Sandown
 

Just been to The Aviator which is under new management. No dogs allowed, no smoking, lousy service yet again and as a 3800 hour pilot I would not recommend it to anyone. What will they do next - ban pilots?

The Isle of Wight is a brilliant place to fly to with the family - visit the beach, take a stroll in the country but as regards The Aviator at Sandown, forget it.

Have you tried Bembridge lately - different story!

When did the management take over? I was there with a bunch of mates in November and couldn't fault the service or the food. Both were excellent.

As for the smoking ban, I can't wait until that's universal and enforced, so that's actually a plus point for me.

Pitts2112

no dogs and no smoking? thats not fairhttp://www.lileks.com/institute/dogs/smokedog1.jpg

I flew there recently with 4 friends and we recieved excelent service and great food. I would reccomend Sandown to anybody. (Runway is still a little bumpy but hey what can you do)

3800 Hour pilot......blimey, that DOES make you a food critic then!! Will you be on Gordon Ramsays Airfield Kitchen Nightmares next?!:}

Bembridge
 

...has the added advantage of a hard runway at this time of seriously boggy airfields (still a bit dodgy parking, though)
You don't have to eat on the airfield. Take a stroll (healthy & appetite-inducing!) to the Crab & Lobster - one of the best destination pubs in walking distance of an airfield anywhere!
Cheers,
TOO
ps the Aviatior was great last June, but things do change - look at the ups & downs of AV8 at Kemble!

Good news on the smoking ban.

Bembridge on the other hand does have the advantage of live jazz.....

I think he meant 3800 (fags)/ hr but the typing was poor :E

I was with you 29th October at Sandown. A Sunday morning iirc with a great cooked breakfast. Plus free landing for old aircraft :) Nice development they got there, building is reminiscent of a sailing club. Definate improvement over the hut they had beforehand.

It's a 20/25 minute walk into Bembridge. Going out of the airfield up the hill is a bit risky with cars for there is little room to get off the road.

Isn't Sandown talking about having a hard runway built soon (along with other airfield improvements) due to the re-launch of scheduled flights from the airfield?

Fried Chicken

Sounds like two positive steps forward to me.

No doubt you told them when you signed in (as you have here) that you were a 3,800 hour pilot? Therefore, it is quite understandable why the service was lousy.

As a mere student in comparison I really enjoyed my last visit to the Aviator at Sandown. I thought the food was excellent (as always) and the staff were cheery and efficient. The experience was only slightly marred by having to spend the time with Pitts2112 and DubTrub but nothing in life is perfect.

I expect dogs are not allowed because a Jack Russell was squashed by a landing piper arrow about a year ago!:O :sad:

Likewise

I was at Sandown in June for the Wight Party and spent three days in and around the airfield.No probs with the food & drink in The Aviator then.

Cheers


Barshifter

Gets my vote.

Sandown used to have a superb little cafe in a tin building behind the tower, and then it expanded and ended up like the Ritz.. Kemble also used to have a lovely little cafe on the 1st floor of the tower, great bacon sandwiches and then the yuppies moved in and we now have AV8 or whatever it's called, selling overpriced crap food.

Which is why i no longer go to either of them:ok:

I was there last Sunday, excellant service, excellent food. FANTASTIC NO SMOKING. Just because others choose to inhale filth into their lungs passive 3rd parties should not have to suffer. The sooner smoking is banned everywhere the better.

Any reason why someone would want to take a dog into a restuarant?

Sandown gets a big thumbs up from me and is one of the few places my wife who sees flying only as transport will come out for lunch!!

Maybe the reason my memory of Sandown was so good was because i had the pleasant company of Mono, BlueRobin, and DubTrub to add to the experience??

Every place can have an off day. I've been to Sandown 3 or 4 times in the last year and can only recommend it. They do live music on a Sunday as well. And I think they get a good mix of aviation folk and islanders/holiday makers in to watch the flying (and the aviation folk!)

Pitts2112

Went there 6 time last year and I was impressed every time.
Sandown is one of my favourite airfields to visit.

Rans.
www.FlightForLife.co.uk

Last time I was there the very personable young lady was singing "You'd be so nice to come home to", to me of course.:p
This was under the new management and it was doing a roaring trade. Free landings for pre-1950 a/c. I didn't eat but bar service was very prompt and I detected no difference from previous visits where the food has always been good. If I live long enough to get 3800 hours under my belt maybe I'll become a miserable old sod and get lousy service too.
Obviously in June 2005, you had less hours under your belt so it was alright to recommend it then, as you did here.


Mike

Are we including Koreans in this ?

how things change go there now!!!:}

You also get my vote they now building a hotel on top of the tittyvattor ritz or pitz my dog loves chasing the rats oround the bins.If my useless good for nothing hound ever catches one of them I might present it to staff and ask for it to be served with live jazz!

I am completely confused now....:bored:

Can anybody confirm if Sandown are having a new hard runway built as per a previous post?

I understand a hard runway (at Sandown) was mentioned on a press release relating to the launch of new (scheduled) services from Sandown by Wight Airways using a Pa31.

Thanks
WNC

hard runway
 

Neither.

Due to the position of the airfield being in a valley, they have the go ahead to flood it with about 5 feet of water and open a floatplane training school.

It's the only bit of available water near the island they can feasably use.

Hope that helps.

JTK

Just heard a rumour London City wont let them in before 10am and they have to be out before 4pm and that the service is not going to continue.Not that it ever got started!

Is it just me that is confused here........... :confused:

Both.

When they took the other away there was no option but for them to continue with what they had.

Only joking, BRL. I'm as confused as you. ;)

Confused not I am wasn't.

Neither.

Due to the position of the airfield being in a valley, they have the go ahead to flood it with about 5 feet of water and open a floatplane training school.

It's the only bit of available water near the island they can feasably use.


Cheers, looks like my Colleague will have to look at a floatplane rather than a Pc12/TBM700 :} (or use Bembridge!)

Presumably there is only limited hangarage at Sandown too?

WNC

You're just taking the p1ss, now. Make them stop, BRL, make them stop.

STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

New signs have gone up on the footpath to the south of the runway.

http://static.redjupiter.com/images/...igatorSign.jpg

Visited 3 times in 2006 the last time in November alway good service and a friendly word (a/g service, fuel and food)

A small Centre Park is going to be built on the site(see iwight.com planning):mad: