Hi,
Just discovered this forum, first post here! I am planing to do a VFR trip to Biggin Hill from Bournemouth and was curious to what the arrival procedure is from the West? I can only seem to find info on arriving from the East.
Thanks!
Welcome to EuroGA!
How about this – the thick red line
At Bournemouth EGHH, ask for a VFR departure to Hengisbury Head and then just use a GPS to fly the obvious route to Biggin Hill EGKB.
Some of that route has to be flown not above 2000ft, some other bits not above 2500ft, etc. But once past H/Head, it’s all Class G. You can do it all non-radio, or speak to Solent 120.225 and later Farnborough 125.25 if you want a traffic service.
Do get enroute notams to check for stuff like airshows and other prohibited zones which may pop up. This site is good.
Thanks for the reply! I have planed that exact route pretty much. It’s just the arrival into biggin hill itself, I have read somewhere that you have join the circuit from the dead side then fly across the mid point of the runway (assuming runway 21) then onto downwind? Why not just direct to left downwind from the West? Just want to clarify if this is correct as I have not come across something like this before!
Outside the ATZ of a Class G airport, you can do what you like… obviously avoid flying through their instrument approach (going onto Runway 21).
Left hand downwind sounds good to me – avoids overflying that built-up area to the north of Biggin.
Also if you descend to 1400ft then you have more room – you can be miles south of Biggin and just call up from near Sevenoaks, for a left base onto 21, etc… All this “deadside” stuff is too complicated to work out when one is busy. Never make more work for yourself…
Remember this whole area is damn busy. Half the world is flying down there at 2300/2400ft 
and later Farnborough 125.25 if you want a traffic service.
another good one.
Biggin hill arrivals form the west are far easier than from the east. Just call up Biggin 129.4 with about 10-15 miles to run and ask for joining instructions. It will be one of 4 permutations:
Only very very rarely will runway 11 will be in use.
They may ask you to hold (ie orbit) at 3 or 5 miles, and at some point they will ask you to squawk 7047. Some days you will be switched to tower on 134.8 as you get closer.
Edit: Peter, your diagram is the one join you will never get at Biggin. About 1/3rd of the time they will offer you a left base to 21 – but never if you join from the east.
Cool, cheers guys for the help! Will let you know how it goes! Also any recommendations for GPS on iPad?
Slabs wrote:
Also any recommendations for GPS on iPad?
SkyDemon (sorry…)
Hmmm, I got a left base 21 last time I went there, late April 2015.
Why not?
That was from Shoreham, via MAY.
From the east it happens about a 3rd of the time, but as the preferred circuit is to the west, it never happens when coming down the gatwick/Heathrow gap.
