Elstree
 

what a dump, horrible rude staff especialy the tower staff,crap short runway,awfull cafe, all those dead / dying aircraft with green stuff growing on them and a fuel bay on a slope.i think its probably the worst place ive been to. i can only think they must have bribed whoever wrote the recent article in a mag . avoid at all costs

Drinking and flying eh?:E

If there are any pc12 pilots on here i would like to ask them a few questions regards operating the aircraft and flying in an out of elstree. Thanks.

Sounds more like flying and drinking, nothing wrong with that!!!!!!!:ok:

TOO

First step would be to ask the PC12 owners to cooperate, there's every chance they don't realise they're causing a problem and secondly ask them, as the payer of higher landing fees at Elstree, to put pressure on the airfield owners to do something about it.
Clearly the PC12 owners have business in the Elstree area, but equally there are other airfields in the area who would appreciate their business.

Elstree is not that bad - people are prone to a bit of exaggeration.

Sure it is cramped - but that is because of its good location for N London.

Because its busy it can be a bit hairy at times but that is down to pilots being t**ts at times.

I would describe it as the Popham of North London. Sloping runway, aircraft everywhere very busy, and occasionally someone the radio who gets exasperated by the aformentioned t**ts who make flying into both of the airfields harder than it need be.

Other Airfields...
 

Niknak....

There are other airfields in the area that GET and appreciate their business. That said - If I want to fly to Elstree for a business meeting then I'm not going to fly to Stapleford then hire a taxi am I?

I have been reading PPRuNe for a while and i must say this is one of the most stupid posts i have ever seen over here, flyboy1818 you should be ashamed of yourself, this is not a pilots mentality

DD,
my point was that the owners of Elstree should appreciate that to keep the business of the people who pay more, they should go that extra mile to accomodate them, not that you should go elsewhere.

Seems nothing has changed in the last 44 years!

I first flew in to Elstree in August 64, no radio, in an Auster J1N from Skegness on my 40-odd hour old PPL. Also my first non-grass landing (but I even managed that quite well). It was scruffy, crowded, unfriendly and from these thread comments, pretty much as it has ever been.

On taxiing in I almost got run down by some plook in a Spitfire. Two tail-draggers trying to peer over the nose and only one talking to the tower?

It was quite a while before I ventured out of Lincolnshire in an aircraft after that! Mind you, since then I've flown into hundreds of airports, airfields, and air strips that were similar or a lot worse!

My sympathies to those who still hang out there, of necessity

PC12 ponce
 

I am one of the the ponce's!!!! - quite willing to discuss it at Elstree anytime you like!!!!!!!!

Unfortunetly, with the larger Airports around London (Luton, Farnborough, Stansted etc..) all getting busier (more congested) with most/all requiring slots, handling etc.., you'll probably find more aircraft such as King Air's & Pc12's making use of the smaller GA Airfield's around the London Area. (I'm sure Luton would rather handle a Gulfstream than a Pc12)

North Weald has a couple of based King Air's (along with the occasional visit of a Challenger bizjet!), Denham see's regular visits by Pc12's, Blackbushe has regulars visits by King Air's, Beechjets, Citations etc & Fairoaks has a based Pc12, based TBM700 & a couple of King Air's along with regular visits by such aircraft. Also, Stapleford has a couple of King Air's based.

Wait till VLJ's really start to take off (excuse the pun) & start to frequent these smaller Airfields!

FC

...
 

Niknak....

I'm sure the PC12 Driver or (laughs!) his operations department are told where to go to drop of X and pick up Y etc...As the owner or customer I don't necessarily care what inconvenience I'm causing if it saves me time and/or money. I suppose the surroundings don't really matter to me either, as the kind of people who are using these aircraft are more than likely 'working on the move' and probably wouldn't notice.

Me thinks the owners of Elstree are aware of it's locale and the benefits that it brings...therefore aren't really up for spending money when there is no reason to.

As Fried Chicken points out, the number and variety of types operating into Denham, Elstree, Fairoaks......etc.. is only going to get bigger and the congestion worse.

What terrible things to say. Unfortunately, I have to agree. My least favourite airfield in UK, apart from Fenland.

Shytorque

What's wrong with Fenland?

The attitude of the people who run it..

Must admit that I've never heard that about Fenland, but as I've not been there for years I'll take your word for it.
Perhaps you could enlighten us all (and them).

They know already. That'll do.

I've spent a week or so mulling over Elstree and trying to ascertain if there are any plus points.

I'll get back to you in another few weeks.

What IS wrong with Fenland? (Once you've found it of course :) )