Airfield with Good restaurant on site or nearby?

[Plank and Rotor]

Hi All,

Approval for me getting my ppl from the controller of finance rested on me being able to take her to places with somewhere good to eat. Now that time has come!

Anyone know of airfields with a good (and she has high standards) restaurants onsite or nearby?

Thanks

P&R

[India Four Two]

Here's some "food" for thought ;)

http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/545944-mid-week-cafes-restaurants.html#post8615262

http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/519566-top-restaurants-near-uk-airfields.html#post7951529

http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/515229-family-dog-friendly-lunch-destinations.html

http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/419289-nice-place-lunch-south-east-please.html

http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/413679-best-grass-airstrips-pubs-nearby.html

Probably more if you use the Search function.

[TheOddOne]

Day Trip
Le Touquet.
There are often more G- reg on the ground there than F- reg. The airport restaurant thinks it's better than it really is but it's still pretty good. A walk in to town rewards with some excellent eateries.

Lee-on-the-Solent.
Walk to Osborne View, Hill Head. Only Pub Grub (though high end) but a wonderful view out over the Solent.

Night Stop
La Rochelle.
Andre's. But book well ahead. Best seafood restaurant I've ever visited (including Café Turin, Place Garibaldi, Nice and some pretty good places on Pier 39, San Francisco)


TOO

[Jan Olieslagers]

Biggles at EBKT Kortrijk. Need to book in advance.

Some more suggestions at http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/545944-mid-week-cafes-restaurants.html - but the trouble is a good place doesn't remain a good place for very long, usually.

[turbroprop]

Coventry

The OAK just outside the gate. Plus DC6 diner, flying club or museum. Also good trucker food from a van in nearby trading estate.

[The_Pink_Panther]

IndiaFourTwo,

Thanks for putting all the links together in this thread.
I've been looking for something similar and knew there was more than the 2 or 3 I'd found on the search facility.

TPP

[surely not]

Compton Abbas has a great restaurant with good food at reasonable prices, and great views.

[India Four Two]

TPP,

You're welcome.

I agree with 'surely not'. Compton Abbas is great. Sitting on a patio at 800' AMSL, with marvellous views AND watching aeroplanes. Good food too, particularly breakfast.

[frangatang]

compton abbas...sitting with fine food, but your gear has collapsed on your plane. try roserrow, polzeath, 4 mins to golf clubhouse, 9 mins to pub in rock and the runway is far superior to compton. oh and 19 mins walk down to the sea, via a footpath.

[The Original GF]

Glenforsa Hotel restaurant and Airfield Mull

[horizon flyer]

Denham has a good one, Biggles but you have to check opening times.
North side has good café.

[chevvron]

Fairoaks is close (2 miles) to a village called Chobham which has several high class restaurants with Spanish, Indian and English cuisine, plus there are 2 pubs with recently refurbished restaurant facilities.

[Bagso]

Hawarden - chocks away. Quite superb

[Hotel-Mama]

Not sure if you count 2 miles as too far, but Jamie Oliver's Fifteen is a five minute taxi ride from Newquay Airport, and the location is stunning. Not cheap, obviously...
Also, The Beach Hut (run by Watergate Bay Hotel) is just below Fifteen, and is a bit more casual, but good food.

[cotterpot]

Bit late but the Apron Cafe Gamston.
Check on line for opening times and menus

[Flyingmac]

I wish I could afford to fly AND eat well. Oh how the other half live.
Corned beef sandwich anyone?:(

[FantomZorbin]

EEeeh Lad! Corned Beef!? When I were a lad we 'ad 'ard tack 'n engine oil :(

[Johnm]

Le Touquet should fill the bill quite nicely I would have thought??

[Jan Olieslagers]

You UK'ers are SO ubiquitous about LFAT that mere mortals steer clear. Can you really not be a bit more diverse/adventurous/individual? Copied verbatim from another forum:

I don’t do L2K — all parking spots have British towels on them 24/7
'nough said?

[vikipilenche]

Denham is a nice airfield it is my local one.

I think Leicester is nice and so is Shoreham. I personally love flying into Duxford, just feels good for me :) and you can see interesting planes on the ground usually. It is a little pricey for worth it.

[Sam Rutherford]

Fano, LIDF - seafood to die for...

Cheers, Sam.

[thing]

Hawarden - chocks away. Quite superb

Really? I'll have to have a look at that. I used to live at Hawarden.

A place on my 'to do' list is Abbot's Bromley. Googling the local village brings up at least four pubs and it looks about a 15 minute walk from the strip. Abbots Bromley Map (http://www.abbotsbromley.com/map)

[Ellie Vater]

I can also vouch for Chocks Away, nice food, good prices, & you get to see whats happening on the runway. Also has good outside seating area.

Another good one is the Lock Lounge Cafe at Sleap airfield - much the same as Chocks Away regarding price & viewing facilities, but also serves a fantastic Sunday lunch as well as a varied menu.

