I have recently moved my plane to Elstree (EGTR) which is open H24 I understand, and ATC is manned in the summer until 19:00L apparently. I moved there when hangar space recently became available – it’s much closer to work than where I used to fly from. I’m therefore thinking about flying in the bright summer evenings….but what is there to do apart from an aerial trip and landing back at Elstree? Are there nice places to land in the long summer evenings, reasonably near north London?
Does anyone do these trips?
Howard
I think lots of people do evening flights (and they can be really nice because the wx is calm, you can get sunsets, etc) but usually they don’t land away because that uses up a lot of time for no benefit.
Does EGTR have H24 lights? That’s amazing!
Howard, This is a good place to fly to from Elstree, near Molesworth (A14), look for the church spire, slight slope maybe land uphill?
http://www.thepheasant-keyston.co.uk/home.php
Clic on ‘FLY IN’
@Peter – I am new to Elstree but I believe that they have “we’ll leave the lights on if you tell us and if you promise to turn them off if you’re last to land” lights. There is a book apparently which tells you who is coming in after dark and to help you to know if you are the last to land. Only RW 26 is available to land at night. (I believe that the reason that the reciprocal runway is considered unsafe at night is due to nearby trees.) It would be good I guess if they had pilot controlled lights, which I thought they had, but I believe I was mistaken. Anyway, I have some night training but no night rating yet (I ran out of flyable winter nights before I got my rating.)
@quatrelle -Thanks. Keyston looks like a place worth investigating. I’ll check the dimensions etc. I’m making a list so thank you.
Howard
@quatrelle – have you seen the 2015 AAIB report re an accident at Keyston? Doesn’t sound great. EW/G2015/04/08.
Howard, no havn’t seen that one but have flown there many times in both a PA28 and a Beech 36 as have hundreds of other pilots.
Its still a great destination and not at all difficult.
Give it a fly past and have a look to see what you think, even if you dont land you can get some idea of what its like,
the round trip from Elstree even without landing would still make an enjoyable evenings flight.
Coming from the east (following the A14) its just past the second church spire.
Thanks. Good idea. I’ll do that
Howard, off topic I know, but what are you paying for the hangar at Elstree?
Oxford open until 1030 lcl.
Howard wrote:
@quatrelle – have you seen the 2015 AAIB report re an accident at Keyston? Doesn’t sound great. EW/G2015/04/08.
I just read that and don’t think there’s anything that would indicate a problem with the airfield.
I too have been there many times, although not for some years. I first went in a Beagle Pup 100 and while I was there an Aztec landed.
Make your own decisions on the day, but don’t rule it out.