Golf Hotel Whiskey

Golf Hotel Whiskey: for pilots and aviation enthusiasts

Airports

Isle of Man/Ronaldsway (EGNS)

Airport information

Nearest town: Douglas (7 miles by car), Isle of Man

Opening Times:

  • Winter: Mon-Sat 0615-2045; Sun 0700-2045; and by arrangement
  • Summer: Mon-Sat 0515-1945; Sun 0600-1945; and by arrangement

Longest Runway: 1754m, Asphalt/Concrete

Fuel: AVTUR JET A-1. AVGAS 100LL

Phone: 01624 821600

Website: www.iom-airport.com, Wikipedia entry

AIP: plates and airport diagram

Landing fees: From £8 for aircraft 500 kg and under to £16 per tonne or part thereof for aircraft 3001kg and over (details on annual fees/discounts etc available at http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/airport/feesexternal0708.pdf)

Airport Map

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Airport services

  • Handling: No compulsory handling outside the restricted zone. For light aircraft, handling available from Manx Flyers Aero Club (01624 825999, www.manxflyersaeroclub.com) or Island Aviation and Travel Ltd.(01624 824300)
  • Taxis: Taxis available from taxi rank at the entrance to the terminal building. More details available at http://www.iom-airport.com/lib/docs/airport/taxidetails.pdf
  • Car Hire: Isle of Man Rent A Car (01624 825855, www.isleofmanrentacar.co.uk), Mylchreests Car Rental (01624 825587)
  • Facilities at airport: Cafe and bar, parent and baby room, traveller’s shop, fax and photocopying facility, wi-fi at selected areas
  • Flying Schools: Ashley Gardner School of Flying (01624 823454), Manx Flyers Aero Club (01624 825999, www.manxflyersaeroclub.com)

Pubs

  • Queens Pub, Queens Promenade, Douglas (01624 674438). A large-ish pub that serves some good handpulled real ales and has fine views over the bay.
  • The Rovers Return, Church Street, Douglas (01624 676459). A quirky and locally popular pub that serves the Bushys range of beers. One room is dedicated to the Blackburn Rovers!
  • The Railway, Lake Road, Douglas (01624 673157). Spacious and comfortably furnished, this pub serves a good range of foreign beers.

Restaurants

  • Tanroagan, 9, Ridgeway Street, Douglas (01624 612355, www.tanroagan.co.uk). Cafe style restaurant located in the quay area. Here, they are serious about their seafood.
  • Archibald Knox, Avon Dale Road, Onchan (01624 613203). Named after the influential 20th C. British designer, this is really a family pub, but its good value meals make it popular with the locals.

Hotels

  • The Town House, 24, Loch Promenade, Douglas (01624 626125). Apartment-hotel with six luxurious suites, suitable for independent travellers who want their space.
  • Mereside, 1, Empire Terrace, Douglas (01624 676355). Family-run guest house with very friendly service and sea views from the eight rooms.
  • Glen Mona, 6, Mona Drive, Douglas (01624 676755, www.glenmona-iom.co.uk). Another family run hotel, conveniently located close to town centre and includes a fairly well-stocked bar.

Golf Courses

  • Pulrose Golf Course, Pulrose Road, Douglas (01624 661558). A 100 year old golf course at the outskirts of Douglas. Has some challenging holes.
  • King Edward Bay Golf Club, Howstrake, Groudle Road, Onchan (01624 620430). A course situated on elevated mountain turf, with imposing views all around the srurrounding region.

Activities

  • Manx Aviation and Military museum (01624 829294, www.maps.iofm.net). A short distance from the airport, this museum focuses on the island’s aviation history and also houses the relics of many air crashes.
  • A visit to the House of Manannan museum (01624 648000) , an introduction to the Celtic and Viking traditions of the island.
  • Nature and countryside walks around the island, including a visit to Curraghs Wildlife Park (01624 897323, www.gov.im/wildlife), a refuge for endangered wetland species from around the world.
  • Water sports and whale/shark watching at various coastal locations around the island.

Useful Information

Humberside (EGNJ)

Airport information

Nearest town: Grimsby (12 miles by car), North Lincolnshire

Opening Times: Winter: 0630-2115; Summer: 0530-2015

Longest Runway: 2196m, Asphalt and Concrete

Fuel: AVTUR JET A-1. AVGAS 100LL

Phone: 01652 688456

Website: www.humbersideairport.com, Wikipedia entry

AIP: plates and airport diagram

Landing fee is £16.70 or part thereof for aircraft up to 3 tonnes and £20.00 or part thereof for aircraft over 3 tonnes.

