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Elstree temp closure
Elstree NOTAMMED closed to fixed wing next week (25 - 29 Jun) due WIP. Are they finally re-surfacing the runway?
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yeah.. I have heard there is something with hangars and runway hopefully :)
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Chief FISO man tells me it's to enable construction of a new hangar.
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Right! yes totally forgot a friend mentioned that, but closing whole runway for hangar is a bit much :(
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You go back a bit! Based at Denham, we found Leavesden's RADAR extremely useful when coming back and the weather was a tad less than advertised. But then it was owned by Rolls-Royce, so who was going to pay to keep it open when they didn't need it any more?
I recall the CAA pulling Elstree's licence a few years ago due the parlous state of the runway, until they patched it. I'd guess the cost of a full resurface somewhere around £1million. Who is going to pay for that? Is that Lake Bucaneer all covered in green mould still there? I never enjoyed going to Elstree. Our Head Office was there and we had to drop off a/c for servicing, waste of an afternoon as far as I was concerned, but they did pay me! I would imaging the runway would need to be closed for a hangar construction if the equipment was going to infringe the safeguarded surfaces, possibly the sideslope if it's near the rest of the buildings. TOO |
Originally Posted by TheOddOne
(Post 10180884)
You go back a bit! Based at Denham, we found Leavesden's RADAR extremely useful when coming back and the weather was a tad less than advertised. But then it was owned by Rolls-Royce, so who was going to pay to keep it open when they didn't need it any more?
I recall the CAA pulling Elstree's licence a few years ago due the parlous state of the runway, until they patched it. I'd guess the cost of a full resurface somewhere around £1million. Who is going to pay for that? Is that Lake Bucaneer all covered in green mould still there? I never enjoyed going to Elstree. Our Head Office was there and we had to drop off a/c for servicing, waste of an afternoon as far as I was concerned, but they did pay me! I would imaging the runway would need to be closed for a hangar construction if the equipment was going to infringe the safeguarded surfaces, possibly the sideslope if it's near the rest of the buildings. TOO |
I did my first solo at Elstree 46 years ago (!) and also did a year as a flying instructor there, so I suppose I have a soft spot for the place but if I’m honest, it always has been a bit shabby. Short, undulating runway; school one end and power cables the other, not ideal for EFATO. Some of the characters brought a bit of money and glamour with them from North London. Spencer Flack, Alan Dyer, Jan Behrman, Keith Ewert (with Bill Bailey, of St Johns Air Ambulance fame), the Czech Stephan Brod (who imported Aero 145s), Hughie Green, Graham Hill and of course the amazing man who made it all possible, John Houlder. Who can forget Geoffrey’s booming voice from the “tower” and the calmer, measured tones of Pete? The ground crew (of whom I was proud to call myself a member for a short time) included Jock, his dog Haggis (who miraculously avoided decapitation by walking close to spinning props), Ollie and Tom Kilcoyne the manager, who also looked after JH’s Aero Commander. I also have fond memories of Leavesden, having instructed there for six years. A much quieter, more professional atmosphere with the advantage of a wider, longer runway and a superb SRA down to 1/2 nm which saved a few diversions over the years. Sorry for the ramble but to stay on topic, I’m glad if some improvements are being put in place at Elstree. It has a great history and deserves a bright future. |
Notice you didn't mention Mike Searle. When I went there to buy an aircraft from him, it was parked between Roland Fraissinet's Spitfire and Gary Numan's Harvard.
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Sorry if I forgot some important people. Yes, Mike Searle and Tim Vaughn, together with the aforementioned Stephan Brod, formed SBV Aero Services. Mike flew with me in an Aztec, to help diagnose some engine trouble. Didn’t he come to grief in Spencer’s Sea Fury? Then there were Pat and Rudi, on the other side of the hangar who formed Light Aircraft Services. Ive just remembered that it was Tom Kilcoyne who was the hangar/airfield manager, not “John”. I’ll correct my previous post. |
It was Spencer who pranged two of his Sea Furies after engine failures, the third escaped to the US unscathed!
Mike Searle may have been involved with the Spanish Jungmann caper, three were wrecked en-route from Spain to Elstree... |
Ah yes, weren’t Clive Hawes and Gary Tait involved with that too? Thread drift alert: I have a vague memory of meeting Gary and his business partner in Lagos, when they were ferrying a Beagle 206 from Fernando Po to the UK. |
Bringing a Beagle 206 back to the UK?
I'm surprised that was allowed; most people were glad to get rid of them (especially the RAF who I'm told by a guy who worked for Shorts at Bovingdon were given all the 'rogue' airframes; he had to try to service them) |
Used to be a few ex RAF Beagles at Biggin, they seemed to there for a while including one registered intriguingly in Paraguay. Most went to the USA I think. Couple of ex-Australian examples turned up as well...
Gary Tait - did he fly a Baron or a Duke? |
Gary probably flew most types at some point! Wasn’t his business partner called Dudley Clarke? Did they start National Airways, which then moved to Southend? |
Spencer was National Airways as well; who else was involved in it I know not...
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Uh huh, whatever you say. It's still closed, which was my main point.
And I don't live in Europe. I live in England. But thanks for your snotty reply anyway. I'm sure the people based there would disagree with your description of '****hole'. |
Describing Elstree as a ****hole is very unfair. it may not be as picturesque as some airfields but it’s a busy successful airfield with at least 7 different flying schools on site, a mix of GA and ‘light’ commercial, Pooleys shop, maintenance outfit and excellent restaurant. Location is excellent for those visiting central london (via thameslink) I don’t own shares but I do live in Elstree (the town) and feel privileged that I have a working airfield, that’s not under threat, 5 mins from my house. |
Originally Posted by Father Dick Byrne
(Post 10180855)
I’m sadly prompted to think about quoting that famous line about polishing turds. Leavesden was a tremendous aerodrome, with proper facilities, and that north London was left with Elstree to cater for GA perfectly shows the damage done by the absence of any kind of general aviation strategy in the UK. |
Originally Posted by Father Dick Byrne
(Post 10182306)
I visited recently, and it was a ****hole. If you really think it’s ‘a fine airfield’ I could point you towards some proper GA airfields in Europe which you’d find simply heavenly. |
I can point you to Gloucester.
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