LAC and Ashcroft Airfield
 

What on earth is going on between LAC and the owner of Ashcroft ?
I've just looked on the Ashcroft website and they seem very upset about LAC.
It's even says that LAC are not welcome ?
As a member of LAC I am totally unaware of whats gone on, but there seems to be a lot of venom and accusations.

Anyone any ideas ?

Having just looked at the website, all I can conclude is that there are some serious issues at that location. :hmm:

What a load of disjointed rubbish. You can't even work out what point the author is trying to make.

By author I assume you mean of the website ?

Ashcroft Airfield (EGCR)

Seems very upset.
But what is the plane on the poor quality CCTV image ?
If it is an LAC plane it must be one of the Grobs, but it looks like a PA38 possibly ?

I could write pages about what has been going on - but I won't as I don't think I could get the story across without falling foul of various libel laws forum rules etc etc......:eek:

I understand that the owner has issues with Lancashire Aero Club not LAC Flying School - Barton Manchester, North West England.

Looks like 'Rigger Boots' are a pre-requisite of being a member of the Lancashire Aero Club !:)

Aircraft looks like a Piaggio 149 - not sure how many are around?

IO

All very odd - reading the site does not make it clear what the problem is or has been.

Like the LAC landing fee being more than they could ever afford.

Seems odd that it is for sale but the sale will take 10/15 years.

Having some details of the problem may lead to some helpful suggestions as to how to solve it?

I can conclude that I don't want to land there. Avoid the risk of hassle, go somewhere else.

I'd agree. Far less hassle to land at Manchester, Heathrow or Gatwick than that!

One to miss, I think.

I'm sure it's nothing a little pugilism couldn't sort out.:E

Many locals know the story. Have a look on this web site.

Interesting. I work for Network Rail. I've just had to sign for a brief regarding KHF, it's location and what to do in the case of an emergency.

Where does the fine fella from Ashcroft fit in though ?
Does he live near there ? Or do the NIMBYs just represent some allies for his cause, whatever that is.

A mate of mine went to Ashcroft to discuss hangaring his microlight there. He says mid-conversation the owner just walked off and left him there.
He says he's never met such an ignorant ba*t*rd in all his life.

I have been into Ashcroft 4 or five times in my microlight over the last 3-4 years...spoken to Steve a few times...seems ok to me...not had a problem.

2 sides to every story.

The CCTV photo does not show the Lancashire Aero Club or at least some of it's members in a very good light, LAC members are photographed essentially breaking-in to the airfield for whatever reason.

I'm sure there are two sides to this story but the photo of the rigger-booted group climbing over the fence appear an intimidating bunch, who seemingly weren't invited and had no business being there. If it were my airfield I think I'd be upset too, perhaps an apology might be in order and then leaving the owner of Ashcroft alone so he can get on with running his airfield?

I have not flown into Ashcroft since the field, when owned by the delightful gentleman Bryan Lockyear,used to have it's Ashkosh flyins and have only recently become a member of Lancs Aero Club.
I object to the current owner making blanket criticism of all Lancs Aero Club members.
If he has an issue with individuals who were and might still be members then I would expect him to be specific and name them as undesirables or whatever in the same way as he seems to have banned a Mr Parrish and not imply poor or un ethical behaviour on the part of all Lancs Aero Club members.

Too Much Dirty Laundry
 

I'm based in the South and was recently looking at flying up North to visit. I came across Ashcroft and though id give it a look. Now, I have never met the owner and know nothing about this issue with LAC. One thing is for sure: After looking at all the dirty laundry he is dishing out on the website and the bullish nature of the writing, I wont be visiting anytime soon and I know quite a few other pilots feel the same way. All this stuff with LAC should not be plastered all over the airfield website. Very unprofessional.

Seems to be a chap who would benefit from some time spent in a jacket with very long sleeves, fastened to the back!

Shame he is such a fruit cake and so determined to pursue his personal vendetta in any potential public forum.

No idea what the pissing match is about but noticed the following when reading the site:

[QUOTE]I suppose that’s true, apart from… buying flying rights (behind our backs during purchase proceedings) and not forgetting… Ransoming us with these Rights [quote]

Just as a matter of interest what exactly are flying rights and from whom would you buy them from?

Pre-paid landing fees for right-hand circuits, perhaps? Extra charge for lefties? ;)

It sounds rather like the Faulty Towers of airports.

I'll be giving this one a miss too.

