Edgehill/Shenington

[bcfc]

Hi All

I'm going to be visiting a friend who has recently moved into Shenington, near Banbury. I notice there is a glider site in Shenington and my chum has seen a number of aircraft incl. SEPs, microlights as well as gliders on the airfield but I can't see any mention in Pooleys and Google's no help.

Anyone know anything about this site, whether my 172 would be welcome and where I can get some airfield info?

Cheers
-bcfc

[matspart3]

Try this link
http://www.shenington-gliding.co.uk/index.htm

[bletchleytugie]

If the link fails try the phone - 01295 680008

[trevs99uk]

There are a couple of aircraft kept here.
Some in a hangar by the glider club and more
hidden away down the end of the strip in
a farm build plus some polytummel type hangars.

rgds Trevor

[strake]

BCFC

I am in a similar situation....friends live in Wroxton....

Spoke to a really nice chap on the number quoted above a few weeks back. He said that with PPR on the day I would be most welcome.
Good luck

Strake

[bcfc]

Thanks everyone.

I'll give them a call nearer the day and keep my fingers crossed the weather improves.

-bcfc

[Flyin'Dutch']

BCFC

There is an entry in the farmer's guide (Lockyear) few years out of date but happy to chuck it onto the scanner and email it if you want.

PM me with your email address.

FD

[BlueRobin]

Aaah....RAF Edgehill. Famous airfield y'know. It's where Mr Whittle tested his jets out.

If you can't get in at Shennington, try Shotteswell, which has 800m+ of grass.

[bcfc]

FD - yes please. PM sent.

[bcfc]

Sorry to resurrect this but anyone actually been into Shennington?

Trevs99uk, you sound like you're local or have at least visited before - Just looking for some local knowledge from a SEP perspective.

Spoke to them and yup, they sound really nice - just a bit daunting with all those cables and up to 30 gliders on a good soaring day. :ooh:

Cheers
bcfc

[amoore]

I've flown into Shenington a couple of times in a 172 (I glide out of there as well).

The thing to remember is that it is a gliding site:
- No ground radio (usually)
- Circuits in any direction
- Landings may not be on runway used for launches
- Gliders can't "go round" if you get in their way
- Winch cables may be encountered up to 1500agl

The other thing is that there a couple of noise sensitive areas (no overflight below 1500agl):
- Shenington village
- Upton House
- The other one is just to the West of the airfield

That said its a really friendly place and I've never heard of anyone paying a landing fee.

Andy

[bcfc]

Andy

Thanks for this. Last weekend we drove up (too many menacing cb's sadly) and I popped in to see them. They confirmed all you've said and I agree they're a very friendly bunch.

Basically, my tactic will be to mooch around to the NE at 2000' and have a look where the winch & launch site is. They typically have two cables so if I see two launch or if no one seems to be preparing to launch, then I'd come in and land in the same direction so not to get tangled up with any cables. :ooh:

The grass strip seemed a bit lumpy - have you landed on the grass or did you stick to the concrete?

While we were there, a number of SEP's came in low over the village, so not everyone is observing the local rules - not sure if they were residents or not.

Anyway, hope to be back there in the next few weeks. I told my pal who's just moved into the village and is just 200 yds from the airfield that he now has to wear a hair shirt for being such a jammy git!

-bcfc

[pbloore]

Hi there,

I've only just noticed your post. The crowd at Edgehill are very friendly and helpful, and the advice you've been given is all good. None of the surfaces are particularly smooth so I would go for a smooth short field landing to minimise the bumps.

You will need to keep a very good lookout for gliders in particular (on a good day they will probably mostly be circling under cumulus clouds especially those with dark flat bases), and bear in mind that they can winch and aerotow launch.

It would probably be worth trying calling them on 129.975 which is the universal gliding air/ground frequency - bear in mind that all the gliding clubs use this frequency and the RT is likely to be non standard.

I fly out of Bidford which is also a gliding site (both in power and gliders) and so long as you give precedence to the gliders and fit in with them there should be no problem. Bidford is strictly PPR due in the main to noise issues and I guess Edgehill is the same. I've always phoned up first out of courtesy if nothing else.

Have fun

Paul :-)

[amoore]

The grass is certainly landable - I've landed on both the grass and the hard depending on glider activity / wind direction. Actually, depending on which bit of grass you pick, its smoother than some of the hard - which has got tufts of grass growing through joints.

The thing to avoid is crossing the hard/grass boundaries at any apprecialbe speed - in some places it's a non-event and in others it could do your nose gear some damage (if it's on the ground) at more than a slow walk.

The other "gotcha" is that there are still some of the original drain grates in the grass close to the grass/hard boundary of the field at the N end of the airfield (the one with T-Hangars in it) - these are a good few inches below the surrounding ground.

That said the wheels on a glider are around the same size as the mains on a 172 and there are no parts of the airfield which are not landable in a glider. Just stay at least 30 feet away from any fences (gliders don't get any closer than that due to wing span - so there could be some undetected bumps).

Best advice is to keep the nose wheel off as long as possible - usual rough/soft field stuff.

Andy