Welshpool cafe
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Welshpool cafe
Anyone know what it's like? Is it a do it yourself coffee machine and a few biccies a la Popham, or a beautiful Starbucks rival like Shoreham?
Planning to pop in on the way to Caernarfon tomorrow, as it's where I did my PPL in 2001...
Tim
Planning to pop in on the way to Caernarfon tomorrow, as it's where I did my PPL in 2001...
Tim
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Welshpool - went in three times last year and it was a machine pumping out out of date crisps, they had no change for it when I asked and were generally an unfriendly bunch barely lifting their heads to take the landing fee, shame as its a great airfield in a great place but I won't be rushing back soon.
I would hang on until you get to Caernarfon for any food, I have been in few times this year and the tower, staff and food were all excellent.
I would hang on until you get to Caernarfon for any food, I have been in few times this year and the tower, staff and food were all excellent.
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That's a pity. It's a few years since I flew in there, but I remember we ordered bacon butties then went outside to sit in the sunshine and watch other arrivals. When our butties were ready, the cook rang a little bell out of the window for us to go and collect them.
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I last went about 1 year ago (shortly before the owner got killed) and they had the usual sweets vending machine plus some cakes.
I think they were doing burgers at weekends.
I have always found it a nice friendly place but very little in the way of facilities.
I think they were doing burgers at weekends.
I have always found it a nice friendly place but very little in the way of facilities.
Last edited by peterh337; 30th Sep 2012 at 19:09.
I remember the cafe as being pleasant but not somewhere I would go specifically to eat out. I had a cup of tea and very reasonably priced bit of cake.
For sad reasons (the previous owner died in an accident) there is new management now at Welshpool. The website has recently had a much-needed revamp. I don't know what other plans are afoot, but I imagine there may be more improvements in the near future, though probably not by Monday.
For sad reasons (the previous owner died in an accident) there is new management now at Welshpool. The website has recently had a much-needed revamp. I don't know what other plans are afoot, but I imagine there may be more improvements in the near future, though probably not by Monday.
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The wife of poor Bob who was killed in the tragic accident has taken over running the airfield.
Sadly the big operations have gone from there CT up to Hawarden moving from Turbine to jet.
The airfield is now private singles, the Helicopter school and Air ambulance.
During the week it is very quite and so probably would not be attractive to a caterer to take on as a going concern hence the few bits and pieces and coffee machine.
Pace
Sadly the big operations have gone from there CT up to Hawarden moving from Turbine to jet.
The airfield is now private singles, the Helicopter school and Air ambulance.
During the week it is very quite and so probably would not be attractive to a caterer to take on as a going concern hence the few bits and pieces and coffee machine.
Pace
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Welshpool is also inaccessible to GA much of the time, due to the surrounding hills often going up into cloud.
They have an unofficial IAP there - there is an NDB and a DME, which I have occassionally found to not be radiating anything - but you need to be fairly careful...
I did once very carefully develop a GPS letdown into there, with some VOR/DME fixes (Shawbury) during the procedure turn, and I test flew it in VMC including the missed approach, but it was one of those places which if you screw up will definitely get you. But then the world is full of those...
CT have been taken over by Emerson and I wonder if the original management (who I gather were into GA and initially got involved at Welshpool with some piston twin) are still around. The company is now a world away from how it was 10 years ago.
They have an unofficial IAP there - there is an NDB and a DME, which I have occassionally found to not be radiating anything - but you need to be fairly careful...
I did once very carefully develop a GPS letdown into there, with some VOR/DME fixes (Shawbury) during the procedure turn, and I test flew it in VMC including the missed approach, but it was one of those places which if you screw up will definitely get you. But then the world is full of those...
CT have been taken over by Emerson and I wonder if the original management (who I gather were into GA and initially got involved at Welshpool with some piston twin) are still around. The company is now a world away from how it was 10 years ago.
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Ahhh Welshpool. What a gem!
Fantastic scenery and a lovely 'bowl' to fly around. I imagine the weather would make it tough at times.
The cafe was a coffee machine last time I went which was about Oct 11, so a year ago. Still, I'd go back without hesitation
Fantastic scenery and a lovely 'bowl' to fly around. I imagine the weather would make it tough at times.
