Lee On Solent - The End?
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Lee On Solent - The End?
Much nonsense has been written about the status of Lee on Solent and the reasons why things are as they are. I don't propose to add to the rumours and rubbish but it is now clear that crisis point has been reached.
If they get their way, Hampshire police (and their truly odious henchman) will finally get their way and have their own private airfield. All the tennants have been given notice to quit.
See http://www.eghf.co.uk./ for the nearest to the truth you can find.
The best we can hope for is that the looming crisis will finally galvanise the politicians into some action....
Don't hold your breath.
If they get their way, Hampshire police (and their truly odious henchman) will finally get their way and have their own private airfield. All the tennants have been given notice to quit.
See http://www.eghf.co.uk./ for the nearest to the truth you can find.
The best we can hope for is that the looming crisis will finally galvanise the politicians into some action....
Don't hold your breath.
Spoon PPRuNerist & Mad Inistrator
If they get their way, Hampshire police (and their truly odious henchman) will finally get their way and have their own private airfield.
That's a rhetorical question, BTW. Like so many things in this country, the tax (or council tax) payer pays, but gets little or no benefit from what they pay for.
SD
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I feel like a right mug for letting our "elected" MPs do this kind of stuff to us.
So much goes on nowadays that the electorate clearly don't want.
Distant shores beckon me thinks.
So much goes on nowadays that the electorate clearly don't want.
Distant shores beckon me thinks.
Nipper2,
it is only 1 odious henchman who is causing all the problems and has been doing so ever since the airfield was handed over from the Navy in 1996.
Lee does / did allow visitors providing you jumped through numerous hoops re insurance and had a good reason for visiting other than just wanting Lee in the logbook.
it is only 1 odious henchman who is causing all the problems and has been doing so ever since the airfield was handed over from the Navy in 1996.
Lee does / did allow visitors providing you jumped through numerous hoops re insurance and had a good reason for visiting other than just wanting Lee in the logbook.
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Paul
I know. It's a great shame that one man has been allowed to destroy something so valuable - and for what I do not know.
We can only hope that the current crisis forces more rational minds to prevail. Sadly, I fear that things have gone too far ....
I know. It's a great shame that one man has been allowed to destroy something so valuable - and for what I do not know.
We can only hope that the current crisis forces more rational minds to prevail. Sadly, I fear that things have gone too far ....
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surely there must be some logic in the fact that Lee is a publically owned asset and there are no security issue that involve limited GA use. Hence a defacto right to use it ? or did I wake up with rose tinted glasses on today
Pompey till I die
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I'm not sure
Lee does / did allow visitors providing you jumped through numerous hoops re insurance and had a good reason for visiting other than just wanting Lee in the logbook.
Have had aircraft visit our group in the past and quite how the aircraft maintenance facility and flying school will manage I have no idea. They cannot be expected just to pack up and move out in a few weeks. The majority of locals wish the airfield to remain and be used, the alternatives of gravel extraction or housebuilding are not welcome. Maybe suggest that the police relocate elsewhere and/or swop to a helicopter hence eliminating the need for a runway and removing the major obstruction to Lee being retained as an active airfield.
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Slightly off topic, but I hear the old Hamble airfield is to become a gravel pit, then once exhausted a housing estate.
With Southampton not really accessible to GA, and Solent heading the same way, to visit the area we will need to land on the IOW and get a ferry back!
With Southampton not really accessible to GA, and Solent heading the same way, to visit the area we will need to land on the IOW and get a ferry back!
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Can't the police fly the plane from SOU? They can position the helicopter somewhere else - Dorset police fly the helicopter from their divisional HQ at Winfrith...I'm sure they have caught a few people riding their bikes on the pavement with it too.
I don't see why they can't share the airfield with GA - We used to have the Air Ambulance based at our field and it was no problem at all. Mind you, try getting permission to land a helicopter at the MCA base at Portland....no chance.
I'd love to see it an active GA airfield - it beats Southampton. I occasionally have to go to Walsash and it'd be ideal.
I don't see why they can't share the airfield with GA - We used to have the Air Ambulance based at our field and it was no problem at all. Mind you, try getting permission to land a helicopter at the MCA base at Portland....no chance.
I'd love to see it an active GA airfield - it beats Southampton. I occasionally have to go to Walsash and it'd be ideal.
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in laws live by hamble. the site was sold for housing a long time ago, but they were only allowed to build so many due to the current roads. there are plans for a relief road (i cant say anymore as the plans may not be public knowledge) and when this happens in 5-10 years the whole site will be built on.
So unless everyone clubs together for when BAA have to sell off soton to keep the c/c happy. it looks like hurn, popham or goodwood (places like l-upham and f-mount have next to no space or runway length).
So unless everyone clubs together for when BAA have to sell off soton to keep the c/c happy. it looks like hurn, popham or goodwood (places like l-upham and f-mount have next to no space or runway length).
Red On, Green On
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Mildly OT, but does anyone know why Hampshire operate the FW Islander, as opposed to almost all other Police ASUs operating RW?
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Poor southerner
Wouldn't bank on being able to use Hurn (Bournemouth) too much longer, the way things are going there with the increase in commerical traffic, I reckon GA is on it's way out there too in the medium term. I've noticed how much harder it is and how long it takes to get clearance to take-off/land recently. Scuttlebutt is that GA's days are numbered.
