Airfield Reviews

Airfield Reviews - the good, the Bad and the Muddy

My personal experiences flying into UK airfields.

Flying into airfields around the UK and Europe. Here are a few thoughts and pointers based on my own experiences. Please note these are my own personal notes and experiences. If you are planning to fly into any of these, then use the usual aviation sources for correct information.

£26 to land at Duxford. It might seem to be a little steep, but that's about what you'd expect for a decent sized field with a proper hard runway. What you might not expect is that the fee includes two hours in the Imperial War Museum, which turns a landing fee into the best value day out in UK general aviation. I flew in on the hottest day of the year with Caz, parked on hardstanding a few yards from a MiG, and spent the walk to the cafe trying to work out whether I'd just paid for a landing or bought two museum tickets with a free arrival thrown in.

Elstree Airfield from the air showing the hangars and main runway — Elstree Airfield EGTR from the air

Welcome to Elstree. My Home.

It's quirky, busy and expensive. It has the worlds most complex circuit which flips daily, horrible noise abatement rules, militant walkers, pylons on the approach, movie starts on the other and footpaths in stupid places. but it is my home and I love it.

Cartoon road sign reading Welcome to London Heathrow with No Cessnas scrawled underneath in red.

I review airfields so you don’t have to. Usually that means a crumbling tarmac or grass strip, a friendly voice in the tower, and a bacon roll. but this week I wanted to be different. So it is London Heathrow. And before you ask, yes, I’ve landed here. Multiple times. Smooth touchdowns, every one. Close to the centreline too. I’ve even taken off a few times. Never with my hands on the controls, mind. I had absolutely nothing to do with any of it.

KK nose and prop with two stored 747s behind. Little plane, big jets, whole story in one frame.

There's a running joke in our house. We don't talk about Kemble. Mention it and Caz rolls her eyes, Jack grins into his tea, and I suddenly find something else to look at. Which is odd, because we have been to Kemble. Twice. So why the silence? Well. It's a good one, and enough time has passed that I think I'm finally allowed to tell it.

Most airfields tolerate you. Sandown wants you to have a nice day, and it has rules to make sure you do. No hi-vis. No miserable people. There's a skeleton running the complaints department and a space rocket parked where you'd expect a windsock. I've flown in five times now, first as a nervous student, most recently with one of the share group taking turns at the controls. It's the place I'd send anyone who reckons British GA has lost its sense of fun.

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