Post by b747fan on Jan 5, 2016 7:30:44 GMT
Dear all,
may I start by saying what an excellent forum AFA is. I have not contributed a great deal to it so far so I thought I should try and address that.
Based in Stoke-On-Trent, I have until recently had a job as a Technical Manager that takes me out and about 3 days a week to much of the UK, so I have popped in to numerous airfields over the past year. I've made 340 visits to 133 different sites in 2015, 32 of which were first visits. There were 19 organized events attended too. Sadly, having just been made redundant from the paper industry, things tailed off a bit from October. Anyway, onwards and upwards as they say...
JANUARY was a bit quiet with little of interest to report.
FEBRUARY picked up with guided tours on the 14th at Spanhoe (13 in the book) and Deenethorpe (16 in the book). I hear that the latter can be hard to get round but the owner was up in his aircraft and a resident pilot allowed us hangar access. I was accompanied by my reliable friend, BobbyStreet who is something of a lucky mascot and seems to be able to get me in most places! February also included a visit to Hucknall for their last ever flying day, and a Valentine's fly-in at Sywell. Neither event bagged many for me sadly. To end the month, my friends and I embarked on a trip around the Midlands and made some first visits to Jericho Farm, Beeches Farm, Forwood Farm and Brook Breasting Farm.
MARCH put 102 in the book with highlights being interesting visits to Cardiff, St. Athan and a friendly glider field called Usk.
APRIL is when the year tends to get going and a visit to Sywell for a Eurostar fly-in was OK with 9 put in the book.
MAY started well with a 2-day business trip in the south which allowed me to visit Hurn, Hill Farm at Botley (where two engineers showed me round), Chilbolton, Southampton, Thruxton, Bourne Park, and Wasing Lower Farm. This led into the weekend for visits to Heathrow, Farnborough, Blackbushe, Popham (microlight exhibition), Lasham etc etc. There have also been glider competitions at Husbands Bosworth and Saltby, an aerobatic competition at Fenland, an Auster fly-in at Breighton, and the inevitable Aero-Expo at Sywell. This turned out to be one of my best months with 341 in the book.
The highlights of JUNE began when we headed up to Eshott for the Great North fly-in and discovered a number of balloons drifting low over Bedale. Due to Bob's excellent sense of direction we managed to find a route off the A1 and located 11 of them, all being cops for me. An amusing call that day was to Causey Park. We could hear someone in the locked hangar and when we knocked on the door a rather breathless sounding lady called back from behind the closed door stating that she couldn't let us in as she couldn't find the keys. A short while later a man appeared at the door looking extremely sheepish. I wonder what they were up to?!!
JULY brought me up to Scotland and I was able to get a guided tour around Perth, resulting in 44 cops here. Together with Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cumbernauld, Portmoak, Fife, Errol, and Glasgow Heliport, I bagged 77 on this trip. On the way home, I visited Kirkbride and Carlisle, getting a guided tour round the entire site at the latter place. July also included the visit to Turweston to see the helicopters destined for the British GP.
AUGUST was the most memorable spotting trip to date for me. BobbyStreet collected me from home on the 8th at around 2.15am and we attended the Bristol Balloon Fiesta, giving me 77 cops. Then we headed south into Devon and visited a series of lovely airfields, most of which gave us full access. these were Eaglescott, Eggesford, Belle Vue Farm, Watchford Farm, Westonzoyland, and Staverton. The visit included a fantastic fly-in / fly-out at Dunkeswell. With the Northampton Balloon Fiesta, the Stoke Golding Stake-Out and the Woburn Moth Rally the following week, I bagged 307 in August.
SEPTEMBER brought just a couple of trips for me, the highlight being the 'Grass Roots' balloon meet at Sackville Lodge Farm followed by a guided tour at Sandy. On arrival at the latter, Pete the owner was sat outside the clubhouse having a coffee and as we drew up we immediately spotted the look of suspicion on his face. However, when we explained that we are spotters and we politely asked for access he said 'sure, no problem' and proceeded to lead us into the two main hangars. He explained that he is a stickler for manners, and if people turn up here and just start looking around, even if they stay within the permitted areas, he will evict them. Ask politely, and he will be fully cooperative. He even gave us a coffee each! A small donation always helps too. We also gained access to all hangars at Sutton Meadows this trip, which was a nice surprise. Finally, let's not forget the fabulous LAA Rally at Sywell which brought me 47 cops.
That has been it for me, really. OCTOBER onwards has brought very little, helped in no small part by the poor weather in my area. I can see a lot climbing out of Manchester from home but despite an SBS, the grey skies have brought nothing into view lately.
Until I find a new job, 2016 looks set to be a quiet one for me!
