The Golden Nose Wheels
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The Golden Nose Wheels
And the 2008 Golden Nose Wheel award for the worst GA runway in England goes to..........
Cast your nominations below, no more than three per person please.
Cast your nominations below, no more than three per person please.
Join Date: Oct 2005
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Compton Abbas always seems to have it's fair share of nosewheel collapses.....
Other than that I always remember landing at night on White Waltham's rwy 29 and it was shockingly bumpy, so much so that we cleared off and landed on tarmac elsewhere.
Other than that I always remember landing at night on White Waltham's rwy 29 and it was shockingly bumpy, so much so that we cleared off and landed on tarmac elsewhere.
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Gloucester Staverton 09/27 (and 04/22 to an extent) - rather bumpy and undulating. The kind people there usually only charge me one landing fee despite my repeated touchdowns on the rollout.
Wombleton N Yorks - used to be piles of Neeps and Tatties on the runways to slalom around and then more than a few boulders and potholes especially on the "out" runways. (Not to mention the high trees on the approach!)
White Waltham, also a little mountainous.
Compton Abbas, need oxygen to get over some of the bumps at the end of the runway.
The prize winner for me is Eshott in Northumberland where I once had a propeller blade suddenly become 3" shorter after my nosewheel went into an enormous pothole in the middle of the runway and my prop clearance suddenly became minus 3 inches. This was during the takeoff roll - I felt the wheel go into the hole, heard a bang and thought it was the nose tyre blowing, the prop remained attached and didn't vibrate excessively, I only really spotted the damage that the geordie pothole had inflicted on me when I got home - That was an expensive day out.
As if aviation isn't hazardous enough.
SB
Wombleton N Yorks - used to be piles of Neeps and Tatties on the runways to slalom around and then more than a few boulders and potholes especially on the "out" runways. (Not to mention the high trees on the approach!)
White Waltham, also a little mountainous.
Compton Abbas, need oxygen to get over some of the bumps at the end of the runway.
The prize winner for me is Eshott in Northumberland where I once had a propeller blade suddenly become 3" shorter after my nosewheel went into an enormous pothole in the middle of the runway and my prop clearance suddenly became minus 3 inches. This was during the takeoff roll - I felt the wheel go into the hole, heard a bang and thought it was the nose tyre blowing, the prop remained attached and didn't vibrate excessively, I only really spotted the damage that the geordie pothole had inflicted on me when I got home - That was an expensive day out.
As if aviation isn't hazardous enough.
SB
ChufferD,
I think that you would struggle to support that comment. I have read the AAIB bulletins with local interest since they have been on the internet and can only remember one C150 nose wheel collapse at Compton. Every month there seems to be at least one in other places.
While Compton is undeniably bumpy, at least you can see them. I've found that the ones at White Waltham and Goodwood are less obvious and take me by surprise.
But I only go to bumpy airfields. Otherwise my passengers will realise that its me.
Compton Abbas always seems to have it's fair share of nosewheel collapses.....
While Compton is undeniably bumpy, at least you can see them. I've found that the ones at White Waltham and Goodwood are less obvious and take me by surprise.
But I only go to bumpy airfields. Otherwise my passengers will realise that its me.
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Most nose wheel damage is due to poor flying technique and not the runways!.
It is strange that at one airfield I know one of the club won't let solo students fly from a grass runway (in one direction) and the other club has no restriction.
Very occasionally someone is unlucky enough to fall down a fresh rabbit hole or some other obstruction but nine times out of ten it is poor PPL instruction that is the root cause of a nose wheel collapse.
It is strange that at one airfield I know one of the club won't let solo students fly from a grass runway (in one direction) and the other club has no restriction.
Very occasionally someone is unlucky enough to fall down a fresh rabbit hole or some other obstruction but nine times out of ten it is poor PPL instruction that is the root cause of a nose wheel collapse.
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Can concur about 11/29 at White Waltham....truly shocking. How they cope with the Tigers there I don't know 
The old 35 at Hurn used to have a strange wollowing set of bumps at the start that even when watching a Herc use it used to be noticeable.
Problem at Compton - once you're near down - is that the runway is concave in the middle, rather than bumpy as such. For some reason, that seems to leads to nosewheel prangs there apparently...
The old 35 at Hurn used to have a strange wollowing set of bumps at the start that even when watching a Herc use it used to be noticeable.
Problem at Compton - once you're near down - is that the runway is concave in the middle, rather than bumpy as such. For some reason, that seems to leads to nosewheel prangs there apparently...
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Can concur about 11/29 at White Waltham....truly shocking. How they cope with the Tigers there I don't know
The advantage being that, if you are ever in doubt about reaching rotation speed, a bump will decide for you.........
The advantage being that, if you are ever in doubt about reaching rotation speed, a bump will decide for you.........
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nosewheel
had the pleasure of flying into Spilsted Sussex recently.
More like a roller coaster ride, so many ups and downs and on take off its like a ski slope.....good fun though.
More like a roller coaster ride, so many ups and downs and on take off its like a ski slope.....good fun though.
watchmysix,
So are you suggesting that the AAIB reports do not represent a fair sample of nose wheel accidents? Or that pilots who have problems at Compton are less likely to report them?
Its just that, having operated out of Compton regularly for more years than I care to think about, I am not aware of that many compared to other airfields. If you or Chuffer have some facts to support otherwise, I would love to see them. I only know of one nose wheel and one prop in the last three years or so.
It might be that, because Compton is obviously bumpy, pilots are that bit more careful. I bet that Compton students are more likely to be trained to land properly than in more benign environments.
So are you suggesting that the AAIB reports do not represent a fair sample of nose wheel accidents? Or that pilots who have problems at Compton are less likely to report them?
Its just that, having operated out of Compton regularly for more years than I care to think about, I am not aware of that many compared to other airfields. If you or Chuffer have some facts to support otherwise, I would love to see them. I only know of one nose wheel and one prop in the last three years or so.
It might be that, because Compton is obviously bumpy, pilots are that bit more careful. I bet that Compton students are more likely to be trained to land properly than in more benign environments.
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I hear the reason 11/29 is so bad at WW is because it's the runway they use for night CX...becomes a bit of a mud-fest, then dries out.
That's the story from the safety of the bar anyway
That's the story from the safety of the bar anyway
A little less conversation,
a little more aviation...
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Originally Posted by Lurking123
White Waltham. For a licensed aerodrome it is disgusting.
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Nimrod615 - you are , I think partly correct although the runway is still very rough.
I believe the " owner" of CA has an on-going argument with the owner of the Cessna150 as to the runways suitability and whether it should be licenced in its previous - with concrete - state.
So there is one possible reason why the concrete was removed
For tail wheel aircraft it remains very rough and most have now moved away.
I believe the " owner" of CA has an on-going argument with the owner of the Cessna150 as to the runways suitability and whether it should be licenced in its previous - with concrete - state.
So there is one possible reason why the concrete was removed
For tail wheel aircraft it remains very rough and most have now moved away.