Note: Flights outside the published hours can operate after gaining an ‘Extension of Hours’ as identified in the UK AIP. Additional landing and other charges are levied for these. [Read more…] about Humberside (EGNJ)

Sion (LSGS)

Sion, in Switzerland, is the perfect place to start with some mountain flying. The airport is located along the Rhône valley in the Swiss Alps, surrounded by mountainous peaks with summits well above 10’000 feet. The runway is at roughly 1’500 feet and if you need an escape route, it is possible to fly along the Rhône to Lake Geneva area at 2’500 feet. This is also an easy way to find Sion: fly from the eastern end of Lake Geneva, follow the Rhône, turn left at Martigny and you’ll have the runway in sight.

Because of the local aerology, the active runway is almost always 25. If you come from the west, you’ll fly an interesting circuit. You’ll fly much closer to ground than to mountain tops. A small town on the right hand-side is exactly at pattern altitude – don’t miss the photo of the white church. The valley is not as tight as at Samedan, but there is not engoug room for a base leg. Simply fly a continuous turn from end of downwind to final.

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Don’t be surprised if you get traffic informations about military aircraft. Sion is an air-force base frequented by F-18s but also business jets, KingAirs and a lot of rescue and taxi helicopters. Beware of the arresting cables and nets before the threshold: your landing gear and prop would probably not survive if you land a bit short of threshold and roll over this military gear. The positive side of the military nature of the airport is the runway itself: over 2’000 meters of concrete with lights and PAPI.

There is an IGS procedure (no typo, this is an Instrument Guidance System). The localizer has an offset of more than 7 degrees with the runway axis and the glide slope ends a few thousand meters before the runway. Unless you can start the approach at FL180 and have local training, don’t even think about flying an IFR approach. Your best option for a leaving is St-Prex VOR (SPR) or Fribourg VOR (FRI), then fly below Geneva TMA through the mountains or via the Rhône valley.

One word about mountain flying for pilots not having experience with this kind of operations. Don’t consider flying in the Alps if the winds at FL050 and FL100 are above 20 knots. You could encounter serious turbulence and downdrafts, possibly well above what a light aircraft can compensate for. Apart from that, getting to Sion is really easy, and many flying excursions are possible from there: Matterhorn, Aletsch glacier, Jungfraujoch, Saanen, …

Click here to see a YouTube video a passenger of mine made of a landing. The video starts by begin of downwind 25, shows the famous church, the base turn, and ends after touchdown. This is in a DA40 TDI, flying approximately 110 knots on downwind and 70 knots on final. Flying the same circuit with a faster plane can become impressive, but the valley is not that narrow.

In the “airport restaurant” category, the local one is slightly above average. The possibilities for Golf, Hotel and Whiskey in the Valais area are countless, but if I had to retain only one resort, this would be Crans-Montana. The 9-hole course designed by Jack Nicklaus is really a wonder… Finally, because it’s a vineyards region, The “W” should for this time stand for “Wine”.

Kemble (EGBP)

Airport information

Nearest town: Cirencester (5 miles by car), Gloucestershire

Opening Times: Winter: 0900-1700 or SS, and by arrangement; Summer: 0800-1700, and by arrangement

Longest Runway: 2009m, Asphalt

Fuel: AVTUR JET A1, AVGAS 100LL

Phone: 01285 771177

Website: www.kembleairport.com, Wikipedia entry

AIP: plates and airport diagram

Landing fees: From £8.50 for aircraft 450 kg and under to £22 for aircraft in the 1651 – 2750 kg range (Lowest fire cover option; higher cover available)

Note: Flight Information Service (FIS) available during standard opening times but the airport may switch to an Air/Ground (A/G) service during quiet periods. All circuits need to be pre-booked.

Airport Map

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Airport services

Pubs

  • The Tunnel House Inn, Coates, Cirencester (01285 770280, www.tunnelhouse.com). A pub whose decor can be described as a bit of everything collected over the years; Great views from the garden and a choice of ales from local breweries make it a popular choice.
  • The Wild Duck Inn, Drakes Island, Ewen, Cirencester (01285 770310, www.thewildduckinn.co.uk). A 16th century inn with a cozy bar and comfortable seating in the garden, for sunny days.
  • The Mad Hatter Wine Bar, Castle Street, Cirencester (01285 642371). Fancy a change from quaffing beer? This wine bar has a good selection of wines though the beer drinker isn’t entirely ignored!

Restaurants

  • AV8, Kemble Airport (01285 771188).  AV8, the airport restaurant, has fine views of the runway and is commonly considered one of the best on-airport restaurants in the UK.
  • Bathurst Arms, North Cerney Cirencester (01285 831281, www.bathurstarms.com). British and Italian food with a focus on local ingredients. Served in a comfortable old-style setting.
  • Indian Rasoi, Dollar Street, Cirencester (01285 644826). Indian food and a choice of Asian beers in contemporary settings.