Going back a few years, wasn't there also a pub called 'The Airport', right off the runway at Manchester, where you could have a bite whilst watching the aeroplanes?

[thing]

Another vote for Sleap caff, there's also an excellent museum there, might only be open weekends though so check.

[Tu.114]

A little further away: the little airfield Heide-Büsum EDXB has a little restaurant serving nice north sea prawns on dark bread topped with a fried egg. It used to be possible to even order it over the radio when approaching: the restaurant would have the meal ready on the table when the aircraft was shut down and parked.

[Baikonour]

For a day trip I'd also add Midden Zeeland EHMZ
Apart from the lovely airfield itself and the decent café there, rental bikes are included in the landing fee and make for a leisurely (flat!) ride into Middelburg, cutesy pedestrianised town centre with excellent selection of eateries of all types.

Kemble, 'The Aviator' I believe it was called, but I think this closed down some time ago.
"Av8" is very much still open - here is their website (http://www.av8-cotswoldairport.co.uk/)

B.

[alex90]

Hello Everyone.

I am new here - I have read countless threads on here and really appreciate the wide variety that everyone seem to be talking about.

I am thinking about flying up to Gloucester in an arrow, over the next couple of weeks to see family, and I would like to take them somewhere for lunch. I was thinking about going either West or North depending on the weather for a good spot of lunch somewhere.

I would need at least 650m to takeoff again - maybe more depending on how good the food is! ;-)

Could anyone recommend a really good spot around South Wales? Alternatively if someone has a really good spot going the other way - I cruise at around 140Kts and didn't want to go much further than about 45minutes flight (guess that's around 100nm from Gloucester).

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
THANK YOU!
alex

[jaycee46]

You UK'ers are SO ubiquitous about LFAT that mere mortals steer clear. Can you really not be a bit more diverse/adventurous/individual? Copied verbatim from another forum:


'nough said?



Probably more to do with a shorter over water crossing, and clearing customs than towels and food - just a thought!?

[Jan Olieslagers]

Probably more to do with a shorter over water crossing, and clearing customs

If that were really the first need, then LFAC Calais would be a better choice. Plus, nobody keeps you from passing immigration at either LFAC or LFAT, then fly on to Saint Omer, just a short hop away and with a very enjoyable restaurant. To name just one.

PS observe the terminology: as Brits, you do not need to pass customs. You do need immigration, though, since your !@#$%^&* government wishes to remain outside Schengenland. The terms "customs" and "immigration" are often mixed up, even on aerodrome www pages and even sometimes in the AIP.

[Baikonour]

as Brits, you do not need to pass customs. You do need immigration, though, since your !@#$%^&* government wishes to remain outside Schengenland. The terms "customs" and "immigration" are often mixed up, even on aerodrome www pages and even sometimes in the AIP.

Can you please elaborate on that?
I recently flew from the UK to EDMZ where the AIP says "Customs 1 HR PN" and "Immigration "NA". A form on their website similar to a GAR was all that was required and I was met by uniformed men who had no issue with me being there. That other favourite, Texel, also shows Immigration NA? So are their AIP entries all wrong?

(BTW - if you want to be precise, should it also not be 'you Brits' but 'those of you who arrive from Britain' which could include a Belgian coming back home, no?)

B.

[alex90]

When landing at LFAT or LFAC or... Actually any "Customs / Immigration" airport in France (I've been to quite a few) - you don't even have uniformed men at the airport, let alone coming to greet you! Although some friends have had spot checks, and then they really REALLY do check absolutely everything.

The issue is getting out of the UK, its coming back in! (at least when you land at Biggin Hill as I do) where you definitely have to meet officials in uniform!

[Sam Rutherford]

Bit of a thread drift, but I do think that whilst the UK has chosen to stay out of Schengen, they have at least coupled that with the extremely easy and user-friendly GAR system.

Of course, we can't demand our neighbours (particularly France) do the same in return - but it would be nice.

As a complete thread drift, when can we stop having to file flight plans for intra-Schengen international flights. Seems a massive waste of time and energy for all concerned... :ugh:

Second vote for Biggles in EBKT by the way!

[Jan Olieslagers]

Sam, there is progress, though not hefty. But since 2015, no more flight plan required between Belgium and Germany.

[thing]

I am thinking about flying up to Gloucester in an arrow, over the next couple of weeks to see family, and I would like to take them somewhere for lunch. I was thinking about going either West or North depending on the weather for a good spot of lunch somewhere.Could try Gamston, it's about 95 miles from Glos. The Apron restaurant is generally reckoned to be the best 'on site' eatery in UK GA. Pricey though and booking essential. VOR on the airfield so no excuses for not finding it.

Bit closer is Sywell who do a good lunch in the hotel which is art deco if you're into that sort of thing. There's also the Pilot's Mess (I think it's called) where you can sit on the balcony and watch the comings and goings.

Leicester has a perfectly adequate eatery as does Conington.

