Rednal Airfield, Shropshire

[stansted_dan]

Has anyone flown in to this airfield, and if so do you have any pointers/advice? I have family in Oswestry and to save a 4 hour drive from the South-East I'm thinking of flying up (should only take about 90 mins in the C172) and staying the night (if parking is allowed, that is). Several sources say that it's quite a rough runway surface, is it enough to cause a problem or likely to cause damage to the aircraft at all? I've emailed the owner for PPR should the weather hold out and I end up flying, so just waiting to hear back on that.

[Pace]

Stansted

I am going back five years ago but took a twin in there with no probs. Surface was good infact would have put a lot to shame and would have made a nice airfield.

There is a Go Cart track there to the one side and over a road which parralels the runway as well as paint balling nearby.

Approaches are good with no more than 3 foot fences. There was a hanger down the bottom which contained a couple of aircraft.
Was used by an air balloon company for a long time.

Oswestry is easy just through the village of Rednal, along the canal to the pub and onto the A49.

If thats a problem there is a well established grass strip near Knokin a couple of miles away.

As with anything check there have not been any alterations in the last five years :E

[proplover]

The runway was starting to break up in places the last time I was there, just be carefull where you do your power checks before leaving. It must be ok as there are 2 resident aircraft which fly regularly.There are some electric pylons across the approach to 22 and the kart track is at the 04 end. It was good sport watching the Karters spin into the bales as they watched you you coming in on 04 :-)

[Whiskey Kilo Wanderer]

I was there last Monday, visiting some friends who were walking the Offa's Dyke Path.

The runway is in reasonable condition and looks to have been patched / repaired in places. I gather from some aero-modelers who were there when I arrived, that there are a couple of gyros operating from the field. I was the first visiting fixed wing aircraft they had ever seen land there.

I spoke to the Operator (info in the AEF VFR Guide) by mobile and texted the required information for PPR. I got a confirmation reply in a matter of minutes. It would have been easier to do it by e-mail, particularly if you text as slowly as I do...

The pub by the canal (Queen's Head) does good food.

Hope your trip goes well.

Safe Flying,
Richard W.

[chris-h]

I actually rang the go-cart place for info about the field but they couldnt really help,
Does anybody know the size of the runway?
or have a number for airfield ppr?

chris

[Whiskey Kilo Wanderer]

Hi Chris-h

I used the info in the VFR Guide, although I suspect the land line phone number is wrong. Mobile (07747 618 131) worked for me.

Rwy listed as 700m x 40m, although the 04 end looked a bit over grown. Note; the gates on to the airfield are padlocked (although easy to climb over), only an issue if you require wheeled access.

Safe Flying,
Richard W.

[chris-h]

Many thanks, Looks like i better get some go-cart practice on the sly :-)
Cheers Chris

[It's only Me]

Had a look at Rednal today; if I were you, I would plan to go to Sleap, just along the road, with facilites, access and security.

Me

[Bob Stinger]

Landed at Rednal about 6 months ago or so, easy to see and no problems at all. Why use Sleap when Rednal is that much nearer to your'e destination!

[chris-h]

I always find it stupid for someone to say why not go somewhere else,
Like i didnt realise their are other airfields about. :mad:

[richs3]

Flew over Rednall last week and made a point of checking out the runways, they didn't look in great condition, not sure I'd want to land there.

[phokker]

Just letting you all know that Rednal is closed to aviation.
Don't bother ringing for PPR - it's shut.
Anyone landing in a non-emergency situation may find their aircraft clamped &/or collided with by farm equipment.
Circuits, touch-&-gos, etc. may trigger countermeasures.

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Been in quite a few times back in the day. Sorry if it's now unavailable. Wonder why?

[Mariner9]

Countermeasures? :eek:

Has Rednal become part of North Korea?

[phokker]

The owners have had alot of grief for decades from a pilot with a hangar at rednal.

This person has left after a succesful legal fight.

The owners do not want general aviation at rednal because it is an unsafe site with high-voltage UK-nat-grid pylons crossing it (height under-reported in flight guides), roads and access at each end and parallel, fencing and cattle next to runway, farming access across it, remote control aircraft club, amateur rocketry and occasional ballooning, aerostats, drones and gyrocopter flying by the owners.

The runway is pitted, weed-infested and potholed in places and there are no plans to maintain it.
The departed pilot made a habit of noisy aerobatics over and around rednal, advertising the place and putting it about he was the owner. this has fed into a notion that it's ok to go and have a blast at rednal - it isn't.

Countermeasures? Well put it this way: we've already had a near miss between someone flying low and a gyrocopter just taken off.
So if pilots think it's OK to carry on as they want to in spite of owners, tenants and stakeholders wishes, then they ought to be prepared for the unexpected.

