Wattisham service

[Mr Cessna]

I am usually very busy at weekends and therefore can only fly on weekdays, In the past I have found Wattisham extremely helpful, more so than any other LARS I have ever used. In a week or so I have a free Saturday/Sunday and was thinking of using one of the clubs Cessnas and taking the Girlfriend upto Elmsett for lunch.

My question is are Wattisham available to talk to at weekends, (as i heard they are not) or is there an A/G service at Elmsett at weekends? If none of the above, would it be worth talking to London Information?

Also is there any additional information I shouldnt know about flying in this area?

Thanks in advance

[Zulu Alpha]

Call them, but I doubt they will answer at weekends unless they have an exercise on.

If you don't get an answer then just self announce and go through the MATZ

Keep away from their ATZ as they do have gliding and other things going on.

Lakenheath/Mildenhall will give cover in the area to the NW when Wattisham don't answer, but the controllers will be very laid back Americans so the service is very different.

I don't think there is any food at Elmsett so you will need to arrange transport to a pub.

Old Buckenham does have food on Fri-Sun and so do the gliding club at Tibbenham

[KING6024]

Great Oakley has a nice clubhouse and is walking distance from a pub which I think does food.

[FREDAcheck]

Lakenheath/Mildenhall will give cover in the area to the NW when Wattisham don't answer

And Norwich to the NE and Southend to the S, both there at weekends.

I don't think there is any food at Elmsett so you will need to arrange transport to a pub.

It's about a mile to the centre of Elmsett, where I think there's a pub. Old Buck has a cafe open I think Thurs and Friday but definitely Sat and Sun, but check (Old Buckenham Airfield UK Airfields Norfolk and phone them).

Also is there any additional information I shouldnt know about flying in this area?

Only the usual: gliding sites (marked on the map) and a few masts sticking up to 1000 feet quite near Old Buck and Crowfield. If you don't have a GPS, check landmarks around your destination as some of the E Anglian grass airfields look pretty much like the 1000 neighbouring fields this time of year.

[chevvron]

If you're not going close to Southend, try Farnborough on 132.8. I often used to work traffic in the vicinity of Wattisham at weekends.

[Cusco]

Elmsett is more a maintenance base than anything else with no cafe/restaurant.

They do not have a/g radio (or at least they have a frequency but it is rarely manned.)

They also have specific noise abatement procedures for arrival and departure so if you do go be sure you have read them.

Why not try Old Buck or Great Oakley: much less hassle than Elmsett which IMHO would rate low on the "impress the girlfriend" scale.

(Interest declared: our a/c is serviced there and I have been in many times and apart from our maintenance org and a few industrial units making wooden doors, the place is usually deserted.)

Cusco