Do pilots need nerves of steel to land at disused airfields ?

[diddy1234]

I was just wondering if pilots need nerves of steel to fly into dis-used airfields ?

I only ask as I recently heard (from a friend) that when filming for Saving Private Ryan was being made, there was a loud jet engine sound (reverse thrust) from a private jet landing at the then recently shut down Hatfield site.

I would imagine that must have been Steven Spilberg in his private jet.

This must be a hard procedure to carry out as there is no weather reports or local information.

RD

[bucket_and_spade]

Hmmm, landing at a genuine disused/abandoned field is setting yourself up for breaking bits of the aircraft as the runway won't be maintained to any standard!

If you were in a pickle and had no other options, a disused might be a godsend but for normal ops, it'd be a tad irresponsible and have the potential to get very expensive, very quickly!

You might want to have a look-see here:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Glider

B&S

[rej]

I wouldn't be too concerned about the weather. I would be much more concerned about some muppet driving onto the rwy in his/her car.

In all seriousness, the pilot would have fully briefed on rwy data,made a VFR approach and made provisions for the taxyways and entrances to the rwy to be blocked off - but there again that doesn't mean that some daft sod will not trundle over the grass !!

[corsair]

Not really a problem at all. If there's someone there to brief you on the runway conditons and keep the sheep and gimps off. Even if there's no one there. A flypast or two to assess the state of the runway. As for the weather, nearby airports would provide that and frankly if you can't see it you can't land on it.

In practical terms smaller airfields are often virtually the same as disused. You won't get weather, no one will answer the radio calls and you chose the runway direction to land. Sometimes you even have to chase the sheep off the runway with a low pass.

[wizo]

Why would they be a muppet if the airfield is closed ??

[rej]

Wizo

if there is a planned movement at a disused aerodrome (as this probably was) is aerodrome strictly closed?

[411A]

Landing at little-used airfields can sometimes be...well, shall we say, the pilot needs to use caution.
Flying F.27's in Libya many years ago, we always had the local area oil company manager check the runway prior to landing.
Camels, you see.
Hit one of these, and even our forty four thousand pound turboprop would be rather severely damaged.
Then there were the odd truck drivers who would park on the runway for an afternoon nap.

[Hyperborean]

Or even hitting pigs at less than 80kts. A pal of mine took the undercarriage off a twotter once, whilst landing at a pacific island airstrip. The pig suffered major structural damage also, in fact it furnished the evening meal for the enforced night stop.

[chevvron]

About 25 years ago, a guy in a Jodel was flying along happily just east of Woking when his engine quit. He landed successfully on the runway at Wisley disused airfield, but unfortunately then hit the armco barriers thoughtfully erected to 'protect' the public right of way crossing the runway.

[diddy1234]

chevvron, what happened ?

was the aircraft repaired and then flown out ?

btw, does anyone know about any aircraft landing at Hatfield when it was closed ?

[chevvron]

Don't know what happened; I was told about it by the FISO at Fairoaks.

[rej]

Once you are involved in the aviation business you tend to gain a better appreciation that a strip on concrete, licenced, unlicenced, disused or the like can make all the difference when you have a problem in the air. Seeing people out walking their dogs on disused aerodromes on a sunny afternoon I often think that they probably have no inkling that the guy or lass at 2000' is thinking along the lines of " well if I have a problem now I can just put her down over there".

[derekvader]

Presumably that guy who landed the Dash-7 on the disused docks to prove that it was a viable site to build London City had nerves of steel!

I mean I'm sure they cleaned up any broken concrete etc first but there must have still been railway or crane tracks embedded in the concrete at that point, plus of course the deep water either side!

[diddy1234]

That would be Captain Harry Gee of Brymon Airways.

more details (and video of landing at Heron Docks) here :-

http://www.lcacc.org/history/origins.html

[Mycroft]

There is a story about the first Mosquito, which along with several other prototypes was built at the deHavilland design sheds at Salisbury Hall (now the deHavilland Aviation Heritage Centre/Mosquito Aircraft Museum. Unfortunately the grass strip they had there was underutilized and was turned over for farming before the prototype was ready and they took off with a section of the runway already being plowed (other aircraft built there were removed by road

[BYALPHAINDIA]

What about the 'Gimli' Glide incident Capt Bob Pearson in the AC 762.

I don't think they could teach that landing in the sim??

[XXPLOD]

I fly the C42 and the Eurostar microlights at the moment, and I said to a golfing mate that if I had an engine failure and there was 300 yards of nice fairway, that's where I'd land. He thought I was joking at first!

[DBisDogOne]

I said to a golfing mate that if I had an engine failure and there was 300 yards of nice fairway, that's where I'd land. He thought I was joking at first!

XXPLOD - You say this and your mate thought you were joking, well, I'm with you! That's where I'd land too. Interestingly, I've a book called 'Elementary Navigation' (intended for ATC/Cadet types) from 1942, it lists amongst landmarks for navigation "Golf Courses, also suitable as emergency landing grounds"
So there you go, approved by the RAF, though I reckon the golfers may be a bit miffed!!

[Speedpig]

You'd have to be careful landing on a golf course. Make sure tyres are in good condition. You might get a hole in one!


I know, hat, coat etc

[aviate1138]

Mycroft said....

"There is a story about the first Mosquito, which along with several other prototypes was built at the deHavilland design sheds at Salisbury Hall (now the deHavilland Aviation Heritage Centre/Mosquito Aircraft Museum. Unfortunately the grass strip they had there was underutilized and was turned over for farming before the prototype was ready and they took off with a section of the runway already being plowed (other aircraft built there were removed by road."

Pedantic old Aviate says...

The other way round I think. The bomber [W4050] prototype was built and disassembled and trucked to Hatfield, surviving a bombing raid which wrecked an assembly line for Tiger Moths, I think.

Young Geoffrey DH Jr, having now flown W4050 then suggested flying the second [Fighter W4052] from Salisbury Hall [ by knocking down a hedge or two] and thereby saving much valuable time and effort. I think the field used now lies partly under the M25.
Pedant mode - Off