Took an Arrow down to Shobdon today from Gamston funnily enough, stunning scenery in that part of the world, nice airfield caff as well and very friendly folk but if it's an impress the family trip you might want to look at the more 'restauranty' end.

All of the above have hard and long runways.

[Jan Olieslagers]

VOR on the airfield so no excuses for not finding it.

.. bar not carrying a COM receiver? ;) Plus of course all of the multiple GPS equipment giving up for as many reasons, too hot, battery depleted just right now, not readable in direct sunlight &c &c Sorry, couldn't resist.

[thing]

bar not carrying a COM receiver?

Ah, but he did say that he was flying an Arrow, I'm betting it's IFR equiped. If he had said that he was flying one of those motorised snot rags then fair do's.;)

[alex90]

Ah, but he did say that he was flying an Arrow, I'm betting it's IFR equipped. If he had said that he was flying one of those motorised snot rags then fair do's.

Thing, you should have bet money on it! The arrow is fully IFR equipped - even by EASA standards. Sorry Jan!

I am not sure I particularly want to "impress" family, but I know that we all do like good food. I've also heard that it wasn't pleasant trying to fly with a stomach bug...

Thank you very much for pointing me in the right direction! I really appreciate it and add them all to the list!

Thanks!
alex

[Sam Rutherford]

Hi Jan,

I didn't know that about BE-DE!

Very cool.

Safe flights, Sam.

[Oldpilot55]

Jan,

The restaurant at St Omer has, sadly, closed

[Jan Olieslagers]

Sad indeed - but if it must be, it is good to be aware. Thanks!

[hegemon88]

Nobody mentions the Crab & Lobster a stone's throw away from Bembridge on the Isle of Wight, did the food quality decrease? This spring the £60 seafood pile for two to share was great. Locals say, though, that other less known establishments in the area have much fresher lobster than them - and who to believe?



/h88

[thing]

It's just a case of looking I think heg. Only done Sandown so apart from the famous Carla's on the airfield I have to say that the seafront at Sandown didn't exactly fill me with gustatory delight. Had an acceptable but nothing special plate of sole and extras at what looked like a decent sea front restaurant but wouldn't go all that way again for the same.

I've heard about the C and L at Bembridge but it's an hour and fifty away from me, plenty of other places closer to try first.

Off to one of my favourites the Dribbling Dick at Great Massingham next Wednesday, weather permitting.

[londonblue]

These days I'd even add Elstree to this list. The new(ish) restaurant/cafe there (called Ikaron) is actually pretty good.

[The Original GF]

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn129/TheOriginalGF/Glenphoto/Fly%20Glenforsa.jpg

[spitfire_sl]

I visited Compton Abbas for the first time. Restaurant looked good, but due to bumpy ride, decided to abstain from a full blown meal and just had some chip which were pretty good. Your food order can get fast tracked if you're a pilot. Well worth a visit.

[DeepestSouth]

The old Manx Flyers building near the threshold of Rwy 26 has been refurbished and opened as a new cafe and restaurant - Cafe Bar Two-Six. Ideally located for GA traffic parking area and it's getting excellent reviews locally. I've tried it twice - lunch and dinner. Good value and good food on both occasions.

[Littlest Hobo]

Pilot's Hub at Redhill is highly recommended, particularly for brunch.

[150 Driver]

Not for the fainthearted, Weybourne (North Norfolk) is a great place to visit. Aside from the tank museum next too the airstrip (you fly in over anti aircraft guns if you approach from the sea) there is a great pub in the village about half a mile walk. Make sure you know your plane's limitations and that your short field technique is on the game.

At the other extreme, visited Kemble last weekend, the onsite facilities served some good food.

[300hrWannaB]

Sywell
It's been a while since I visited Sywell, but we had a really good sit down meal when we did go.

Roserrow
Fantastic. As previously mentioned. A bit challenging in an Arrow though.

Alderney
Everywhere is within walking distance. Even the pub. That will be the Only pub/hotel.

Bembridge
Judging from my mate's grin and photos on Bookface.

Kemble?
I've not felt the need to fly there for lunch. It's just outside our circuit pattern. However, it should satisfy your requirement for runway length. There is a B747-400 that recently flew in.

Please keep this thread going. I have a deep interest in this subject :-)

[tmmorris]

+1 for Weybourne (watch out, the strip is sloping as well as short), Compton Abbas and Kemble. Also Goodwood - at the moment you have to go to the racetrack cafe in the old Tower but that's no hardship at all. They are building a new terminal/clubhouse on the airfield.

[300hrWannaB]

Is the White Horse Hotel at Carlisle still operating?
They had a runway, although it had seen better days. The Sunday roast was sufficient to require a new weight & balance calculation.

[mrmum]

I think you might mean the White Heather Hotel? Which is actually at Kirkbride, but is still open Wednesday and Sunday lunchtimes.

[300hrWannaB]

Yeah, that's the one. Memory. Dim. Age.
I do remember a good lunch and a long take off run.