Hotels

  • The Fleece Hotel, Market Place, Cirencester (01285 658507, www.fleecehotel.co.uk). The Fleece Hotel is close to everything worth visiting in Cirencester. Visitors insist that inspite of its not being quite a ‘modern’ hotel, it has a certain charm and sense of history. The good breakfasts help!
  • The Ivy House B&B, Victoria Road, Cirencester (01285 656626, www.ivyhousecotswolds.com). A lovely 19th century house within walking distance of central Cirencester and noted for the friendliest owners. The wi-fi may be an added attraction.
  • Cotswold Willow Pool, Oaksey Road, Pool Keynes, Cirencester (01285 861485, www.willowpool.com). A B&B a little out of the ordinary – this is a lakeside home in the Cotswold Water Park, with all the rooms overlooking private lakes.

Activities

  • The popular Kemble air show with its RAF displays is scheduled for the 20th and 21st June 2009 (www.kembleairday.com)
  • For WW2 buffs! Kemble Airport hosts a Battle of Britain weekend on 19th and 20th Sept, 2009 complete with a flying display of vintage aeroplanes.
  • Visit to the Church of St. John the Baptist at Cirencester, one of the largest churches in England.
  • Cirencester has a farmers market every Monday and Friday and an antiques market every Friday.

Useful Information

Oxford/Kidlington (EGTK)

Airport information

Nearest town: Oxford (7 miles by car), Oxfordshire

Opening Times: Winter: 0630-2230; Summer: 0530-2130 (For Christmas and New Year timings, see latest NOTAM)

Longest Runway: 1319m, Grooved asphalt

Fuel: AVTUR JET A-1, AVGAS 100LL

Phone: 01865 290650

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

AIP: plates and airport diagram

Note: Oxford/Kidlington is a PPR airport. (Call 01865 290660/662/603 for PPR).

Airport Map

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Airport Services

Pubs

  • The Boat Inn, Thrupp, Kidlington (01865 374279). Just 5 miles away from the airport, this is a warm and friendly pub that is right by the Oxford Canal and serves up beers from smaller breweries as well.
  • The Dogwood, also called the Squire Bassett, Oxford Road, Kidlington (01865 373340). A pub that’s gone in for some serious refurbishing, the Dogwood now has an attractive beer garden and some “wholesome” food.
  • The Six Bells, Mill St., Kidlington (01865 373107). A traditional pub popular with locals, especially to watch the football!
  • When I was a student at Oxford, I always liked to walk to The Trout by the river. It’s a short cab ride from Kidlington.

Restaurants

  • The Nut Tree Inn, Main Street, Murcott, Kidlington (01865 331253, www.nuttreeinn.co.uk). Strictly speaking, this is a pub, but a gastro-pub with a focus on modern British food and rave food reviews deserves a mention in this section!
  • La Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Church Road, Great Milton, Oxford (01844 278881, www.manoir.com). A two-michelin starred French restaurant with many ingredients sourced from its own 2-acre gardens. Also offers lavish, if expensive accomodation.
  • Edamame, Holywell Street, Oxford (01865 246916). Fresh and authentic Japanese food, but the popularity of the place means that it tends to be crowded.

Hotels

  • Warsborough House, Mill Street, Kidlington (01865 370316, www.warsboroughhouse.co.uk). A 300 year old house in the older part of Kidlington, the Warsborough House could be described as gracious yet friendly.
  • The Old Bank Hotel, High Street, Oxford (01865 799599, www.oldbank-hotel.co.uk). Located in the heart of Oxford, this boutique hotel in a Georgian stone building, has small but luxurious rooms and a fine collection of modern art, including some especially commissioned for the hotel.

Golf Courses

  • Hinksey Heights Golf Course, South Hinksey, Oxford (01865 327775, www.oxford-golf.co.uk). 3 courses at one location with the 18 hole Championship course providing fine views of Oxford’s dreaming spires.
  • North Oxford Golf Club, Banbury Road, Oxford (01865 554924, www.nogc.co.uk). A 100 year old club on the outskirts of Oxford.
  • Southfield Golf Club, Hilltop Road, Oxford (01865 242158, www.southfieldgolf.com). A challenging course with a well stocked golf shop.
  • Waterstock Golf Club, Thame Road, Waterstock, Oxford (01844 338093, www.waterstockgolf.co.uk). A parkland course with something to offer for golfers of all abilities.

