Where best to practice ILS approaches - south UK?

[Avioactive]

Where can one go these days for low cost ILS approach practice in southern UK? Couple of runs in a Warrior + landing fee + coffee and bacon roll. I assume the likes of Biggin, Bournemouth, Cranfield, Cambridge, Coventry, Oxford etc. but not Farnborough say due to costs?

[Duchess_Driver]

Depends on where you're flying from.....

You can add Southend to your list of helpful instrument fields. If you're in Kent or SE England then there are some equally helpful ones on the other side of 'Le Manche'

Other option...if you can arrange it you could shoot an ILS at one of the military fields then pop in somewhere else for tea and stickies.

And you'd be suprised at some of the costs.

[BackPacker]

In the Netherlands, it seems to be the case that if you don't descend below 500 feet, you have technically not "landed" nor "gone around" so no landing fee due.

Even in a military CTR, you can descend on their ILS to 500 feet and then fly on without having to have PPR. Have to ask nicely though.

[Fuji Abound]

Lydd maybe one of the cheapest, and more interesting, albiet the FIAP is akin to a cross country. I think they will do you a package.

Calais is a bargain and it is only a few miles further.

Another alternative you have not mentioned is Manston which is fine although there is only a chocy machine at TG but you could walk around to the Spit museum for a short break. They use to do a good lunch there, but it is a few years since I have been to the museum.

[Cusco]

Southend's good and helpful though not cheap.

Cambridge is also pricey and IIRC you can't book an approach till 4pm the day before: you'll be competing with the CPL/IR training from Cranfield and others.

Don't forget Norwich tho' they're the priciest of the lot (or they were last time I went in last October.)

Cranfield : forget it.

You can keep costs down at all three by not landing and phoning in your credit card details when you get home.

It's the landing fee (+ or - fuel/ 'handling' -I've been picked up in a 36 seater bus before now at Norwich, with charges to match) that seriously hikes the cost.

Cusco

[cessnapete]

Practise ILS etc.

Calais or Cherbourg. Don't bother with UK, a rip off. Both French fields usually quiet and low charges. Good wine shop and food Cherbourg.

[whowhenwhy]

You could ask someone else near to Farnborough, you might get a good response........... Cheap too if you have the right paperwork

[Mikehotel152]

What, Heathrow?

[julian_storey]

These people Virtual Flight Centre have a pretty cool Cessna 152 simulator actually built into a Cessna 152.

You can do as many ILS approaches (and other approaches) as you like to almost any airport in the world with an ILS!

You can't log the time, but it's cheap and there are no approach or landing fees!

[Avioactive]

That's all helpful - but what are the numbers? Anyone got some comparative costs? I'm anticipating average costs for landing + ILS approach at around say £40 at a non-commercial airport and perhaps £60 at a commercial airport - does that sound about right?

[Fuji Abound]

You might well get 3 or 4 approaches at Calais for 16E - give them a call for cheap as chips approaches and top AT. Generally it would be worth your while calling around and asking if they do any packages. You could come back and let us know the results of your mini survey!

[mad_jock]

Personally I wouldn't bother practising ILS's

Go and do 3-4 NDB approaches then a final ILS and you will be pleasantly surprised that the ILS is such a complete none issue that you can't be bothered doing another one.

NDB/VOR approaches stretch your capacity in a good way. The physical polling the aircraft suffers usually from lack of capacity. Increases your capacity and magically your handling improves.

[Sciolistes]

I think Bournemouth is a great place for practice approaches because it is reasonably busy whilst still being amenable to practice approaches. I think you'll get solid practice at maintaining situational awareness, especially when vectored hither and thither. I agree with Mad Jock, practice is experience and experience is capacity. My experience also suggests that at a busy field you'll be vectored in tight more often than not and, even for an ILS, the workload can ramp up considerably and so the more experience in a busier environment the better.

[wsmempson]

Actually, Farnborough aren't very expensive and, if you also accept an SRA (which you'll get for free, as each controller needs to do a statutory number each year) your request will be looked on favourably!

Don't try to land there as they don't accept SEP, but go into White Waltham instead.

[Fuji Abound]

Personally I wouldn't bother practising ILS's

Go and do 3-4 NDB approaches then a final ILS and you will be pleasantly surprised that the ILS is such a complete none issue that you can't be bothered doing another one.

NDB/VOR approaches stretch your capacity in a good way. The physical polling the aircraft suffers usually from lack of capacity. Increases your capacity and magically your handling improves.

There spoke a true traditionalist.

However the tolerance on these is generous. Even badly flown adjusting the visual approach at 700 feet isnt too much of an issue.

When you really need it (or really get caught out) flying an ILS to 300 feet might be a life saver, but there is no margin for error. They might be easier to fly but if you need to operate to minima make damn sure you get it right and for that reason practising doing so to minima is very worthwhile.

[holyflyer]

Check with your local RAF airfield. When I was in need of a bit of practice with an instructor I rang the local airbase. They were delighted - they had two new trainee ATC officers and they would use it as a training exercise. Picked up at the edge of the zone with vectors for the ILS down to a touch & go, vectors back to the NDB for a twice round the hold then into the procedure, down to a touch & go, then vectors round for a Precision Approach talk down with a full stop. Could not have been more helpful and they were integrating me into their regular heavy traffic at the same time. No charge was made, and I just sent a nice thank you to the base.

[LateFinals]

I'd echo that the southend controllers are very helpful.

Don't forget Guernsey, who are also very helpful, and will also fit in NDB's approaches at Alderney if you wish.

Ellis

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Cambridge is also pricey and IIRC you can't book an approach till 4pm the day before: you'll be competing with the CPL/IR training from Cranfield and others.

Not tried during the week, but no problem with booking approaches at the weekend and never had a delay.

[Cusco]

Sciolistes wrote

I think Bournemouth is a great place for practice approaches because it is reasonably busy whilst still being amenable to practice approaches.

Just be aware that a lot of WIP on ILS at Bournemouth and ILS currently NOTAMd withdrawn till end of Feb for CAT111 installation.

Cusco

[airborne_artist]

In which case try the RW bases, as they get little/no FW traffic - Benson and Odiham, perhaps? You might also try Yeovilton?