Naughty
 

Steve

If you are following this thread:

Displaying NO LAC visual from overhead your airfield paints you in very poor light. LAC flying school at Barton has zero affiliation to LAC. Lancs aero club and you would gain greater respect in taking the time in your quotes to qualify which LAC you are referring to.

Students that don't even know the situation who may use your airfield as a land-mark could associate it with the flying school they are learning from which in my view a tad unfair.

No sides being taken here just pointing this out to you.

Brgds

Kestrel

It seems to me that there's something incredibly creepy about Ashcroft.
The colorful diagrams on the website says it all.

Best to stay clear of it.

Ashcroft and LAC, the club, or rather some members.
 

FLYER Forums ? View topic - Troubled times oop north might elucidate. Happy reading! :uhoh:

Ashcroft airfield
 

Look at his website now. Crazy.

There is an interesting postscript to this story, You will see from the website that Billington is very concerned about "high energy approaches" and features a number of pictures of the aircraft - a German registered Piaggio FW P.149D D-EARY. This was based at Barton and was flown into Ashcroft by the people with who he was having a legal dispute.

Last year - 2017 - the aircraft was sold and is now based over in Yorkshire and is very unlikely to be carrying out "high energy approaches" at Ashcroft ever again.

Even a glance at the website shows someone with a very loud bee in the bonnet..........

The result of the legal action will be interesting to say the least.

I've just spent 5 minutes there, and have NO idea what it's all about.

For good or for bad, I'm not going to spend any more time on it.

If someone is trying to achieve something, it's not working.

Many apologies for having resurrected this old thread about the strange chap and even stranger website.

I've just picked up on the latest twist to this very sorry tale in that the "NOLAC" website has been taken down today. If you were one
of the many people mentioned on it you might feel some satisfaction.

Still viewable on the Wayback Machine:

https://web.archive.org/web/20220808...roftair.co.uk/

Website now back again. Not publishing as much as previously but looks like Cheshire Flyers are now banned as well as Lancashire Aero Club
https://www.ashcroftair.co.uk/

I've flown in to Ashcroft numerous times over the past couple of years and found Steve to be a really love​​​ly, helpful guy. The only problem I ever had there was on final approach. l was shocked to see another light aircraft trainsiting directly across my approach path, slightly below Ashcroft circuit height. It certainly wasn't showing up on PAW. I mentioned it to Steve who suggested I completed and Airprox Report online. I did.

​​​​​​​What was the outcome?

Thanks for asking. I'm waiting to hear. They haven't yet responded. I will be chasing it up.

Read this which will throw a lot of light on the situation.
The LAC appears to be the villains.
http://www.lendf.co.uk/Concerns%20ab...20-%202011.pdf

Thanks, Mike, good journalism research. I cannot help feeling that the author of the mentioned pdfs has other concerns than those described. Sure enough aerodromes must satisfy certain safety rules, but I should expect the CAA to take care of those?? It is like that in Belgium, and those people are scrupulous enough. Then again, given the quantity of aerodromes in UK, including the very numerous farm strips, the UK CAA might lack the human resources to examine every field for every change in operating rules, let alone for periodical checks?

Hi Jan,
The UK CAA are only interested in aerodromes that are licenced by them. There used to be many more licenced aerodromes in the UK when it was a requirement for flying training for an ICAO-compliant licence to be conducted at such. When that regulation was removed about 10 years ago, a lot of smaller aerodromes in the UK chose to hand in their licences. Incidentally, there has never been a requirement for an aerodrome to be licenced for the conduct of training for a sub-ICAO licence, such as for flying microlights. Civil Aviation Publication 793 gives advice on some dimensions of aerodromes to be used for flying training and it is now the responsibility of the instructor to ensure the suitability of an aerodrome, rather than the regulator. Of course, apart for flying training, it is the responsibility of the pilot to ensure the suitability of a site to be used for the alighting or departure of the aircraft they are flying.

TOO

Mike Flynn

You do realise the document dates from 2011? It was ignored by the CAA thus leading to various unfortunate statements made by the author about their officers which were then published on the weird website. The airstrip has been in use now for over a decade and is about to open a second runway - no trains have been menaced during this time.

Yes I am aware of the date of that.However it’s about the most coherent synopsis of the situation I can find.Why on earth the LAC chose to set up shop there beats me. There must be plenty of other places they could have chosen. My understanding is they have no hangarage or permanent buildings so is it worth the hassle?

I’m intrigued to know how they have planning permission for change of use?