Sorry if we don't sound very nice, but it's been decades of hassle and we're no longer in any sort of mood to be conciliatory.
It's really very simple - THE OWNERS OF REDNAL AIRFIELD WANT PILOTS TO RESPECT THEIR WISHES FOR ITS USE.
And those wishes are that it be a private, mostly closed, facility. Does it need any further explanation?

[alex90]

phokker, it doesn't require ANY explanation. You could have closed the airfield - period.

But it doesn't stop it being a shame nonetheless!

[tmmorris]

True but he has a point about the cables and other obstructions. When I learned to fly at Welshpool in 2001 Rednal was pointed out as 'major emergencies only, otherwise assume it's closed. Watch out for wires.' Sounds like that's still the case.

On my PPL test I dug myself a hole by saying idly to the examiner 'Oh look, there's Rednal' when it was actually Montford Bridge. As he pointed out in the debrief if I'd kept my mouth shut he wouldn't have known I was temporarily confused!

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

I was once landing at Rednal in the chippy when my peripheral vision noted a line of power poles (the wooden sort) marching towards the runway from either side. I instinctively eased back a tad to overfly what I thought would be wires across the runway, and then noted the wires actually dived underground some distance from the runway edges.

A bit of a pucker moment, none the less!

Despite that, and despite one day flaring to land and meeting a Zlin coming the other way at speed, I have some good memories of Rednal!

My actions on the Zlin incident? Full power immediate climb, sharp left turn, farmhouse rotating around the Chippy's wingtip not far below, late downwind at about 100 feet, back to final and land prob a minute or less after the go-around.

Mine host runs out to the aeroplane on the apron as I throw back the canopy, not even shut down yet. He is proffering a bog roll!

Rednal? Loved it!

[pilotmike]

SSD:... one day flaring to land and meeting a Zlin coming the other way at speed, .... My actions... Full power immediate climb, sharp left turn,
Really? Air law is very clear that the correct action for avoiding collisions when flying towards each other is to turn RIGHT to avoid.

What do you suppose the consequences could have been if the Zlin pilot saw you and simultaneously correctly turned right to avoid you?:eek:

Flying downwind at 100 feet after admitting no knowledge of the local overhead wires and their routings, then a snap circuit so brief that you "land prob a minute or less after the go-around."...? Straight after the 'split-ar$£' turn the wrong way???

I wouldn't be boasting about such poor airmanship on a public forum.

[Tay Cough]

If the law says right but left will keep you alive, will you still blindly turn right?

SSD may have had a perfectly valid reason to turn left.

[Capt Kremmen]

The owners have had alot of grief for decades from a pilot with a hangar at rednal.

This person has left after a succesful legal fight.

The owners do not want general aviation at rednal because it is an unsafe site with high-voltage UK-nat-grid pylons crossing it (height under-reported in flight guides), roads and access at each end and parallel, fencing and cattle next to runway, farming access across it, remote control aircraft club, amateur rocketry and occasional ballooning, aerostats, drones and gyrocopter flying by the owners.

The runway is pitted, weed-infested and potholed in places and there are no plans to maintain it.
The departed pilot made a habit of noisy aerobatics over and around rednal, advertising the place and putting it about he was the owner. this has fed into a notion that it's ok to go and have a blast at rednal - it isn't.

Countermeasures? Well put it this way: we've already had a near miss between someone flying low and a gyrocopter just taken off.
So if pilots think it's OK to carry on as they want to in spite of owners, tenants and stakeholders wishes, then they ought to be prepared for the unexpected.

Sorry if we don't sound very nice, but it's been decades of hassle and we're no longer in any sort of mood to be conciliatory.
It's really very simple - THE OWNERS OF REDNAL AIRFIELD WANT PILOTS TO RESPECT THEIR WISHES FOR ITS USE.
And those wishes are that it be a private, mostly closed, facility. Does it need any further explanation?


So phokker, is there a 'downside' side to visiting Rednal ? Sounds like a fun place !

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

If the law says right but left will keep you alive, will you still blindly turn right?

SSD may have had a perfectly valid reason to turn left.

Not least HT wires to the right!

But perhaps pilotmike will never believe (judging by his presumptive and judgemental post) that I actually knew that.

And of course there was plenty of room for both me and the Zlin to turn to the same side of the runway had he done so as well (we were well separated when I turned early - so actually he didn't need to and indeed didn't, running in for aeros as he was and seeing me turn away). Had he done so, however, neither of us, unlike (one suspects) pilotmike, would be executing 'rate one' turns so would remain well separated! We were are both (I know the Zlin pilot of course) aviators rather than aeroplane drivers.

And OMG! Flying a short 100' downwind to an immediate landing! So soon after the last approach, too! Pilotmike seems to think there is some elapsed time one has to wait between approaches, and (my turn to be presumptive) probably flies bomber circuits and wound have droned around Shropshire for 25 minutes before approaching again, by which time the circuit traffic situation would be a complete unknown to him.