Activities

Useful Information

Cardiff (EGFF)

Airport information

Nearest town: Cardiff (12m by car), Wales

Opening Times: H24

Longest Runway: 2392m, Grooved asphalt

Fuel: AVTUR JET A-1, AVGAS 100LL

Phone: 01446-711111

Website: www.tbicardiffairport.com, Wikipedia entry

AIP: plates and airport diagram

Landing fees: from £18

Airport map

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Airport services

  • Handling: Cardiff Wales Flying Club (01446 710 000), Signature (01446 712637, www.signatureflight.com)
  • Taxis: Checker Cars (01446 711747, www.checkercars.com)
  • Car Hire: Hertz (01446 711722, www.hertz.co.uk), Europcar (01446 711924, www.europcar.co.uk), Avis (08706 086328, www.avis.co.uk), National Alamo (01446 719528)
  • Facilities at airport: Bureau de Change, Chaplaincy, Cafe, Bars, Food Court, Executive lounge, Baby food facility, Children’s play centre, Game Zone, Wi-fi, Fax & Photocopying, Left luggage facility, Meeting rooms, Duty free shopping and Arrangements for passengers with reduced mobility.

Pubs

  • The Blue Anchor, East Aberthaw (0871 917 0007). Just a mile away from the village of Rhoose, where the airport is located, this traditional pub with its rustic oak seats and stone tables is a favourite in the region. Tends to be crowded inspite of slightly high prices.
  • The Gatekeeper, Westgate Street, Cardiff (0871 917 0007). Part of the Wetherspoons chain, this pub offers the locally brewed Bullmastiff beers apart from the large brewery fare. Plus, you can catch a game at the Millenium Stadium bang opposite!
  • Ye Old Butchers Arms, Rhiwbina, Cardiff (0871 917 0007). Friendly and comfortable pub with a good selection of real and guest ales.

Restaurants

  • Garlands Coffee House, 4, Duke Street Arcade, Cardiff (0292 066 6914). Family run bistro that is low on style but serves up home cooked food, including a great breakfast.
  • Bully’s Restaurant, 44, Cardiff Road, Cardiff (08717041296). This French restaurant is certainly not easy on the wallet, but that hasn’t stopped it from becoming one of the more popular fine-dining options in the city.
  • Gios at the Mill, 10-11, Mill Lane, Cardiff (02920 66 550030). Friendly service and great comfort food is what this relatively new eatery offers.

Hotels

  • Aberthaw House Hotel, 28, Porthkerry Road, Barry (01446 737314). The cleanest rooms, the most comfortable beds, the friendliest owners – the Aberthaw House Hotel seems to win rave reviews for all of these.
  • Jolyon’s Boutique Hotel, Bute Crescent, Cardiff (02920 488775, www.jolyons.co.uk). Located close to Cardiff Bay, this is a somewhat off-beat hotel with only six rooms and an accent on luxurious living.

Golf courses

  • Cardiff Golf Club, Sherbourne Avenue, Cardiff (02920 753320, www.cardiffgc.co.uk). A challenging 6000-yard parkland course.
  • Cottrell Park Golf Club, St. Nicholas, Cardiff (01446 781781, www.cottrell-park.co.uk). Two parkland courses and golf lessons for golfers of all abilities.
  • Llanishen Golf Club, Heol Hir, Cardiff (029 2075 5078, www.llanishengc.co.uk). A small but challenging course.
  • Peterstone Lakes Golf Club, Wentloog, Cardiff (01633 680009, www.peterstonelakes.com). Close to the Severn Estuary, this course has a very pleasant flat setting, unusual in Wales.
  • Radyr Golf Club, Drysgol Road, Radyr, Cardiff (02920 842408, www.radyrgolf.co.uk). A 100 year old golf course with fabulous views over the Bristol Channel.
  • St. Mellon’s Golf Club (01633 680408, www.stmellonsgolfclub.co.uk). A clover-leaf shaped course that stretches across 2 counties, Gwent and South Glamorgan.
  • Whitchurch (Cardiff) Golf Club, Pantamawr Road, Cardiff (02920 620985, www.whitchurchcardiffgolfclub.com).  An 18-hole parkland course that admits visitors with handicap certificates only.

Activities

  • Cardiff Bay, (www.cardiffbay.co.uk), the Cardiff Docklands now transformed into the Cardiff Bay Area offers many things to do including sailing and watersports, cycling, bay walks and eating out at fine restaurants.
  • Visit Cardiff Castle, (02920 878100, www.cardiffcastle.com), a 2000 year old castle that has been home to the Romans, the Normans, the English and the Welsh.
  • The National Museum, Cardiff (02920 397951, www.museumwales.ac.uk) boasts of one of the largest collections of Impressionist art outside Paris.

Useful information