Microlight site not on chart?
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2009
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From: London
Microlight site not on chart?
My passenger took this photo on Sunday. I was a little surprised as no microlight site is marked here on the CAA chart. On Google Earth one can see what looks like a short runway with a small plane or microlight taking off.
The position is 51°42'17.20"N 0°16'36.76"W (less than half nautical mile SSW of the De Haviland Heritage Aircraft Centre, near Potters Bar)
The position is 51°42'17.20"N 0°16'36.76"W (less than half nautical mile SSW of the De Haviland Heritage Aircraft Centre, near Potters Bar)
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: In a control room with no radar...
Perhaps it's new.. or illegal 
Wouldn't do harm emailing the CAA about it anyway.You'd get a better explanation from them than you would from us; though reading some of their responses I feel like retracting that statement!
Wouldn't do harm emailing the CAA about it anyway.You'd get a better explanation from them than you would from us; though reading some of their responses I feel like retracting that statement!
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: Hotel this week, hotel next week, home whenever...
Lots of private strips appearing that aren't on the chart.
Perhaps they should set up a special department in the Belgrano to receive all the reports of people committing aviation!
Perhaps they should set up a special department in the Belgrano to receive all the reports of people committing aviation!
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: essex
The airstrip is London Colney.
Home to the Hertfordshire microlight club.
You missed the Salisbury Hall aurcraft Museum a field to 2 away and also the Arsenal Football club training ground right underneath you.
Also check your map its out of date London Colney should be on the latest map. Caa may have something to say about that.
trevor
Home to the Hertfordshire microlight club.
You missed the Salisbury Hall aurcraft Museum a field to 2 away and also the Arsenal Football club training ground right underneath you.
Also check your map its out of date London Colney should be on the latest map. Caa may have something to say about that.
trevor
Joined: Feb 2006
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From: god knows
Mainly because I don't want to bump into them! Above 2500 feet is Class A.
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Wiltshire
... and if you looked out of your window even harder you would realise that there are loads and loads of strips out there for fixed wing, micros and others which aren't on the map.
Even if the owner / club tells the CAA they won't necessarily put a strip on the map. Many owners don't want their strip on the map as they don't want visitors - either by air or road.
Even if the owner / club tells the CAA they won't necessarily put a strip on the map. Many owners don't want their strip on the map as they don't want visitors - either by air or road.
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2009
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From: London
We are taught during PPL training to religiously avoid anything on the charts indicating glider, microlight and hang-glider activity.
From this discussion it's obviously not practical to plan routes avoiding all of these.
In fact, on my little bimble the only a/c I encountered outside of the ATZs was a helicopter hoving over the Elstree Golf Course VRP (really sensible place to stick around considering it's the only route into Elstree) - but no problem - I flew in it's direction for 30 seconds or so - hello I see you - do you see me? before it clattered off lazily towards the M25.
From this discussion it's obviously not practical to plan routes avoiding all of these.
In fact, on my little bimble the only a/c I encountered outside of the ATZs was a helicopter hoving over the Elstree Golf Course VRP (really sensible place to stick around considering it's the only route into Elstree) - but no problem - I flew in it's direction for 30 seconds or so - hello I see you - do you see me? before it clattered off lazily towards the M25.
Last edited by Molesworth 1; 17th March 2009 at 22:37.
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From: Midlands UK
Originally Posted by Rans Flyer
Don't worry us micro pilots will keep a good look out for the spam can renters with their heads inside the cockpit studying their maps .... Only joking ;-)
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From: Strathaven Airfield
Here's another thought!
What do the chart symbols really mean?
The second busiest airfield in Scotland - in terms of based privately-owned aircraft - is East Fortune, south east of Edinburgh. There are c50 weightshift microlights there, but its chart symbol is just a circle with an M inside it.
At Strathaven, we have 20-odd microlights and a few GA types. We are also a circle with an M inside it.
Farmers fields with one Cessna, or one microlight, also get a circle with - or without - an M.
Yet Cumbernauld Airport - with no movements worth talking about after 5pm - has an ATZ, so would appear to be busy, busy!
SEE and avoid!
What do the chart symbols really mean?
The second busiest airfield in Scotland - in terms of based privately-owned aircraft - is East Fortune, south east of Edinburgh. There are c50 weightshift microlights there, but its chart symbol is just a circle with an M inside it.
At Strathaven, we have 20-odd microlights and a few GA types. We are also a circle with an M inside it.
Farmers fields with one Cessna, or one microlight, also get a circle with - or without - an M.
Yet Cumbernauld Airport - with no movements worth talking about after 5pm - has an ATZ, so would appear to be busy, busy!
SEE and avoid!
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: UK
Well that's a good practice. But don't assume that it doesn't exist if it's not on the chart and keep a good lOOkout and avoid anything on the ground that looks busy too. There's a lot of little airstrips that aircraft operate from which aren't on the map. Also the map only shows where they're taking off and landing. It doesn't show where they are in between!
Joined: Sep 2001
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From: the north
All flexwing microlight pilots are told that fixed wing aircraft are akin to tankers at sea. They just won't turn even if you have right to way.
I don't know if this is due to the aerodynamic qualities of GA aircraft or the fascination of the gps/instruments/in flight entertainment ?
I don't know if this is due to the aerodynamic qualities of GA aircraft or the fascination of the gps/instruments/in flight entertainment ?
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From: 2 m South of Radstock VRP
Blame old Newton; Inertia/Kinetic Energy. A nearly half ton microlight progressing at 45 kts can change velocity (a vector having displacement and direction, of course) a lot quicker than a 2 ton aeroplane progressing at 90 Kts.
The windows of all aircraft are transparent for a very good reason.
The windows of all aircraft are transparent for a very good reason.
