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Trip from Germany to Plymouth, where to fly?

I plan to visit Plymouth in May 2018 for 4 days.
Taking a commercial flight to London seems cheap, but a 4 hr car drive afterwards doesn’t make the trip doable in a reasonable time.

Taking the Bonanza, I have to make a fuel stop on the westbound flight (most probably in LFAT Le Touquet), to arrive with an hour reserve fuel.

I just checked the surrounding airports, Plymouth seems to be closed.
Is there a closer airport that you can recommend? >1000m grass or 700m asphalt are my requirements.

EDMA, Germany

Your choices are Exeter and Newquay, both are a long way away.

Which is why so much effort is going into reopening Plymouth

EGKB Biggin Hill

Thanks Timothy,
What options do I have to get to Plymouth from these airports?

EDMA, Germany

The basic problem is that the roads around that bit of the UK are even worse than in the rest of the UK There is not much economic activity down there so the roads are much like they were many years ago.

Otherwise, Newquay EGHQ an Exeter EGTE would be fine for IFR, and Perranporth EGTP for VFR (along with various farm strips etc, which come in hugely variable surface conditions).

If I had to go to Plymouth town I would fly to Exeter. Then perhaps a 1.5hr drive. For Exeter airport, make sure somebody in the group wears a yellow jacket – there are some pretty nasty “security types” there, IME. The airport is also well served by public buses although I don’t know where they go. There may well be buses to Plymouth.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

There are a couple of airstrips around, but do not hope too much: they may not suit all aircraft, and may allow visitors only with limitations, or even not at all. Plus they are likely to be at the end of civilisation as we say here. Be sure to contact the operator/owner before landing there! To get an idea, look around here .

Last Edited by at 12 Feb 21:11
EBZH Kiewit, Belgium

From Exeter you can take a taxi to Exeter station (maybe 20 mins), then it’s about an hour by train to Plymouth. (You could take a cab to Cranbrook, then a train to Exeter, but I think it would take a fair bit longer and not be worth it.)

Or rent a car at Exeter and driving is also about an hour. That’s probably easiest.

The drive time from Newquay is about the same, but if you are coming from the east (and who wouldn’t be?) it makes no sense to go way beyond Plymouth then come back.

Plymouth is really quite isolated since the local government closed the airport.

Crossed with both the previous.

I don’t think that any of the strips would meet your minimum requirements.

Last Edited by Timothy at 12 Feb 21:14
EGKB Biggin Hill

Exeter is a nice easy airport to use. And has ILS at each end of the runway. Pay fees with Aviation Southwest and get a gate pass to go back airside. I’m based there for 3 months each summer, if you want any any specific info PM.

There are lots of car hire options at the airport. Avis and Europacar in the building just next to the terminal and Enterprise just around the corner on the industrial estate. I had a very nice fiat 500 Last week for £26 per day. I drive to Dartmouth which takes an hour. Plymouth is slightly further west it’s a nice drive.

The fees are not too bad at Exeter, although I fall in the 1.5-2tonne category which is roughly £60 to land and £18 to park. Parking in the summer is on the grass, it’s in quite good condition. Remember your yellow jacket! The security gate is to the south of the grass apron, it’s a manned office they will let you through.

There is bolt head airfield which Boscomantico has been to and written up. Its a short VFR only grass runway. It’s close to Salcombe but there is no car hire etc.

Safe flight.

Alex
Shoreham (EGKA) White Waltham (EGLM), United Kingdom

Having been stupid and bought a train ticket for a round trip in the UK a few years ago, I reckon car rental is cheaper by a large extent. Trains have become ridiculously expensive there as I remember.

LSZH(work) LSZF (GA base), Switzerland

Yes, possibly, depending on the trip (for example we would never even think of driving to London) but note that on a multi-leg trip it is cheaper to buy each ticket separately than to buy a ticket for the whole journey – due to a scandalous system whereby different (private) train companies sell others’ tickets with a markup. This privatisation was one of the reactions to many decades of railway trade union abuse of power… it went too far however. That said, we have just paid about the same money for the 3 or 4 trains Zurich-Wengen, so the UK is not the only place with expensive trains

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
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