Golf Hotel Whiskey

Golf Hotel Whiskey: for pilots and aviation enthusiasts

Museums

Compton Abbas (EGHA)

Airport Information

Nearest Town: Shaftesbury, (3m by car), Dorset

Opening Times:

  • Winter: 0900-17:00
  • Summer: 0900-18:00 on Monday – Thursday & Sundays; 09:00- 20:00 Fridays & Saturdays

Longest Runway: 803m, Grass

Fuel: AVGAS 100LL

Phone: 01747-811767.

Website: www.abbasair.com, Wikipedia entry

AIP: plates and airport diagram

Landing fees: £ 8.50 for all types of aircraft

Note: PPR required (occasionally unlicensed after 1700hrs due shortage of RFF crew)

Airport Map

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Airport Services

  • Taxis: Country Cars (01747 850950), Ed’s (01747 853525), Hilltop Taxis (01747 855555), Hines Taxi (01747 829292), Jim’s Taxis (01747 858584), Shaftesbury Taxis (01747 855009, www.shaftesburytaxis.co.uk). Note: All these services operate out of Shaftesbury, not from the airfield itself.
  • Car Hire: Dorset Vehicle Rentals, Gillingham (01747 835580, www.dorsetvehiclerentals.co.uk)
  • Facilities at airport: Restaurant (with fine view over the runway and apron), bar and gift shop
  • Flying Schools: Aviation training conducted at the airfield

Pubs

  • Talbot Inn, The Cross, Berwick St. John, Shaftesbury (0871 9170007). Friendly pub with a great fireplace and picturesquely located in a quiet village.
  • Ye Old Two Brewers, St. James Street, Shaftesbury (01747 854211). Family run pub with a good selection of real ales as well as wines.
  • The Half Moon Inn, Salisbury Road, Shaftesbury (0871 917 0007). Strictly speaking, half-way between a pub and a restaurant, but serves up some great steaks and lets you drink at your pace.

Restaurants

  • Wayfarers Restaurant, Sherborne Causeway, Shaftesbury (01747 852821). A 200 year old cottage that still maintains a log fire and serves up some British staples.
  • Byzant Restaurant, Best Western Royal Chase Hotel, Royal Chase Roundabout, Shaftesbury (01747 853355). Housed in a former monastery building, this restaurant is among the best fine dining options in the area.
  • Le Chanterelle, Sherborne Causeway, Shaftesbury (01747 852821). French cuisine with a focus on local ingredients, freshly cooked on the premises.

Hotels

  • La Fleur de Lys, Bleke Street, Shaftesbury, Dorset (01747 853717, www.lafleurdelys.co.uk). Variously described as “six star”, “faultless” and “impeccable”, this 7-bedroom hotel is much acclaimed both for the quality of its rooms and its restaurant’s food and wine list.
  • Stock Hill Country House Hotel, Gillingham, Dorset (01747 823626, www.stockhillhouse.co.uk). Victorian country house hotel set in 11 acres of splendid Dorset countryside. Boasts of a Michelin starred restaurant.
  • Glebe Farm B&B, Ashmore, Shaftesbury, Dorset (01747 811974, www.glebefarmbandb.co.uk). Friendly owners, personalized service, home-cooked meals and views from the highest village in Dorset.

Golf Courses

  • Ashley Wood Golf Course, Wimborne Road, Blandford Forum, Dorset (01258 452253, www.ashleywoodgolfclub.com). 100-year old all-weather course with four holes situated inside ancient woodland.
  • Canford Magna Golf Club, Knighton Lane, Wimborne, Dorset (01202 592552, www.canfordmagnagc.co.uk). Dorset’s largest golf course, built to championship specifications.
  • Folke Golf Centre, Alweston, Sherborne, Dorset (01963 23330, www.folkegolfcentre.co.uk). Caters to golfers of all abilities.

Activities

  • Airfield has an interesting museum with a “Flying Aces” Movie aircraft collection of historic and classic aircraft used in film and television productions.
  • Visit Old Wardour Castle, a late 14th Century residence, where part of the film, Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves was filmed.
  • Visit Shaftesbury Abbey Museum & Garden, set on the site of one of the oldest Benedictine monasteries in England (01747 852157, www.shaftesburyheritage.org.uk)

Useful Information

Coventry (EGBE)

Airport information

Nearest town: Baginton (3nm from Coventry city centre), Warwickshire.