The cafe was a coffee machine last time I went which was about Oct 11, so a year ago. Still, I'd go back without hesitation
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After all that, I had to divert to Sleap due weather! Solid IMC at the MSA and the nice chap on Welshpool Radio didn't give a good report out of the window. Climbed to FL65 before I gave up and Shawbury kindly vectored me down to VMC on the way to Sleap. (Who quite correctly but entirely unnecessarily declined to take any landing fee.)
Full marks all round but I still need to go to Welshpool!
Tim
Full marks all round but I still need to go to Welshpool!
Tim
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I used to fly there a lot in twins. Firstly never get the Shawbury weather as much of an indication of what Welshpool has!
The surface winds will be different as will the cloud bases.
Welshpool has its own microclimate Shawbury giving overcast 200 will usually mean Welshpool will be 700!! Fog at Shawbury will often have Welshpool clear and visa versa with the river and valley making for localised fog and mist.
There is an unofficial approach but do not do it unless you are very familiar with the terrain as the hills come very close! The Runways are 22 04 the approach on the radials used for GPS as 210 and 030 which keep you away from the hills! Overlay that using the dme ndb and preferably a Radar altimeter.
As for how low you can come ??? Officially the MSA and certainly the MSA if you do not know the area like the back of your hand.
Pace
The surface winds will be different as will the cloud bases.
Welshpool has its own microclimate
Shawbury giving overcast 200 will usually mean Welshpool will be 700!! Fog at Shawbury will often have Welshpool clear and visa versa with the river and valley making for localised fog and mist.There is an unofficial approach but do not do it unless you are very familiar with the terrain as the hills come very close! The Runways are 22 04 the approach on the radials used for GPS as 210 and 030 which keep you away from the hills! Overlay that using the dme ndb and preferably a Radar altimeter.
As for how low you can come ??? Officially the MSA and certainly the MSA if you do not know the area like the back of your hand.
Pace
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As for how low you can come ??? Officially the MSA and certainly the MSA if you do not know the area like the back of your hand.
Anyway one would be somewhat careless to fly the "unpublished" but widely known NDB/DME approach (the one which the local instructors used for IMCR training, in VMC) given that the usual NDB bearing error (20-30 degrees especially if there is wx around) could land you in terrain. A GPS approach to 22 would be the only one I would do. Fly to the overhead, then outbound for some miles, then a procedure turn, then inbound on the runway bearing and a couple of SWB VOR/DME checks just to be sure (which is a lot more gold plated than any official GPS approach) before the descent. The missed approach design is fairly obvious.
Are the chippies in downtown Welshpool any good for lunch at the weekend?
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Tmmorris
Its been some time but use the GPS as your primary. Take runway 22 as an example use the Shawbury VOR to confirm your own fix at 6 dme on the 030 radial.
Shawbury Vor/Dme will confirm that fix.
Descend and turn inbound on 210 on your GPS which brings you in on a slight angle from the right. Check 210 against the NDB indications and that they both match also check the dme readings match fairly closely!
At about 3.4 dme there should be a blip on the radar altimeter as you pass over a hill but DONT DO IT No more said about how low some come on that approach 
me included (2400 feet)
Another point do not attempt it without a good radar altimeter and scan that all the way in! and do not descend unless everything is matching.
Pace
Its been some time but use the GPS as your primary. Take runway 22 as an example use the Shawbury VOR to confirm your own fix at 6 dme on the 030 radial.
Shawbury Vor/Dme will confirm that fix.
Descend and turn inbound on 210 on your GPS which brings you in on a slight angle from the right. Check 210 against the NDB indications and that they both match also check the dme readings match fairly closely!
At about 3.4 dme there should be a blip on the radar altimeter as you pass over a hill but DONT DO IT
No more said about how low some come on that approach me included (2400 feet)Another point do not attempt it without a good radar altimeter and scan that all the way in! and do not descend unless everything is matching.
Pace
Last edited by Pace; 2nd Oct 2012 at 17:25.
Not the best facilities in the world, but very friendly and helpful in my experience. No landing fees at Welshpool if you uplift fuel (unlike Caernarfon's fees which still wind me up 
)
Hopefully Llanbedr will be a viable option soon..
)Hopefully Llanbedr will be a viable option soon..
