RAF Odiham
 

Does anyone know if Odiham accepts GA ? Specifically, landing on a Friday afternoon and leaving late Saturday ?

Or does anyone know who I should call to ask ?

Cheers,

FF :ok:

Call 01256 702134 and ask for the SATCO as a starter.

It is PPR only so give them a call on 01256-702134 Ext 7254 Ops.
But I think that you may only be allowed in/out Monday to Friday during operating hours.
Good Luck :)

At weekends the airfield is used by 618 Volunteer Gliding Squadron - http://www.618vgs.org.uk/. Contact details are on there. I'm not sure if you could get PPR via Ops for an out-of-hours use if the VGS were prepared to look after you, but it's worth a try, especially if you arrive during 'open' hours so they can process your paperwork on arrival. (Try to avoid being parked on the south side... it's a long walk!)

Sadly Odiham has no RAFFCA club or I'd point you that way instead.

You will need to pay the landing fee plus insurance unless you have the annual waiver from HQ STC at Wycombe.

Tim

I diverted in there once, they were extremely helpful.

Only thing I discovered was that they had no AVGAS on station, and the entire station MT fleet ran on Diesel, so getting fuel to get home (it having been a fuel diversion) was a little problematic.

As for routine use, no idea - phone station ops.

G

The VGS has AVGAS by their hanger. I'm sure if you spoke nicely to OC OPs and also SATCO they could have you in on the Fri and ut on the Sat. The VGS have AG radio but for info only. Some regulars used to keep their GA at Odiham and fly out using the VGS to get airborn then onto F'Borough, or depart post phonecall to Farnborough. Shouldn't be too much of a problem but definatley worth speaking nicely to ops.

Jaffa cakes/Case of booze might be a suitable bribe.

Does anyone know if the situation re AVGAS is still the same at Odiham? Have a mate stationed there and planning a weekend down?

(Also, what is "SATCO"!?)

tvm.

SATCO = Senior Air Traffic Control Officer

You could try talking to Lasham EGHL

Both Odiham and Lasham have winch launched gliding activity so powered aircraft not connected with gliding are not always welcome. At Odiham, gliding is stopped whenever they have a helicopter movement, which is not popular with the glider people; the same may occur for a non home based powered fixed wing movement.(yes I know the VGS uses SLMGs but there are 'robust' procedures in place to mitigate these) There are private strips at Hook (very difficult if you haven't been there before) and Valentine's Farm, which is next to the Odiham bypass just north of Odiham town. No doubt someone on here will have contact info if you request it.

Not last time I went there - they were cable-launching. Not all VGSs are SLMG units.

Also, check with the VGS but 99% of VGS activity in termtime happens on weekends. They run continuous courses in the school holidays but otherwise they don't usually operate on weekdays.

Tim

If all else fails, you've got Blackbushe and Popham close by and both very friendly.

G

Thanks - Blackbushe or Hook were my next alternatives but just wouldv'e been nice to land at Odiham and walk to his house rather than by car!

Will call when planning to go to see what the situation with gliding activity is.

I used to be based at Odiham when I was in the RAF. Unfortunately taking private aircraft into RAF airfields is a bit of an admin exercise, even for a serving RAF officer. If your mate is stationed there, he might be better placed to make some of the arrangements on your behalf.

Regarding Hook airstrip, I have always taken a good look at it whenever I have driven past and would very much like to use it some time. My aeroplane is in the Piper Cub class (ie pretty short takeoff/landing distance required) and that strip looks seriously challenging to me: 250' powerlines, trees, motorway, short length etc. There's no way you could safely use it in a Cessna or Piper class aircraft.

Tmmorris:
The Air Cadet VGS at Odiham has always used SLMG's, the other two gliding organisations at Odiham (Army GA and RAFGSA) are the ones who winch launch.

Isn't that just work creation though?

I have flown over/past Odiham many times, mostly weekdays, and don't recall ever seeing any activity whatsoever there, on the runway or in the air. It's obvious they are not particularly busy.

More a clumsy attempt at revenue creation, mandated at MoD level and a consequence of the endless defence cuts over the last couple of decades. Certainly not something easily changed or avoided. In fact it seemed to be such a bureaucratic pain in the arse, that in the space of 10 years in a green flying suit, I only ever flew a private aircraft into an RAF station on one occasion.

AS for your last paragraph, nice try, but you must try harder if you're looking for a bite.

Have flown a PA28 into RAF Halton in recent years. Very helpful there just needing 24 hours PPR. I did need to pay a landing fee plus MOD insurance though, about £25 total. The engine cut out on the runway just after landing unfortunately - very embarrasing...

Far more fortunate than it cutting out shortly before landing, surely? :)

Things may have changed recently but as I understand it the MOD mandate is for RAF stations to always make their facitities available for revenue generating activities unless it seriously impeded operational flying.

I fly into RAF airfields frequently and once you have the paper work organised and accept it is both their ball and their garden the whole process is fairly painless. And as for diverting they are fantastic. Once asked to divert to Brize when 1 mile final on a training ILS (we had only just broken cloud so was obvious we wouldn't be able to get back to home base). We got the affirmative decision in about .5 of a nano second so landed. Free coffee and biscuits and no landing fee. Sat on the ground until the front went through and then recovered to base .

So just ask

PS there is an amazing amount of aerial activity at both Benson and Odiham at the weekends. If you can't see it on the ground I'd look around cos it's probably up there with you