And boasting? I thought I was merely relating an amusing and perfectly safe strip flying bit of fun. Pilotmike wouldn't seem to know about such things, it seems.

[Jerico]

Too right SSD I've always found that when in a situation like yours you evaluate the situation and decide on a course of action. I've never found the air law etc comes into mind at that particular moment!

[pilotmike]

(one suspects) pilotmike, would be executing 'rate one' turns so would remain well separated!

Pilotmike seems to think there is some elapsed time one has to wait between approaches

wound[sic] have droned around Shropshire for 25 minutes before approaching again

Pilotmike wouldn't seem to know about such things


Presumptive?? I think you defined 'presumptive' right there!

As to your presumptive points, Wrong, Wrong and Wrong. In my 15 years of instructing in light aircraft etc, I generally taught tighter circuits than other instructors did, for both expediency and safety. I also put far greater emphasis on glide approaches than others did, for similar reasons.

I have no issue with flying tight circuits. But one completed to "land prob a minute or less after the go-around." sounded impossible to achieve safely, especially with "farmhouse rotating around the Chippy's wingtip not far below" But each to their own...

Whichever way, good luck with flying at 100' after your sharp left turn to avoid HT wires to the right, after telling us you were caught unawares by power poles, with no knowledge of where the wires were.

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

I can lend you a shovel if you like, pilotmike. ;)

[tobster911]

I can lend you a shovel if you like, pilotmike. ;)

Haha, I love this forum, always fun to watch and listen. SSD, what's a zlin?

[m.Berger]

Czechoslovakian (as was) aerobatic job. Good at it; passing resemblance to a Chippie.

[tobster911]

Czechoslovakian (as was) aerobatic job. Good at it; passing resemblance to a Chippie.

Ah, thank you :)

[scifi]

If you want a shovel, try one of these for Rednal...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr_POXzajjg


Now that's Countermeasures...
.

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

. SSD, what's a zlin?

This one was a Z50. Like this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zl%C3%ADn_Z-50

[Jan Olieslagers]

what's a zlin? A quarter of this: http://i.imgur.com/yic1onl.jpg Pick your preferred model!

[treadigraph]

Never seen a Zlin with tip tanks before.

[pilotmike]

phokker:

SSD:there was plenty of room for both me and the Zlin to turn to the same side of the runway had he done so as well ... running in for aeros as he was and seeing me turn away...

phokker:The owners do not want general aviation at rednal...

The departed pilot made a habit of noisy aerobatics over and around rednal, advertising the place... this has fed into a notion that it's ok to go and have a blast at rednal - it isn't...

It's really very simple - THE OWNERS OF REDNAL AIRFIELD WANT PILOTS TO RESPECT THEIR WISHES FOR ITS USE...

Does it need any further explanation?

[3wheels]

mmmm... back to Flyer...

[SpannerInTheWerks]

... just been on SkyDemon and although there is limited information under 'Airfields' the following is promulgated:

Approach Information - Runway 22/04 (Asphalt) 700m x 40m
Admin Information - Telephone number and e-mail address.

The point being the airfield is shown on the chart and listed in the directory - it is not shown as being 'closed'.

Maybe time for an amendment to SkyDemon if the airfield is in poor condition and the owners don't want aircraft to visit?

[phokker]

Thank you pilotmike - there are at least some responsible and considerate fliers in the community.
some people's attitude beggars belief, let alone their idea of what constitutes amusement, or safety - unbelievable.
can anyone tell me SSD's aircraft regnos - we'll keep some bogroll handy.
and thank you spanner - didnt know about skydemon - will let the owners know and they should contact the publishers.
any other guides that should be notified?
just that there's likely to be construction work at rednal airfield soon and we wouldn't want any more 'amusing' bogroll-type incidents.

[Mike Flynn]

Is West Felton Knockin still going?

I used it many times during the 1990's.

Seems to be still there on Google Earth
http://i66.tinypic.com/2rghoo1.jpg

[ArthurG]

Is West Felton Knockin still going?

I used it many times during the 1990's.

Seems to be still there on Google Earth

It was still there the last time I flew over it last year. Though I fly in the area a lot, I would struggle to find it again.

[Jan Olieslagers]

The LAAS airfield list gives it as "Sandford Hall" - but dates from 2013.

[BoeingBoy]

Yes, Knockin is alive and well as per the photo with a number of aircraft based there.

Contact the owner as listed in the guides if you want access.

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Good evening phokker. Rest easy in your chair. I doubt I nor any other aviating fun flyers will be disturbing your airspace anytime soon.

Your bog roll can remain in the bog.

Give my regards to the Flat Earth Society.

[Capn Bug Smasher]

Yuck SSD! Where are your manners. It's worse than Jet Blast. :E