Wings" - it seems there is a usable runway, but it's not clear if it's open for use outside of planned events. The hard surfaces have been removed.

Raydon Wings 01473 827544 from http://www.funfly.co.uk/airfields.html

[WindFarmer]

From aerial photography it looks like the runway is about 700m long.
Runway numbers approx 08/26.

Approx location N 52 00 59 E 001 00 14.

Have seen it from the air but always considered it disused.

[SkyHawk-N]

The runway is marked up as 09/27.

[Mikehotel152]

I learned to drive on Raydon airfield. That was about 1993. From my recollections, the surface was awful, even for cars. I've never seen or heard of it being used for GA, but I stand to be corrected.

Elmsett is only a few miles away and well worth using because it's gorgeous. :ok:

[muffin]

When I went there about 6 years ago, it was an idyllic smooth green strip with a superb house next door. I was in a helicopter but would have had no doubts about going in there fixed wing.

Pic here http://www.rodsley.net/d2d/Raydon2.jpg

[nouseforaname]

thanks. I hope it's still open!

[clearfinalsno1]

Raydon is just west of the Capel St Mary turn off on the A12. As far as I was aware it is unused apart from the annual airshow where they overfly the runways.

Current satellite/aerial imagery would appear to confirm this unmaintained status:

Aerial View - http://maps.live.com (http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=52.014822~0.994027&style=a&lvl=16&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&where1=raydon&encType=1)

Satellite view - http://maps.google.co.uk (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=raydon&sll=54.162434,-3.647461&sspn=11.596089,29.707031&ie=UTF8&ll=52.013733,1.000142&spn=0.011886,0.043087&t=h&z=15)

[airborne_artist]

Clearfinals - this picture is from http://www.michaelandersonlrps.co.uk/raydon_wings.htm and taken on 25th August 2007 - suggests the rw is usable

http://www.michaelandersonlrps.co.uk/images/raydon%20wings/Light%20Aircraft%20Line.jpg

[Mikehotel152]

I stand corrected :O. The satellite photos show an 800m strip 09/27 to the north of the wartime concrete runway and not far the public road which skirts the perimeter. I hadn't noticed it from the air or from the ground when I was frequently at the wartime airfield. I wonder who owns it? It certainly looks like a lovely strip.

[clearfinalsno1]

Airborne Artist

I too stand corrected, that's good news as a relative of mine lives nearby. However, isn't it a likelyhood that the runway was only prepared for the day of the show and operated under the 28 day rule?

Mike Hotel 152, I can't really see the strip that you mean, distinct from the old runway patterns, now bisected by a road, the surface of which might rip your undercarriage off.

[airborne_artist]

CF - The "new" grass strip is within the bounds of the old airfield, so it is conceivable that no PP is/was needed.

Has the OP tried ringing the number I found, and posted further up?

[Mikehotel152]

Ah, Clearfinalsno1, I think I spot the source of the confusion.

The public road is not clear on Google Earth. If you follow Woodlands Road from the south-west to the north you'll see the point where it bisects the old wartime east/west runway (faintly visable). At that point a public road heads east towards the main airfield buildings in the east/south-east of the airfield.

If you were to head down the said public road from the junction with Woodlands Road you would find that the grass strip is running parallel with you, about 500ft to the north.

The other roads you can see, which mark the perimeter of the airfield site, are private roads as far as I'm aware. One of them runs directly alongside the grass strip on its northern edge.

I think my explanation is about right. Anyone disagree? :uhoh:

[clearfinalsno1]

MH152,

ok, I see it. Here it is on Google maps (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=raydon&sll=54.162434,-3.647461&sspn=11.596089,29.707031&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=52.01921,1.013049&spn=0.00142,0.003321&z=18&iwloc=addr), shown at the eastern end, with the "27" clearly visible in the grass.

and here on Live maps (http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=52.01901~1.01237&style=a&lvl=18&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&encType=1)

Now all we need is someone to find out the point of contact.

[airborne_artist]

CF - look at the 09 rw marking here (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=raydon&sll=54.162434,-3.647461&sspn=11.596089,29.707031&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=52.018251,1.001392&spn=0.000749,0.001824&z=19&iwloc=addr)

[Mikehotel152]

:p

Nope, I don't think that's the one (assuming that the link you posted properly shows what you meant!).

The strip is in the top left of the photo shown in that link, just beneath the clump of trees. If you zoom in you will see the runway markings. I can't spot a wind sock.


Edited to say: Airborne Artist - you beat me to it!!!:ok:

[Lister Noble]

I think you are all talking about a private strip near Great Wenham,positioned on an old WW2 airfield,I don't think it is used much by other GA traffic.
The strip is used for a private airshow once a year which features quite exotic stuff like Mustangs etc.
I know the farmer and he has told me that I could land there but would also need the airstrip operators permission.
Lister

[Nathan.Hunter]

Go to Elmsett Airfield!

[Mikehotel152]

Hi Lister,

Raydon WWII airfield lies directly between Raydon village and Great Wenham, so it's plausible that the annual event and current grass strip goes under the Great Wenham name.

But it would be odd if that is the case seeing as the 09/27 strip we've highlighted in this thread is actually on the old Raydon Airfield site. Yet stranger things have happened! :p

[airborne_artist]

The annual event is called Raydon Wings.

[muffin]

The operator was Jon Anderson when I went there.

[J.A.F.O.]

As Lister says it's a private strip and not widely used, at least to the best of my knowledge.

Elmsett's nice.

[djtaylor]

Raydon is in Pooleys.
We received a good welcome when we visited afew years ago

[Sir George Cayley]

Well I'm giving it a wide berth:ok:

Don't want to be exposed to radioactive material:eek:

Sir George Cayley