View Full Version : Another airfield closes......"Incapable pilots"......
Monocock
25th Jul 2002, 22:12
Westbury-sub-Mendip is closed forever.
How many PPRUNERS have been in there? Not many I would guess.
The saddest part is that one of the reasons for closure is "incapable pilots".
Has there been an accident anyone can tell us about? Has there even been a near miss?
I have been in several times and can say unless you have driven a suitable a/c in there, you won't drive a suitable a/c out...
Any more info from anyone would be appreciated
I hadn't heard about it closing - where does the info come from?
Spiney Norman
26th Jul 2002, 08:55
The info comes from the 'Flyer' website. I don't know quite what 'incapable pilots' means here but there certainly seems to be a growing trend of people visiting strips with no prior permission. Even doing circuits, and upsetting the neighbours. I suspect this might be the case with Westbury-sub-Mendip. Perhaps someone connected with the strip will let us know?
Spiney
DOC.400
26th Jul 2002, 17:12
I found Westbury VERY dodgy on approach, it's in a CURVED filled in railway cutting and covered in road scalpings (ripped up tarmac) that put countless dings in the rear of my prop and chipped the LH wing leading edge.
The runway also dips and slopes. Dangersous I'd say -never went in again.........except to return my passenger from where he had started!
I put somebody else off it on Pprune a while ago.
DOC
A check of my log book reveals that I flew to and from Westbury sub Mendip on 23 Mar 95 in an F172. Although challenging, I found the arrival and departure within the limits of both pilot and aircraft and, unlike DOC.400. suffered no damage. The owner used to charge modest landing fees according to the number of seats in the aircraft. A similarly challenging airstrip that I enjoyed visting was Hardwicke Fm near Hay.
2Donkeys
29th Jul 2002, 07:04
I went to have a look at the place 4 or 5 years ago with a view to landing there, and decided that quite apart from the issues that others have listed, there appeared to be no security whatsoever for the aircraft, particularly since the strip is/was simply at the back of industrial estate.
Not the ideal place for an overnighter in the area.
jayemm
29th Jul 2002, 15:13
I visited Westbury-sub-mendip 2 years ago in a 172. I had planned to take a friend, meet my brother there and then fly up to Gloucester with both of them.
It took me a couple of orbits to locate the strip, and found the final approach and landing one of the most exhilarating (= hair-raising) ever. You needed to negotiate the curve, the slope, the trees on the left and telegraph poles on the right, and the 'rush' once below tree height created a feeling of acceleration.
The owner was there to meet me (I had phoned for the PPR). He congratulated me on a good landing, was very friendly and the £5 landing fee was very reasonable.
However, I decided not to add a third person for take-off, so we went to the pub instead, and then I left later with just the friend, leaving behind a disappointed brother!
I didn't have problems with the scalpings, and wasn't 'incapable'. However, taking off to the east takes you right over some industrial buildings and then several private houses; the short strip and its sunken nature probably means that residents felt aircraft to be very low.
I'm not surprised it's closed and I certainly wouldn't visit there in a PA28. It's a shame no money could be found to improve it since there are very few decent strips around that very beautiful area.