Wouldn't bank on being able to use Hurn (Bournemouth) too much longer, the way things are going there with the increase in commerical traffic, I reckon GA is on it's way out there too in the medium term. I've noticed how much harder it is and how long it takes to get clearance to take-off/land recently. Scuttlebutt is that GA's days are numbered.
Fly Conventional Gear
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Scuttlebutt is that GA's days are numbered.
airborne artist,
the reasons given are a) hants is a big county b) endurance (loads of people kept awake at night longer by it now) c) carry more equipment d) allegedly cheaper than RW (not convinced on that one)
As for operating at SOU - no space available + noise complaints would increase considerably.
Flybmi - yes the restrictions imposed by Police are somewhat draconian. Not sure if the latest are there but currently if you wish to fly at weekends you must be away by 10am and not allowed to return before 5pm. The gates / fence are a hazard as well - several aircraft have hit these. Woe betide anybody who infringes these rules unless a guest of the Police (see website)
There are pleanty of airfields which mix GA/gliding etc safely but convincing people of that is proving impossible.
the reasons given are a) hants is a big county b) endurance (loads of people kept awake at night longer by it now) c) carry more equipment d) allegedly cheaper than RW (not convinced on that one)
As for operating at SOU - no space available + noise complaints would increase considerably.
Flybmi - yes the restrictions imposed by Police are somewhat draconian. Not sure if the latest are there but currently if you wish to fly at weekends you must be away by 10am and not allowed to return before 5pm. The gates / fence are a hazard as well - several aircraft have hit these. Woe betide anybody who infringes these rules unless a guest of the Police (see website)
There are pleanty of airfields which mix GA/gliding etc safely but convincing people of that is proving impossible.
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Contact Tower
I sincerely hope you're right (it's convenient for me!!) although I really don't share your confidence. I seem to recall the same was said about Southampton a few years back.
I sincerely hope you're right (it's convenient for me!!) although I really don't share your confidence. I seem to recall the same was said about Southampton a few years back.
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Bournemouth *should* be ok, but I have a suspicion that the prices will keep going up and will eventually drive GA out (or make it very expensive to operate there) - Especially with their large terminal expansion. However there are a lot of aviation associated businesses on the industrial estates at the airfield (unlike Southampton) so I suspect GA will stay for the foreseeable future.
This really does make me violent. 
I find the occasional hire of one of Caryll's Warriors a refreshing change from my usual haunt at Fairoaks and last did so three weeks ago.
There is absolutely no operational or safety reason at all why the aviation interests on the site canot peacefully co-exist, as they do in so many other places with fixed, rotary and gliders.
My suspicion is that the first step is to declare this a field for the Coastguard helicopter and the Police Islander alone and then when a decent length of time has passed, the police will decide to go rotary and share the pad with the coastguard (who are currently having a new hangar built), there will be a big expanse of field left doing nothing and of course building houses will inconvenience nobody at that stage .. will it ?
Then of course the Naval Gliding Club, who I imagine are currently laughing smugly as they get 10.00 a.m. - 5 pm. on Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday as sole users, will suddenly get something to cough about.
The possibilities to turn this into a thriving GA airfield are there in spades but nobody seems able to convince anybody that it should be done.
As usual ££££ or the lack of having to spend them not only talks but shouts.
If there was a way I could help the fight I would be happy to pitch in but the existing Lee Users seem to have already covered every possible base.
I find the occasional hire of one of Caryll's Warriors a refreshing change from my usual haunt at Fairoaks and last did so three weeks ago.
There is absolutely no operational or safety reason at all why the aviation interests on the site canot peacefully co-exist, as they do in so many other places with fixed, rotary and gliders.
My suspicion is that the first step is to declare this a field for the Coastguard helicopter and the Police Islander alone and then when a decent length of time has passed, the police will decide to go rotary and share the pad with the coastguard (who are currently having a new hangar built), there will be a big expanse of field left doing nothing and of course building houses will inconvenience nobody at that stage .. will it ?
Then of course the Naval Gliding Club, who I imagine are currently laughing smugly as they get 10.00 a.m. - 5 pm. on Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday as sole users, will suddenly get something to cough about.
The possibilities to turn this into a thriving GA airfield are there in spades but nobody seems able to convince anybody that it should be done.
As usual ££££ or the lack of having to spend them not only talks but shouts.
If there was a way I could help the fight I would be happy to pitch in but the existing Lee Users seem to have already covered every possible base.
Last edited by Dave Gittins; 25th Oct 2007 at 15:13.
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That's about the size of it, with any luck, they'll then be in a position to sell it back to the taxpayer who paid for it in the first place, outstanding plan. Rip-off UK strikes again.
Incidently, anyone know where the likes of Carill are likely to go? We do have a fair few airfields in this area but personally, I can't think of anywhere remotely local (bar the Isle of Wight) where there is space and/or not already an established flight school/maint. facility (therefore wouldn't welcome a competitor).
Incidently, anyone know where the likes of Carill are likely to go? We do have a fair few airfields in this area but personally, I can't think of anywhere remotely local (bar the Isle of Wight) where there is space and/or not already an established flight school/maint. facility (therefore wouldn't welcome a competitor).