FLYER Forums

Does anyone remember the good old days when you used to be able to PPR (with all the compliance etc) And get PPR to an RAF airfield?

I used to think MOD policy encouraged and accommodated the taxpayer to their airfields where appropriate - but now it seems every possible lazy Half baked excuse is trotted out to not accept civil air systems to RAF stations that apparently seem not to be able to cope with all 3 “university air squadron” Grobs in a day...

Seems the RAF only want to know from us when they want a shiny aircraft on display for open days.....pathetic.

Contrast this with the Royal Navy who bend over backwards to offer a service (For a fixed wing civil) to the largest helicopter base (and fixed wing) in Europe and you wonder what the problem is.....

Lunatics and asylum spring to mind?

Which RAF airfield you can't PPR and land on?

RAF Little Rissington is one example

I once enquired about landing at Cranwell (actually Cranwell North that the gliders use). Verboten for reasons that were not fully understood by either me or the person I corresponded with.

There could be a number of additional factors - stations are still under a number of COVID restrictions, potential limited ATC opening hours /resource and there are always security factors that are not applicable to civilian airfields. At the very least you would need handling and escorting which will take people and vehicles with current COVID complicating factors.

I’ve often been on the end of a ‘I’m a taxpayer I’ve got a right to land and use you’ rant but try demanding you park your car in your local police/fire/ambulance/council car park next time you go shopping! The situation can be just as frustrating for us internally when trying to sort landaways.

RAF runways with weekend gliding acitivity, same as civvy glider sites, maybe worth visiting in a TMG? or maybe these days things are different with staffing?

We should make all MOD airfields GA and give them a fenced off corner to keep their odds and ends

Didn’t know it had ever been simple to PPR into a military site. When I was serving I used to fly my Cessna to meetings, but always had to land nearby. Seem to remember the issue in those days was the level of insurance required.

xtophe wrote:RAF Little Rissington is one example

There are PPR numbers (fax and voice) provided specifically for civil aircraft in the AIP(MIL) plus an e-mail address; have you tried those?

The least welcoming reception I ever suffered was RAF Woodvale. But the service can't take all the blame for that, it was run by SERCO at that time.

Rob P

Rob P wrote:The least welcoming reception I ever suffered was RAF Woodvale. But the service can't take all the blame for that, it was run by SERCO at that time.

Rob P

Bet that was a monday or tuesday (UAS/AEF days off)
Who runs the place now?

Rob P wrote:The least welcoming reception I ever suffered was RAF Woodvale.

And here was me thinking not only did Benbecula have the right to that particular accolade, but that is was unsurpassable.

Best Mil reception I’ve had was at
RAF Wattisham for a MCASD meeting

Collection from parking by minibus , freedom to crawl over a couple of Apaches during the breaks and a personalised Wx forecast folder on departure .And no charge

Closely followed by RAF Marham with marshalling and personal escort to mess.

Peter

chevvron wrote:

xtophe wrote:RAF Little Rissington is one example

There are PPR numbers (fax and voice) provided specifically for civil aircraft in the AIP(MIL) plus an e-mail address; have you tried those?

Landed there with my glider (pre-COVID) and been told by the otherwise lovely VGS people that there is absolutely no chance to arrange a aerotow retrieve. So didn't try the tel number at that point.

Approaching Berkston Heath to land (with full PPR etc.) was welcomed by an 'all traffic' call from ATC warning of 'A civilian in the circuit'

Landed at Culdrose (with full PPR) after a PAR in heavy rain. Chap rushed out with a brolly - that's kind I thought - on opening the door he said 'Hello, how would you like to pay the landing fee'

Yeovil - Fantastic
Lossiemouth or Kinloss (cant remember which) equally fantastic

Even a Serco run military airfield on a bad day will be 1,000 times easier than Zhukovsky (UUBW)

Ian