Golf Hotel Whiskey

Golf Hotel Whiskey: for pilots and aviation enthusiasts

Airports

RAF Cosford flying visit (with video)

My friend Nick and I flew up to RAF Cosford on Friday to visit the excellent RAF museum there. The museum is a must-see for any propellerhead and the RAF were very welcoming and friendly. There’s a bit of paperwork to do and there’s an interesting ‘centreline’ join – down the centreline at 1,200 feet then turn downwind descending to 800 feet – but nothing too daunting. Highly recommended. Nick made a great video of the flight and a few of the highlights from the museum.

Ostend / Bruges (EBOS)

I flew to Ostend Airport (EBOS) yesterday for a visit to Bruges. It’s about an hour’s flight in an SR-22 from Denham. Very pleasant too – up over the Essex and Kent countryside, dash across the channel from roughly overhead Manston to Koksijde airbase and then descending down into Ostend for an ILS approach.

The airport is GA-friendly. We were met by a marshalling van and parked on Apron 3 near a few other training and club aircraft. The van drove us to a deserted customs hall where an immigration official checked our passports. We were out of the airport and in a taxi in about ten minutes. We got special GA tickets so that we could bypass check-in queues on our return.

The journey to Bruges is about 20-25 minutes and cost about €90 each way in a taxi. I think this is pretty expensive and I think perhaps it may be cheaper to rent a car from Avis (who have an outlet at the airport) or to take the regular bus service from the aiport to the town. Landing fees, six and a bit hours parking and passenger charges etc. came to about €65 euros. There is no separate handling and you don’t need to book in advance – a flight plan is sufficient. We would have saved €12 if we had stayed under six hours because that’s how much free parking you get. Overall, though, I think Ostend compares reasonably well on price and facilities with similar regional airports in the UK such as Leeds Bradford, Edinburgh or Newquay. There are a couple of restaurants in or near the terminal.

Bruges itself is very pretty and full of old buildings. On this particular Saturday afternoon, it was also full of tourists. We had lunch in a pretty open air cafe. Moules et Frites (or cheese omellet in my case). Afterwards we wandered around and found some quieter spots. I also found an excellent comic book shop where I bought a Biggles comic in Dutch. Just what I need to help with my studies!

We also found a church that had replaced its pews and confessionals with an extraordinary series of artworks, including a lake you could walk over shrouded in mist.

It really was thought-provoking. It reminded me of the Philip Larkin poem, Water:
If I were called in
To construct a religion
I should make use of water.

Going to church
Would entail a fording
To dry, different clothes;

My litany would employ
Images of sousing,
A furious devout drench,

And I should raise in the east
A glass of water
Where any-angled light
Would congregate endlessly.

Bruges is definitely worth visiting in its own right. In practical terms, Ostend is easier to fly to than Le Touquet and hardly any further. If you take the bus from the airport, it needn’t cost very much. I strongly recommend the trip.

Welshpool (EGCW)

Airport information

Nearest town: Welshpool (2 miles by car), Wales

Opening Times:

  • Winter: 0900-1700 or SS whichever is earlier and by arrangement
  • Summer: 0800-1600 or SS whichever is earlier and by arrangement

Longest Runway: 1020m, Asphalt

Fuel: AVTUR JET-A1, AVGAS 100LL

Phone: 01938 555560

Website: www.welshpoolairport.co.uk, Wikipedia entry

AIP: plates and airport diagram

Landing fees: £10 for single engines and £20 for twin engines

Note: Welshpool is a PPR airfield

Airport Map

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Airport services

  • Handling: Mid Wales Airport Ltd. (01938 555560)
  • Taxis: Yellow Cabs (01938 555533), Amber Cabs (01938 56611), MC2 Services (01938 850545), Stonebridge (01938 555119) Note: Taxis operate out of Welshpool town, not from the airfield itself
  • Car Hire: Wright Self Drive (01938 559581, www.wrightselfdriveltd.co.uk)
  • Facilities at airport: Cafe, but this is open mainly on weekends, though coffee is available through the week
  • Flying Schools: Welshpool Flying School (01938 555560, welshpoolairport@aol.com)
  • Charters: BJ Aviation – Pleasure flights (01938 555560)

Pubs

  • Cann Office Hotel, Llangadfan, Welshpool (01938 820202,) Although that is one strange name, the Cann Office Hotel is an unpretentious old pub very popular among tourists and locals alike. Highlights include a beer garden, a piano and a reputation as the place to hear local performers.
  • Pheasant Inn, 43, High Street, Welshpool (01938 553104). Pleasant enough pub that seems to be popular locally as a place to watch the sport. Level 2 is a disc.
  • The Horseshoes Inn, Berriew, Welshpool (01686 640282). Serves a good range of beers, but acts more as a family pub. The food here has a good reputation.

