Permitted landing on roads
There are a several road sectons in the UK which could be designated emergency airfields in time of conflict. One is the section of the A1 near Cottesmore which runs passed the WW2 airfield at Woolfox Lodge.
I onece has to get my prop checked for regrinding at an engineering facility at Little Staughton airfield near Bedford. me and a mate flew over there, parked at a hangar where another engineering company were based and asked how to find the one we wanted. We got helpful instructions, got in the aircraft, started her up and taxied over there - via a quite complex route.
On arrival, we went inside and the engineer we had come to see asked where the prop was. We said outside, he asked had we taken it off the aircraft. When we said no, he looked slightly confused, so we took him outside. When he saw the aircraft parked outside the workshop he was gobsmacked! It turned out the first engineer we had spoken to hadn't seen the aircraft, assuming we had driven there and gave us instructions how to get to the new place by public road. As this fact was explained to us, a bus went down the 'taxiway' we had just used to reinforce the point.
To be fair (to us!), the local council had built a road over one of the old taxiways to save hardcore and the taxi route seemed natural to get to the hangar we could see in the distance. But we had wondered why one taxiway was maintained perfectly with newly painted centreline markings!
We got the Police to close the road while we taxied along it later to get to the runway again. I seem to remember one of them muttering something that sounded like "Clucking Stickheads!" under his breath.
On arrival, we went inside and the engineer we had come to see asked where the prop was. We said outside, he asked had we taken it off the aircraft. When we said no, he looked slightly confused, so we took him outside. When he saw the aircraft parked outside the workshop he was gobsmacked! It turned out the first engineer we had spoken to hadn't seen the aircraft, assuming we had driven there and gave us instructions how to get to the new place by public road. As this fact was explained to us, a bus went down the 'taxiway' we had just used to reinforce the point.
To be fair (to us!), the local council had built a road over one of the old taxiways to save hardcore and the taxi route seemed natural to get to the hangar we could see in the distance. But we had wondered why one taxiway was maintained perfectly with newly painted centreline markings!
We got the Police to close the road while we taxied along it later to get to the runway again. I seem to remember one of them muttering something that sounded like "Clucking Stickheads!" under his breath.
Join Date: Nov 2007
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Not a road but I read somewhere years ago that there were some gaps left in the tree lines in either Kensington Gardens or Hyde Park to allow enough of a runway for a Twin Pioneer to operate if it were needed to evacuate the Royal Family in times of emergency.
Join Date: Aug 2005
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Haven't landed on a road yet but will do soon, I am making an existing farm track running north south into a 15ft wide road and laying tar plainings on it, this "road"/landing strip will be used by tractors etc and myself for landing in the event the home strip (9/27) has wind conditions beyond my comfort level. The straight section is 900ft long
Join Date: Jan 2007
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FL,
Do I get a chocolate watch and yesterday off for guessing correctly?
Being a local of that area with my house in the background, I can emphatically answer with the Oyster Inn. I was home for that little shunt on the road.
Regards
MF26
Do I get a chocolate watch and yesterday off for guessing correctly?
Being a local of that area with my house in the background, I can emphatically answer with the Oyster Inn. I was home for that little shunt on the road.
Regards
MF26
