Panshanger Airfield - similar experiences?

[porridge]

Has anyflown into Panshanger and had similar experiences to these gentlemen?

From the Welwyn & Hatfield Times:"Reaction to our arrival at the the airfiel was totally uncalled for"

[Genghis the Engineer]

I once had a couple of spotters turn up at our field and ask to be allowed to look around. I politely explained that it wasn't possible that weekend, since there was an air-scout camp going on that weekend (which I was helping run) and for care-and-control reasons we were, for that weekend only, restricting access to the airfield to known club members, the Scouts and their leaders.

A week or so later, a somewhat biased view of what seemed at the time to me a perfectly polite encounter appeared on a spotters bulletin board slating our place as probably the most unfriendly airfield in England.

The result, totally unintentionally, has been virtually no spotters ever since ; although as I explained at the time, they'd have been perfectly welcome the following weekend, I can't honestly say it's done us any harm.

G

[Chocks Wahey]

Does anyone have the original article?

Been to Panshanger quite a few times and always found it to be very friendly. They always insist on an overhead join though, no matter where you approach from.

[J.A.F.O.]

no spotters ever since

RESULT!

Since I have taken up the hobby of spotter spotting I have seen lots of aircraft spotters, almost as many train spotters and, last Sunday in London, I spotted my first bus spotter.

All of these people were out in public with, apparently, no supervision whatsoever.

However, from the letter in the Welwyn & Hatfield Times:

Myself and three friends are aviation enthusiasts and belong to the Luton Airport Aviation Enthusiast Scheme, which is run by Bedfordshire Police

it would appear that the local constabulary in Bedfordshire is, at least, keeping watch over these people.

[montster]

I fly from Panshangar and, although I have heard mixed comments about their friendliness to visiting aircraft so can't comment on their attitude towards spotters, I can say that they have an awful lot of trouble with "tresspassers". It's very close to open fields and people frequently walk their dogs within the aerodrome boundaries. The best one I witnessed was mopeds on the runway!! It was after dark, but does give you an idea of what they're up against. However, being rude to people who are respecting aerodrome rules and doing things properly by asking permission doesn't really help anyone.

[Chocks Wahey]

Were they doing wheelies?

[yintsinmerite]

I have only ever been in there once as a student ppl - in fact I think it was the first landing I ever did in which I am confident that instructor didnt help. As I recall, they seemed friendly enough although I was told a story that some people had taken to flying radio controlled models on or near the field which had alarmed a few pilots. The person I was speaking to then went on to say one of the local plane owners had some real tank of a plane with which he managed to mash one of the models. Dont know if it was true, but I liked it at the time

[Zlin526]

I've never been back to the god forsaken run-down place since the proprietor of the flying club threatened to "report me to the CAA" for doing an emergency landing (i.e without engine!) without asking his permission!

Its a $hitehole, always has been and I can suggest far better places to go..

[FNG]

I am, with hindsight, very glad that the chief bloke at Panshangar decided to go for a jolly in the aeroplane booked for my second lesson there. I never went back. The place seemed to me to be reasonably friendly, but very disorganised.

[In Altissimus]

I have to agree with the previous two posters - having endured some so-called 'training' there I now give it as wide a berth as possible. It's a shame it's stuck there in the Luton/Stansted gap - otherwise I would have erased it from my memory by now.

yintsinmerite - I remember one of the 'instructors' used to fly model 'planes on the field while it was open - need I say more?

[Monocock]

Having kept quiet on this thread until now..........I have to go along with Zlin and FNG.

That guy is an absolute w****r of the first order and I wouldnt let one penny of my money pass through his hands.

I have suffered his wrath first hand and I would describe it as "an imbalanced display of inferiority".

[eyeinthesky]

I was also there by chance a few years ago when a PA28 landed. On board was a chap who used to be a student or an instructor there, who had had a falling out with the guy with a strange surname who was in charge. The PA28 had come in for fuel, but the owner refused to sell him any because he didn't like him, forcing him to depart to Elstree with about 30 mins total fuel.

I had a trip in the Pitts and feel certain that I was ripped off (charged for an hour when we were only up for 40 mins) but I was a little dazed after the aeros and didn't pursue it

Not a good experience.
It's a pity really, as it is nicely placed and free from the hassle which is occasionally experienced at Elstree.

[wet wet wet]

Went there once, a year or so ago, since there was a free landing voucher in one of the mags. No-one wanted to talk to us, nothing to see, nothing to do, so we were quickly on our way. No reason to return. The way that housing is encroaching the airfiels it may not be around much longer in any case.

[Aussie Andy]

Great, that's Panshanger off my list then! I love this PPRuNe "airfield radar" or "w*nker early warning" function

Andy

[FNG]

Apart from location it appears to have little going for it: no food, no bar, nothing but dull suburbs nearby.

[david viewing]

I was in a Jodel group there many, many years ago. Can't comment on the present ownership, but just off the end of the runway was an entire Roman city in the process of dissapearing into the vegetation!

Apparently it was the set of Korda's pre-war movie 'I Claudius', abandoned intact when the project failed in about 1937. Is it still there?

DV

[EL SID]

And it doesn’t end there the ‘proprietor’ abuses his customers too! For example he assaulted an aircraft owner (put his hand up to it in court and was bound over to keep the peace). Has had numerous complaints of inappropriate behaviour towards female pilots in the cockpit and on the airfield and he has been known to instruct and examine without a valid license. The way he treats his staff would end him up in many an industrial court action if most of the people were not totally intimidated by his threats.
The CAA is aware of his behaviour and they have had formal complaints made to them and yet they seem reluctant to act.
So the consensus of opinion is that he is a “chronic self-abuser” seems to be correct!

Note to the moderator – contact me if you want verification of the above, I can provide you with names and telephone numbers to confirm all the above, with exception of the last sentence!

[WorkingHard]

I have used Panshanger on a number of occasions and found no problems at all. I may or may not have met the owner, I simply dont know. What I do know is that it is very handy for my purposes on occasions and the staff have been quite correct and friendly. I am not in any way disputing what has gone before but just to say the reception some have had is not universal.

[BRL]

Anyone can write what they like on here, anywhere in fact, not too bothered about verifying things as I do trust virtually all of you here but I will need from you your contact details when asked for them if someone wants to make a noise regarding content of posts etc. If you agree to that, write what you like, no problem..

[inaspin]

Sounds like an owner straight from Sywell's Bletsoe Brown school of how to run an airfield!