Restaurants

  • Howards Restaurant, Coed Y Dinas (Charlies Stores), Welshpool (01938 555545). At half a mile away from the airport, this restaurant located at a country store and garden centre is one of the closest options available to travellers. Simple but well-made homestyle fare.
  • Tea Room, Powis Castle and Garden, Welshpool (01938 551944). The tea room at the Powis castle is another convenient option not too far from the airport, if all you want is a brunch-style meal.
  • Spice, 13, Berriew Street, Welshpool (01938 553431). Pretty good Indian restaurant and excellent value for money.

Golf Courses

  • Welshpool Golf Club, The Golfa, Welshpool (01938 850249, www.welshpoolgolfclub.co.uk) Around 4 miles away from Welshpool, this is a challenging course on hilly terrain. Visitors welcome but it is advisable to call and check availability.
  • Welsh Border Golf Club, Bulthy, Halfway House, Near Shrewsbury, Shropshire (01743 884247, www.welshbordergolf.com). This club has 2 9-hole courses, both with great views over mid-Wales and Shropshire. Visitors with booking welcome.

Activities

  • Powys Castle, (http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-powiscastle_garden), the famous medieval castle with its celebrated gardens is about 2 miles away. The Clive museum here with its India collection is worth a dekko.
  • Rail enthusiasts may enjoy a visit to the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway (01938 810441, www.wllr.org.uk). The railway runs a 16-mile return journey through the beautiful Welsh countryside on a train hauled by 100 year old steam locomotives.
  • Walkers will be delighted to know that a number of interesting trails are to be found in and around Welshpool, including  2 National Trails, Offa’s Dyke and Glyndwr’s Way. (More details at www.welshpool.org)

Useful Information

Leeds Bradford (EGNM)

Airport Information

Nearest town:Leeds (7 miles by car), West Yorkshire

Opening Times: 24 hours

Longest Runway: 2250m, Grooved Concrete

Fuel: AVTUR JET A1, AVGAS 100LL

Phone: 01132 509696 (Admin), 01133 913282 (ATC)

Website: www.leedsbradfordairport.co.uk, Wikipedia entry

AIP: plates and airport diagram

Landing fees: £6.59 per 0.5 metric tonne or part thereof for aircraft weighing upto 3 tonnes and £13.18 per metric tonne or part thereof for aircraft weighing over 3 tonnes

Note: The airport is PPR in winter from 2300 to 0700 hours and in summer from 2200 to 0600 hours.

Airport Map

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Airport Services

Pubs

  • The Eagle Tavern, North Street, Sheepscar, Leeds (01132 457146). A little outside the town centre, this is a friendly Samuel Smiths pub with a well-kept range of ales.
  • The Cross Keys, 107, Water Lane, Holbeck, Leeds  (01132 433711, www.the-crosskeys.com). Traditional decor, but the food is more in the gastro-pub line. The focus here is on beers from the micro-breweries in the region.
  • The Duck and Drake, 43, Kirkgate, Leeds (01132 465806, www.duckanddrake.com). Quite popular pub that serves a large range of pubs; known more as a venue for some great music from local performers.

Restaurants

  • Anthony’s, 19, Boar Lane, leeds (01132 455922, www.anthonysrestaurant.co.uk). Elegant high end family-run restaurant that has a reputation as one of Leeds’ finest. Known for its innovative use of fresh ingredients.
  • Haleys, 8, Shire Oak Road, Headingley, Leeds (01132 784446, www.haleys.co.uk). Elegant restaurant that does modern British food. They occasionally display work by local artists.  (The Haley’s hotel which houses this restaurant is also a good option to stay in).
  • Viva Cuba, 324, Abbey Street, Penzance (01132 750888). Comfortable restaurant that serves some good Cuban and Spanish food, including tapas.

