Thruxton closed

[yakker]

I have not been involved in racing for a few years, however I realised the Mini boys are racing at Thruxton on the 21st. Great I will fly in and say hello to a few old colleagues.

Me "Hello Thruxton I would like to fly in on the 21st"
Thruxton "Sorry we are closed that day"
Me "Why"
Thruxton "There is a race meeting on, and due to Health and Safety we are closed to fixed wing. Now if you are in a helicopter"
Me "No, it is a fixed wing"
Thruxton "In that case, you cannot fly in, sorry"

Soon Health and Safety will not let us fly at all, safer if we all walk.
I do not blame Thruxton, but it’s another good day out spoiled by bureaucrats telling us what to do.

[Monocock]

Yakker

This isn't a new ruling. I have been going in there for fuel for 12 years and it has always been the same.

I know it's annoying but that's their rule and always has been

[High Wing Drifter]

Ooo, Mono, after all that fuss you make about other folk's grammar

[Johnm]

Actually you used to be able to take off and land between races, but they've stopped that now.

Why do we let a bunch of nannies and jobsworths organise our lives???

Revolution anybody????

[Trinity 09L]

Whats the difference between fast practice and races? I used Thruxton on 11/7/03 fast cars going around, got a video as well, and used the grass

[Spitoon]

Number of spectators?

[The Nr Fairy]

If you're using 25, then the car parks, paddocks (or whatever they call where the trucks are parked) and main spectator areas are full of people and vehicles on a raceday, which limits your options.

If you can find a mate with a helicopter, and cost-share, problem solved.

[Monocock]

HWD

Thanks for that. Error rectified!

[yakker]

I was sure aircraft came and went during our race meetings in the past, but not having raced for a while, I assumed that was still the case.

Johnm, I'm with you, we seem to have a nanny state that stops us from doing anything we may enjoy. Just recently at a hotel we have frequented for years, where we hired boats for a paddle on the lake, the hotel would only hire the boats to us if we had life jackets. But they would not hire the jackets to us only sell them at £45 each. So we suggested quad biking instead, no that has been stopped due to the high insurance cost. As I said soon we will not be allowed to fly due to the risk to ourselves.

[Lowtimer]

There you are, John. It is a well known fact that both motorsport and helicopter flying have 100 per cent safety records, while fixed-wing aviation is the most dangerous form of transport known to man.

[Davidt]

Please explain this paradox someone;

Haydock Park is only open during race meetings (arrivals/departures between actual races). I've never tried to get PPR is it only available to the jockeys??

[Gingerbread Man]

I'm pretty sure it is dependent on whether spectators are likely to be there or not. I'm allowed to fly when the Merc owners club are blatting round, but no one wants to watch that, so the stand is empty. Same for the race tuition club based there.
The race days are normally on Sundays and only seem to happen once a month at most. You could always buy Pilot magazine, get the free landing voucher for Old Sarum, and then catch the train from Salisbury to Grateley. Then its just a short two mile walk to the circuit . Enjoy!

Ginger

[ozplane]

I went to Silverstone a couple of weeks ago for the Historic GP races which were excellent. However the point is members of the Vintage Aero Club were there and took off towards Club Corner while the racing was still on directly over the crowds in the enclosure. So obviously different rules apply at different circuits. I remember the racing being stopped at Snetterton to allow a Cherokee 6 to land on the Revett Straight, presumably to let a driver in. Lack of consistency somewhere.

[srs what?]

So what about EGLK then where there are thousands and thousands at the Sunday Market not too far to the north of the runway. Shhhh, better keep quiet before H&S cotton on to that one too.

[dublinpilot]

Where is EGLK??

[srs what?]

Blackbushe - Blackbushe Sunday Market, was and quite possibly still is the biggest Sunday Market in Europe.

[Trinity 09L]

At EGLK listen to the car dealers at the auction, looking up - " you know those guys are only practising and training - you can hear them cut the engine sometimes, there like Morris Minors on wings" would you fly in one those - give me a nice motor any time

[BEagle]

'Sunday Markets' is often a euphemism for 'A place where thieves will be selling stolen goods'.

It's a shame that so many aerodromes allow these thieving barstewards in to peddle their ill-gotten wares...

[Wycombe]

....worth noting however that there probably wouldn't be a modern, active airfield at Blackbushe were it not for BCA (British Car Auctions) and the investment they made in the place about 20 years ago now (following the Doug Arnold/Warbirds of GB era).

The Car Auction site (which is massive and quite prestigious by the standards of that industry), Sunday Market and the airfield itself are all part of the BCA Group.

[yakker]

Thanks for the idea Gingerbread, but all the commuting would cheese me off. So I will use that other safe form of transport, my Kawasaki ZX9R.

Lowtimer, motorcycling is also one of the most dangerous forms of transport known to man, but I wont let that get in my way.

Ozplane, yes I have been at Snetterton when an aircraft has landed between races, cannot remember who it was though.