ANDY
may I start by saying what an excellent forum AFA is. I have not contributed a great deal to it so far so I thought I should try and address that.
Based in Stoke-On-Trent, I have until recently had a job as a Technical Manager that takes me out and about 3 days a week to much of the UK, so I have popped in to numerous airfields over the past year. I've made 340 visits to 133 different sites in 2015, 32 of which were first visits. There were 19 organized events attended too. Sadly, having just been made redundant from the paper industry, things tailed off a bit from October. Anyway, onwards and upwards as they say...
JANUARY was a bit quiet with little of interest to report.
FEBRUARY picked up with guided tours on the 14th at Spanhoe (13 in the book) and Deenethorpe (16 in the book). I hear that the latter can be hard to get round but the owner was up in his aircraft and a resident pilot allowed us hangar access. I was accompanied by my reliable friend, BobbyStreet who is something of a lucky mascot and seems to be able to get me in most places! February also included a visit to Hucknall for their last ever flying day, and a Valentine's fly-in at Sywell. Neither event bagged many for me sadly. To end the month, my friends and I embarked on a trip around the Midlands and made some first visits to Jericho Farm, Beeches Farm, Forwood Farm and Brook Breasting Farm.
MARCH put 102 in the book with highlights being interesting visits to Cardiff, St. Athan and a friendly glider field called Usk.
APRIL is when the year tends to get going and a visit to Sywell for a Eurostar fly-in was OK with 9 put in the book.
MAY started well with a 2-day business trip in the south which allowed me to visit Hurn, Hill Farm at Botley (where two engineers showed me round), Chilbolton, Southampton, Thruxton, Bourne Park, and Wasing Lower Farm. This led into the weekend for visits to Heathrow, Farnborough, Blackbushe, Popham (microlight exhibition), Lasham etc etc. There have also been glider competitions at Husbands Bosworth and Saltby, an aerobatic competition at Fenland, an Auster fly-in at Breighton, and the inevitable Aero-Expo at Sywell. This turned out to be one of my best months with 341 in the book.
The highlights of JUNE began when we headed up to Eshott for the Great North fly-in and discovered a number of balloons drifting low over Bedale. Due to Bob's excellent sense of direction we managed to find a route off the A1 and located 11 of them, all being cops for me. An amusing call that day was to Causey Park. We could hear someone in the locked hangar and when we knocked on the door a rather breathless sounding lady called back from behind the closed door stating that she couldn't let us in as she couldn't find the keys. A short while later a man appeared at the door looking extremely sheepish. I wonder what they were up to?!!
JULY brought me up to Scotland and I was able to get a guided tour around Perth, resulting in 44 cops here. Together with Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cumbernauld, Portmoak, Fife, Errol, and Glasgow Heliport, I bagged 77 on this trip. On the way home, I visited Kirkbride and Carlisle, getting a guided tour round the entire site at the latter place. July also included the visit to Turweston to see the helicopters destined for the British GP.
AUGUST was the most memorable spotting trip to date for me. BobbyStreet collected me from home on the 8th at around 2.15am and we attended the Bristol Balloon Fiesta, giving me 77 cops. Then we headed south into Devon and visited a series of lovely airfields, most of which gave us full access. these were Eaglescott, Eggesford, Belle Vue Farm, Watchford Farm, Westonzoyland, and Staverton. The visit included a fantastic fly-in / fly-out at Dunkeswell. With the Northampton Balloon Fiesta, the Stoke Golding Stake-Out and the Woburn Moth Rally the following week, I bagged 307 in August.
SEPTEMBER brought just a couple of trips for me, the highlight being the 'Grass Roots' balloon meet at Sackville Lodge Farm followed by a guided tour at Sandy. On arrival at the latter, Pete the owner was sat outside the clubhouse having a coffee and as we drew up we immediately spotted the look of suspicion on his face. However, when we explained that we are spotters and we politely asked for access he said 'sure, no problem' and proceeded to lead us into the two main hangars. He explained that he is a stickler for manners, and if people turn up here and just start looking around, even if they stay within the permitted areas, he will evict them. Ask politely, and he will be fully cooperative. He even gave us a coffee each! A small donation always helps too. We also gained access to all hangars at Sutton Meadows this trip, which was a nice surprise. Finally, let's not forget the fabulous LAA Rally at Sywell which brought me 47 cops.
That has been it for me, really. OCTOBER onwards has brought very little, helped in no small part by the poor weather in my area. I can see a lot climbing out of Manchester from home but despite an SBS, the grey skies have brought nothing into view lately.
Until I find a new job, 2016 looks set to be a quiet one for me!
ANDY