Hotels

  • Britannia Leeds Bradford Airport Hotel, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds (08712 220027, www.britanniahotels.com). At 2 miles away from the airport, this is one of the closest options for travellers stretched for time. It helps that the hotel itself is set in a fairly quiet location inside 3 acre grounds.
  • The Queens, 1, City Square, Leeds (01132 431323, www.qhotels.co.uk). Interesting art-deco hotel located very conveniently in the town centre.
  • Cresta Guest House, 3811, Street Lane, Leeds (01132 661706). Very comfortable family-run guesthouse on the outskirts of Leeds. This is a good option if you have some time and plan to explore the surrounding Yorkshire countryside.

Golf Courses

Activities

  • Leeds is the only city in the UK, outside London, to have its own opera and ballet companies. Should you be so inclined, you can catch an opera (www.operanorth.co.uk) or ballet (www.northernballettheatre.co.uk) performance!
  • The Yorkshire Sculpture Park (www.ysp.co.uk) is a unique and much-acclaimed open air park situated on estate grounds;  it holds exhibitions of work by well-known British and international artists.
  • Outdoor enthusiasts will be interested in a trip to the Chevin Forest Park (www.chevinforest.co.uk) nearby, which covers almost 500 acres of woodland and moorland.

Useful Information

Turweston (EGBT)

Airport information

Nearest town: Brackley (4 miles by car), Northamptonshire

Opening Times:

  • Winter: Mon-Fri 0900-1800 (0800-0900 and 1800-2000 on request);
  • Sat 0900-1800 or SS; Sun/Public Holidays 1000-1800.
  • Summer: Mon-Fri 0800-1700 (0700-0800 and 1700-1900 on request);
  • Sat 0800-1700; † Sun/Public Holidays 0900-1700.

Longest Runway: 915m, Asphalt

Fuel: AVGAS 100LL

Phone: 01280 705400 (Admin), 01280 846798 (ATC).

Website: www.turwestonflight.com, Wikipedia entry

AIP: plates and airport diagram

Landing fees: From £12 for singles to £60 for aircraft over 2.5 tonnes

Note: Turweston is a PPR airfield at all times [Read more…] about Turweston (EGBT)

Cannes (LFMD)

Cannes! The name itself is an invitation to dream. The sunny French Côte d’Azur, the beaches, and the International Film Festival. The Cannes-Mandelieu airport is located 5 kilometers west of the city and less than 500 meters away from the Mediterranean sea.

The airport has two runways. Because of sea breeze, 17 is active most of the time. If you come in early in the morning, you could get 35. The shorter runway, 05 / 23, parallel to the shore is used only under strong crosswind conditions on 17 / 35. It’s also much shorter.

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There is a LOC / DME approach to runway 35 and you can often see VIP jets flying the circling to runway 17, which is one procedure with prescribed ground track. There are a lot of areas populated by rich, and influential persons and these must be avoided at any price. Because of the high terrain immediately to the north, the missed approach point is 2.5 miles on final, which means that no IFR approach is possible if the visibility falls below 5 kilometers. When sea haze come in, this can occurs witin minutes, so be sure to have an alternate destination which is not on the coast.

The approach service is done by Nice Approach. Whether you fly VFR or IFR, remember that Nice is the second most busiest airport in France, and Cannes lies below their airspace. You don’t want to bust in this airspace… If you had a look at the IFR departures, you saw the very long leg over seat at low altitude. If you fly north, expect radar vectors well before the published distance.

I flew four times there by Cannes Aviation, and I warmly recommend their services. They operate a fleet of DA40 and DA42. Even if I could never get my site qualification for La Môle with them, but as good as they are, they can’t influence weather.

There are three ways to get from the airport to Cannes city: taxi, bus, or a good walk. You can get a taxi directly in front of the Terminal. The bus stop is a few hunder meters from the airport and tickets can be bought directly from the driver. For details, visit www.busazur.com, unfortunately in French only. Going to Cannes walking along the sea front is a one hour walk. The first part is not really nice as you have to walk along the airport fence until reaching the beach, but then you’ll walk along the beach all the way, until the International Film Festival Palace.

If you stay a bit longer, don’t miss an excursion on the Island St-Marguerite. You can take a shuttle boat from Cannes harbor. The crossing is 20 minutes long and then you can stroll along the Island and enjoy sea food in one of the Island’s restaurants.