PPR: Yes

ICAO: EGBE

Phone: 02476 308 600 (Administration), 02476 308 638 (ATC).

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

Landing fees: Up to 5 tonnes, £12.00: Over 5 tonnes up to 60 tonnes, £15.00; Over 60 tonnes, £18.00.

Runway: 2008m x 46m, Asphalt.

Opening times: Summer – Mon-Fri 0700-2359; Sat & Sun 0700-1700. Winter – Mon-Fri 0800-0100; Sat & Sun 0800-1800.

Fuel: AVTUR JET A-1, AVGAS 100LL.

AIP plates and airport diagram

Airport map

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Airport services

  • Handling: Not mandatory for aircraft under nine tonnes. If handling required: Midwest Executive.
  • Taxis: Allens (02476 555 555), Lewis (02476 666 666), and Central (02476 333 333).
  • Car Hire: Budget (02476 228 100). Coventry car hire branches include Avis (08445 446 051), Europcar (02476 502 111), and National (2476 677 042).
  • Nearest railway stations: Coventry 2.7m
  • Passenger facilities: Hotels in the vicinity (1 mile). A 20 seat executive lounge available on request. First aid available from the Airport Fire Service. ATM Facility and Post box in South Terminal. Customs and immigration available on request.
  • Flying schools: AWA Flying Group (www.flyawa.co.uk) and Coventry Aeroplane Club (02476 301 428, www.covaero.com)

Pubs

  • The White Horse, Kenilworth Road, Coventry (01676 533 207, www.thewhitehorseatbc.co.uk). Spacious, contemporary bar lounge serving generous portions of classics and rotisserie.
  • Bull & Butcher, Common Lane, Corley, Coventry, West Midlands (01676 540 241). A classic countryside pub serving fabulous, truly home cooked meals.
  • Town Wall, Bond Street, Coventry, Warwickshire (02476 220 963). Busy Victorian town local with real ales.
  • Whitefriars, 114-115 Gosford Street, Coventry, Warwickshire (02476 251 655). Housed in a pair of well preserved medieval town houses with lots of ancient beams, timbers and furniture, flagstones, cobbles and coal fire.

Restaurants

  • Simply Simpsons, 101-103 Warwick Rd, Kenilworth (01926 864 567, www.simplysimpsons.co.uk). Hearty and robust classically based dishes and tried-and-tested daily specials.
  • Oscar’s, 39 Chandos St., Royal Leamington Spa (01926 452 807, www.oscarsfrenchbistro.co.uk). Accomplished French bistro cooking and noted for its steak specialities.
  • Bosquet, 97a Warwick Rd., Kenilworth (01926 852 463, www.restaurantbosquet.co.uk). Contemporary French restaurant near centre of town.

Hotels

  • Old Mill Inn, Mill Hill, Baginton, Coventry (02476 302 241). A charming pub and hotel housed in a converted watermill whose origins date back to the Domesday Book.
  • Britannia Royal Court Hotel, Tamworth Road, Coventry (08712 220 096). This 19th century manor house amid 11 acres of gardens and parkland has become the largest hotel in Coventry, complete with its own leisure club.
  • Stoneleigh Park Lodge, Stoneleigh Park, Coventry (02476 690 123, stoneleighparklodge.com) Situated in the National Agricultural Centre, home to The Royal Show and just opposite The Royal Pavillion.

Golf courses

  • Marriott Forest of Arden Golf Club, Maxstoke Lane, Meriden, Coventry, West Midlands (01676 522 335). One of the UK’s top hotel and golf venues, boasting 2 fine courses and a wide range of top class leisure facilities.
  • Brandon Wood Golf Course & Driving Range, Brandon Lane, Wolston, Nr Coventry, West Midlands (02476 543 141, www.brandonwood.co.uk). In the heart of the countryside along the banks of the River Avon.

