Lydd
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: UK, Essex
Age: 41
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London Ashford 
hole International !
It is a bit of a dump ... especially if your thinking of flying in for fun, the restaurant is ok, but fairly average.
But the landing fees are a bit of a rip off, if you ask them why i think they said something about maintenance of the High Visibility PAPI's ??? (It was CAVOK)
grass growing through the tarmac ... and generally not all that nice !
But other than that its GREAT !
hole International !It is a bit of a dump ... especially if your thinking of flying in for fun, the restaurant is ok, but fairly average.
But the landing fees are a bit of a rip off, if you ask them why i think they said something about maintenance of the High Visibility PAPI's ??? (It was CAVOK)
grass growing through the tarmac ... and generally not all that nice !
But other than that its GREAT !
Join Date: Sep 2000
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Lydd is, in truth, a bit of a dump - and not a particularly good stop off for X-channel trips:
* Manston is a better radio service - most of the time you can get radar info so they can at least see all the other traffic (who might be working other frequencies) - Lydd can only tell you about people working them.
* Take off from Lydd, and you're faced with a dog leg towards Dover for the climb-out, or full power climb out over the sea.
* All that has been said about drawback is true. Their tax free fuel is all well and good, but you get 28.1 pence per litre back from the Chancellor if you pay full price.
* The landing fee makes your eyes water. (Hint, you can get a reduction for a training flight).
* Mobile phone coverage is lousy - you have a hell of a job using orange to call ahead for weather reports.
(Depending on where you're coming from.) Rochester on the other hand has cheap landings, cheap fuel, easy flight plan filing, broadband access in the caff, fantastic catering, is handy for Manston and is far enough away from the coast to get to flight-level-oh-my-gawd in time for the crossing without straining the engine overmuch.
Steve (bacon sarnies'r'us) R
* Manston is a better radio service - most of the time you can get radar info so they can at least see all the other traffic (who might be working other frequencies) - Lydd can only tell you about people working them.
* Take off from Lydd, and you're faced with a dog leg towards Dover for the climb-out, or full power climb out over the sea.
* All that has been said about drawback is true. Their tax free fuel is all well and good, but you get 28.1 pence per litre back from the Chancellor if you pay full price.
* The landing fee makes your eyes water. (Hint, you can get a reduction for a training flight).
* Mobile phone coverage is lousy - you have a hell of a job using orange to call ahead for weather reports.
(Depending on where you're coming from.) Rochester on the other hand has cheap landings, cheap fuel, easy flight plan filing, broadband access in the caff, fantastic catering, is handy for Manston and is far enough away from the coast to get to flight-level-oh-my-gawd in time for the crossing without straining the engine overmuch.
Steve (bacon sarnies'r'us) R
Join Date: Nov 2002
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LYDD
Greetings all
FLY Simulator
Yes I cannot deny it; it was moi there at the same time as you. But the wait was worth it for the fantastic week-end in Le Touquet.
Pannis50
Thanks for the info on the Power Stn. I did notice that but whilst avoiding it flew straight thru the ranges. Fortunatly, they have very poor aim!!
Mike Jeft
Unfair.
Rgds. FPG
FLY Simulator
Yes I cannot deny it; it was moi there at the same time as you. But the wait was worth it for the fantastic week-end in Le Touquet.
Pannis50
Thanks for the info on the Power Stn. I did notice that but whilst avoiding it flew straight thru the ranges. Fortunatly, they have very poor aim!!
Mike Jeft
Unfair.
Rgds. FPG
Join Date: Aug 2002
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Does anyone know what became of the flying school at Lydd called soemthing like Skyflight academy ?
They advertised a really low rate (about 75GBP per hour in a C150). I phoned up and was told to try again in a month beecause the Cessna was in for an engine rebuild. I tried to locate them again and had no joy.
ISTR that a bunch of planes came up for sale at about that time, possibly they'd got the maths wrong.
