Southend EGMC

[Hornet863]

I trained for my PPL out of Southend airport and and have therefore been flying out of there for the last four years. However recently it is becoming harder and harder to fly due to increased security getting airside.
Security procedures to get airside are now very laborious and can make the whole process of flying for one hour take four times as long due to waiting a long while to get airside which results in all booking slots for the aircraft to run late. I understand the need for security at an international airport but this is making me think twice before going flying from there lately.
Also has anybody been impacted flying in the area due to the class D airspace that has recently been introduced which covers quite an excessive area? This is supposedly to reduce conflict with the Easy jets but in all fairness there are not many per day and the airspace introduction seems a bit extreme for such small amounts of traffic compared to Stansted. I am struggling to remember the last time there was conflict with GA aircraft and the commercial aircraft in the Southend area... The only likely conflicts there in my experience is birds in the circuit and the odd drone neither of which make obey the rules of the class D.

[thing]

There are several areas of class D in the country that have me scratching my head as to why they are there but there they are and we have to work around it. I would have thought that the best thing to do surely would be find somewhere else to fly from? I know the convenience of a full ATC field with instrument approaches, lighting etc is nice but if you are getting riled with the situation there then I would move. I don't know the GA scene at that end of the country but there must be somewhere close by.

What about Thurrock or Damyn's Hall?

I currently fly from four different airfields so it's doable.

[Romeo Tango]

It may not be an original thing to say .... but I am forced to wonder how long it will be before we all starve because no one can get anything done at all .....

As it is I wonder how much GDP is lost to superfluous flaf

[SouthendPilot]

I got my PPL at Southend too and flew from there for a while after and really liked the place. But the costs were getting out of control and there was an obvious calculated effort to squeeze GA out, I think.

I moved to North Weald recently and never looked back. MUCH more economical, friendlier, more laid back and a nice buzz around the place.

:)