Activities

  • St. Michael’s Cathedral, 1 Hill Top, Coventry (02476 521 200, www.coventrycathedral.org.uk). Coventry’s most notable landmark, the original 14th century cathedral was largely destroyed by German bombing during World War II.
  • Warwick Castle, Warwick Castle, Warwick, Warwickshire (08704 422 000, www.warwick-castle.co.uk). Built by William the Conqueror on a bluff at a bend on the River Avon.
  • Kenilworth Castle, Kenilworth, Warwickshire (01212 002 700). The retirement home of Henry V after Agincourt.
  • National Motorcycle Museum, Coventry Road, Bickenhill, Solihull, West Midlands (01675 443311, www.nationalmotorcyclemuseum.co.uk). Easily the finest and largest motorcycle museum in the world.
  • Midland Air Museum, Coventry Airport (02476 301 033, www.midlandairmuseum.co.uk). Adjacent to Coventry Airport, the museum displays a wide range of aircraft with a special emphasis on those made by Armstrong Whitworth (Hawker Siddeley Group).

Useful information

Wellesbourne Mountford (EGBW)

Airport information

Nearest town: Stratford-Upon-Avon (5m by car), Warwickshire. Also close to Warwick and Coventry.

Opening Times:

  • Winter: Daily 09:00 – S/S + 30 mins, or 17:30 (whichever earlier); winter night flying Wednesday, Friday and Saturday by arrangement.
  • Summer: Daily 09:00 – 17:30 BST and by arrangement

Longest Runway: 917m, Asphalt

Fuel: AVTUR JET A-1, AVGAS 100LL

Phone: 01789 842007 (Admin), 01789 842000 (ATC)

Website: www.wellesbourneairfield.com, Wikipedia entry

AIP: plates and airport diagram

Landing fees: from £10 singles, £15 twins

Note: Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield is unlicensed after 17:30; within published hours, no PPR is required.

Airport map

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Airport services

  • Taxis: Barford Cabs (01926 620096), Main Taxis, in Stratford (01789 415333), Teddy Bear Kabs (07771 622970), Wellesbourne Taxis, (07900 616783).
  • Car Hire: Hertz (01789 298 827, www.hertz.co.uk). Note: by train station in Stratford-Upon-Avon, not on airfield.
  • Facilities at airport: Touchdown Cafe with fine view of the runway.
  • Flying schools: OnTrack Aviation (01789 842777, www.ontrackaviation.com), South Warwickshire Flying School (01789 840094, www.southwarwickshireflyingschool.com),.

Pubs

  • The Black Swan aka The Dirty Duck, Waterside, Stratford upon Avon, 01789 297312. The actors’ pub with great food.
  • The Old Thatch Tavern, 23, Greenhill St, Stratford Upon Avon, 0871 917 0007. Atmospheric, old pub with dark and cozy interiors, and a real fire.
  • The Windmill Inn, Church St, Stratford upon Avon, 0871 917 0007. A 350 year old pub known for its hearty lunches.

Restaurants

  • Coconut Lagoon, 21 Sheep Street, Stratford-upon-Avon (01789 293546, www.coconutlagoon.com). Handy for the theatre.
  • Vintners, 4 & 5 Sheep Street, Stratford upon Avon, (01789 297259, www.the-vintner.co.uk) . Good for a Sunday brunch.
  • Drucker’s at Nash’s House, NULL Halls Croft, Stratford upon Avon (01789 297848). A little secret place for tea and a light lunch.

Hotels

  • The Charlecote Pheasant, Charlecote, Stratford upon Avon (0844 855 9126). Attractively located beside Charlecote Manor and Park and close to the river Avon
  • Glebe Hotel, Church Street, Barford (01926 624218). 5 miles from the airfield, this is a church rectory converted to a small hotel.
  • The Kings Head Inn, 39 Saltisford, Warwick (01789 840206, www.thekingsheadwarwick.com/). A 400 year old inn very close to Warwick castle.
  • Alveston Manor Hotel, Clopton Bridge, Stratford-upon-Avon (0871 508 8768, www.alvestonmanor.co.uk). A 4-star hotel believed to be the site of the first performance of A Midsummer Night’s dream.

Golf courses

  • Stratford-on-Avon Golf Club (1789 297 296, www.stratfordgolf.co.uk). Has a number of challenging holes for golfers of all aptitudes.
  • Stratford Oaks Golf Club (01789 731980, www.stratfordoaks.co.uk).
  • Ingon Manor Golf and Country Club (01789 731857, www.ingonmanor.co.uk). Set in 130 acres of countryside that includes a 14th century country house hotel.