They advertised a really low rate (about 75GBP per hour in a C150). I phoned up and was told to try again in a month beecause the Cessna was in for an engine rebuild. I tried to locate them again and had no joy.
ISTR that a bunch of planes came up for sale at about that time, possibly they'd got the maths wrong.
Join Date: Mar 2000
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IO540 wrote:
"Kirstie" is something of an expert on Lydd, but even I can fill in on this bit of detail.
There was an ILS with associated instrument approach procedures during the 1980s when SECOAT (South East College of Air Training) was based there and Instrument Rating Tests were routinely flown from Lydd.
Times changed, SECOAT disappeared and the ILS was sold to another well-known field. The current management are still attempting to make a go of Lydd, from an admittedly low base. This has included the installation of the "new" tower and the purchase and installation of a new ILS. The trouble is, in the intervening years, the Lydd Ranges have grown in vertical extent, the power station TRA has appeared, and the surveying of instrument approach procedures and associated airspace has become much more accurate.
The net result is that a conventional ILS approach procedure cannot be accommodated within the constraints of the airspace.
Doubtless the management at Lydd are working with the powers that be to fix that problem, but it all costs time and money.
2D
I gather they used to have an ILS until fairly recently and then sold it. That's a shame because the absence of terrain would make it an ideal south east coast bad weather diversion; now one has Southampton / Bournemouth only.
There was an ILS with associated instrument approach procedures during the 1980s when SECOAT (South East College of Air Training) was based there and Instrument Rating Tests were routinely flown from Lydd.
Times changed, SECOAT disappeared and the ILS was sold to another well-known field. The current management are still attempting to make a go of Lydd, from an admittedly low base. This has included the installation of the "new" tower and the purchase and installation of a new ILS. The trouble is, in the intervening years, the Lydd Ranges have grown in vertical extent, the power station TRA has appeared, and the surveying of instrument approach procedures and associated airspace has become much more accurate.
The net result is that a conventional ILS approach procedure cannot be accommodated within the constraints of the airspace.
Doubtless the management at Lydd are working with the powers that be to fix that problem, but it all costs time and money.
2D
Join Date: Dec 2003
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Lydd is a very friendly field with an excellent Restaurant for either a cup of coffee or a meal when you are in the area. Don't let the external appearance of the place put you off! Been there many times in the past myself.
ST
ST
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Lydd is a strange place. One radio operator last year was difficult to understand but arriving by helicopter is easy enough if you come in over the golf course and depart that way.
I haven't tried the cafe but the best part for me was having to go and pay the landing fee. Just seeing the girl behind the desk makes the trip worthwhile but maybe I shouldn't say that. (very petite and quite cheeky, with dark hair and fantastically painted fingernails!) Don't know her name.
Airport itself looks pants from the outside.
I haven't tried the cafe but the best part for me was having to go and pay the landing fee. Just seeing the girl behind the desk makes the trip worthwhile but maybe I shouldn't say that. (very petite and quite cheeky, with dark hair and fantastically painted fingernails!) Don't know her name.
Airport itself looks pants from the outside.
Join Date: Aug 2001
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Lydd
Very enthusiastic management I'm told, but very slow when it comes to getting things done. The ILS has been there for ages, but where are the procedures, the ATCOs, the improvements to the terminal etc etc etc. It can only be a matter of time before the whole lot just implodes on itself.
As for the girl... I know exactly who you mean, I was there with a student last year. Maybe it's a woman thing, but I didn't see the attraction. She just looked bored out of her tiny mind. We were treated with total indifference.
Charlie
x
Very enthusiastic management I'm told, but very slow when it comes to getting things done. The ILS has been there for ages, but where are the procedures, the ATCOs, the improvements to the terminal etc etc etc. It can only be a matter of time before the whole lot just implodes on itself.
As for the girl... I know exactly who you mean, I was there with a student last year. Maybe it's a woman thing, but I didn't see the attraction. She just looked bored out of her tiny mind. We were treated with total indifference.
Charlie
x