Activities

  • Wellesbourne Wartime Museum (01789 778816) on the airfield, open 10-4 on Sundays and Bank Holidays. Also on the airfield, a Vulcan Bomber (www.xm655.com).
  • Charlecote Park (www.nationaltrust.org.uk), a lovely Tudor mansion house run by the National Trust, a fifteen-minute brisk walk to the North of the airfield.
  • The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (01789 204016, www.shakespeare.org.uk) owns five Elizabethan houses in Stratford and the local area, including the bard’s birthplace.
  • Stratford-upon-Avon racecourse. (01789 267949, www.stratfordracecourse.net).
  • Royal Shakespeare Company. (01789 403444, www.rsc.org.uk). Walking tours and small exhibitions as well as plays.
  • British Motor Heritage Museum (01926 641188, www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk ) at Gaydon is about half an hour’s drive from Wellesbourne.
  • Warwick Castle (www.warwick-castle.co.uk, 0870 442 2000) Well-run castle with all mod cons, including dungeons and peacocks.

Useful information

Elvington (EGYK)

Airport information

Nearest town: York (27m by car), Yorkshire

Opening times: Dawn to dusk

Longest runway: 3000m, Concrete and Asphalt

Fuel: 100LL Jet A1

Phone:   01759 305851

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

Note: York Elvington Aerodrome is an unlicensed private aerodrome and pilots use it at their own risk. PPR required. PPR is at sole discretion of the aerodrome owners by telephone to Elvington Events Limited (01759 305851)

Airport map

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Airport services

  • Handling: From £ 12
  • Taxis: Victoria Travel (01759 306 910), Central Taxis (01759 302146), Car 9 (01759 306 596)
  • Car Hire: Thrifty (01904 438844  , www.thrifty.co.uk), Enterprise (01904 623000  , www.enterprise.com)
  • Facilities at airport: Cafe
  • Charter: Available from Prive Jets (02080 990 375  , www.privejets.com)

Pubs

  • The Black Bull, 18 Market Place, Pocklington,   01759 302649  . Good value menu.
  • The Black Swan, Peasholme Green,   01904 686911  . Traditional pub with great beers, lots of character and a reputation for being haunted.
  • The Gillygate, 48 Gillygate,   01904 654103  . Excellent fish and chips.

Restaurants

  • 1331 Gastrobar, 13 Grape Lane, York,   01904 661130  . Decent gastropub fare sourced as locally as possible in this fashionable locale.
  • Betty’s Café and Tearooms, 6-8 St Helen’s Square, York,   01904 659142  . A local institution, now combined with a shop selling gorgeous snacks.
  • The Blue Bicycle, 34 Fossgate, York,   01904673990  . Good seafood served in an atmospheric former brothel.

Hotels

  • Acer, 52 Scarcroft Hill, York (01904 653839). Small – just four rooms – comfortable and welcoming. Good breakfasts.
  • Mount Royale Hotel, 119 The Mount, York (01904 628856). Set in mature English gardens, antiques in every room.
  • The Parsonage Country House Hotel, Escrick, York (01904 728111  , www.parsonagehotel.co.uk)  Classic hotel with a modern twist. Restaurant features ‘Yorkshire farmers’ menu’.

Golf courses

Activities

Useful information

Lelystad Aerodrome (EHLE)

I flew to Lelystad, Holland on Saturday. It’s a purpose-built GA airport about 30m east of Amsterdam. The flight from Denham was fabulous in good weather – we flew right over the top of Schiphol at 9,000 feet.

The airport is very welcoming. They have customs and immigration officers on site (although the book says to give four hours notice) and there is a cafe in the small terminal building. The landing fee was around €50 which compares well with about €300 for the same Cirrus at Schiphol the week before.

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Although Lelystad has NDB approaches, they are only active outside daylight hours. Arriving in daylight, you have to end your IFR flight plan just past Amsterdam and descend below 1,500 feet.

The best part about Lelystad is that there is a aviation-themed cafe (with staff in pilot uniforms!) called Flantuas and an excellent aircraft museum – the Aviodrome. Both are a few minutes walk from the terminal.

Flantuas – with aircraft models and a view of the runway

Lelystad’s reconstruction of the Schiphol’s terminal building from the 30s

Outside the Aviodrome with a view of their KLM 747