Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By TopCat
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1883542
PeteSpencer wrote:Our grass strip, a true farmstrip with zippo facilities, no fuel, not even a dunny, (though on our 20 year lease it says 'Airfield') at 815 metres, is longer than many licensed airfields-Old Buckenham springs to mind -there are others.It was longer than Sheffield before it closed down.

I'd love to visit sometime, if I may. Hadn't realised that's where you were. I spotted the strip on the way to Old Buckenham a few months ago.

Naturally I'd be happy to stick a tenner in an envelope or similar electronically to help with the upkeep. And even happier if you happened to be there - did we ever meet in the Flyer List days?

I notice there's a disused called Fersfield nearby. Was your group based there once?
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1883547
TopCat wrote:
PeteSpencer wrote:Our grass strip, a true farmstrip with zippo facilities, no fuel, not even a dunny, (though on our 20 year lease it says 'Airfield') at 815 metres, is longer than many licensed airfields-Old Buckenham springs to mind -there are others.It was longer than Sheffield before it closed down.

I'd love to visit sometime, if I may. Hadn't realised that's where you were. I spotted the strip on the way to Old Buckenham a few months ago.

Naturally I'd be happy to stick a tenner in an envelope or similar electronically to help with the upkeep. And even happier if you happened to be there - did we ever meet in the Flyer List days?

I notice there's a disused called Fersfield nearby. Was your group based there once?


@TopCat

You would be more than welcome to visit : And we've hosted a forumite in his exceedingly tasty .AA5.

The Fersfield Flying Group (FFG) was first formed at Fersfield disused in the 1960s- incidentally RAF Fersfield was a Satellite station for RAF Knettishall's USAAF 388th bomb group 560 sqdn who worked on Operation Aphrodite-but that's another story.

However the FFG got turfed off when Fersfield was returned to agriculture late 1960s.

So they decamped to Knettishall lock stock and Hangar where they've been ever since., but decided to retain the group name.

The grass strip at Knettishall was laid in 1970.

V Happy to meet up if I'm free: come late morning and there's a coupla nice pubs just round the corner.

All you need to do is PM me your email address with the date you want to come plus a/c reg/details/origin/pob and I'll send the briefing plus ways to show appreciation electronically. :lol:

Yep I was on the flyer list pre-Forum days : I attended a Fly-in at Beccles way back when (90s) , when it was a bit of a shed and also one at Sandtoft. so I may have met you at Beccles: I'll send a photo if you were there: I don't actually know yer name though.

Peter
#1883554
The important thing to remember about farm strips is when the wind is calm you could have traffic landing in the opposite direction. The use of the SafetyComm frequency 135.480 or the strip's own frequency if it has one helps build up the situational awareness.
Usually radios are unmanned and traffic makes 'blind' calls.
PPR is essential by phone because there could be sheep grazing the strip or soft ground conditions etc.
Most strips have narrow runways so it is important not to drift sideways into the crop.
Strip flying can be great fun and no high viz jackets required.
#1883557
PA28 wrote:The important thing to remember about farm strips is when the wind is calm you could have traffic landing in the opposite direction. The use of the SafetyComm frequency 135.480 or the strip's own frequency if it has one helps build up the situational awareness.
Usually radios are unmanned and traffic makes 'blind' calls.
PPR is essential by phone because there could be sheep grazing the strip or soft ground conditions etc.
Most strips have narrow runways so it is important not to drift sideways into the crop.
Strip flying can be great fun and no high viz jackets required.


PA28: If calm winds are "The important thing" then please do not ask to fly into my private strip.
By TopCat
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1883559
PeteSpencer wrote:You would be more than welcome to visit

:thumleft: :thumleft:

PeteSpencer wrote:And we've hosted a forumite in his exceedingly tasty .AA5.

You'll only need to change one letter when you come to decribe mine.

Although the seats are going to be done at some point soonish hopefully, so I won't be quite as embarrassed.
#1883561
TopCat wrote:The width would be ok on a calm day, but I very much doubt I'll be visiting. I could get in easily enough, but I might end up staying rather a lot longer than either of us would like :shock: :lol:


We have a north/south at about 600x18 which might be better! In a southerly that is much less of a challenge although up hill, so departure is a bit harder and you really need to be airbourne in 450m.

Sometimes land on that in a crosswind rather than using the E/W
#1883564
Rob L wrote:
PA28 wrote:The important thing to remember about farm strips is when the wind is calm you could have traffic landing in the opposite direction. The use of the SafetyComm frequency 135.480 or the strip's own frequency if it has one helps build up the situational awareness.
Usually radios are unmanned and traffic makes 'blind' calls.
PPR is essential by phone because there could be sheep grazing the strip or soft ground conditions etc.
Most strips have narrow runways so it is important not to drift sideways into the crop.
Strip flying can be great fun and no high viz jackets required.


PA28: If calm winds are "The important thing" then please do not ask to fly into my private strip.

Wouldn't want to thanks.
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By StratoTramp
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1883568
Not super qualified to talk about this. I have been reading your comments with interest.

I learn from sackville. It is really long (700m) but in a really light aircraft (microlight) you want to put It down in certain areas (between all the bumps! the first good area is right by the threshold) Or else be lofted back up by tractor ruts / old hedgerow. I've been told I'm too high and too low on various approaches.

Can't remember exactly but I think Topcat or lobstaboy used to fly from it and have offered their constructive criticism.

Dont judge to harshly as I will say It is a complete luxury to go to Deenethorpe or Leicester where I can fly a normal circuit! Without worrying about villages or trees on a perfectly flat runway. I guess train weird, fly normal.

Skip to 8:20. It doesn't help that I'm wearing my harness wrong :roll: but that was pointed out by people out here and I'm doing that right now. So thank you for that.

There is a go round when I am way to low about halfway. Generally if I dont get it down pronto despite the 700m I go back up.



I do devour all the AAIBs I can get hold of generally with the hope I dont end up in one.

This one was pretty windy. You can see how long it is so guess it doesn't count as a strip really. But it's a bit like landing on a golf course. This one was deliberately lower due to wind. Doesn't really show on the sock.



Regardless of what you think of my flying :lol: I think there may be some advantages of starting at bouncey, soggy fields. Other than I haven't been flying for 4 weeks!!! Need to move to deenethorpe for winter.
Last edited by StratoTramp on Fri Nov 19, 2021 8:09 pm, edited 4 times in total.
By Lefty
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1883569
@TopCat ,
As has been mentioned, strips come in all shapes and sizes. To me, the key requirements are a complete and thorough knowledge of your aircraft’s performance and how handle it when flying low and slow, the ability to assess the risks and available flight paths when approaching an unknown strip for the first time, and lastly the decision making ability to decide whether your approach is going to be successful or not (and the willingness to go around when it isn’t looking good).

Start slow and build up your experience. For example try Brimpton near Aldermarston. It is 630m now, but I used to have an AA5 based there before they extended it and when it was approx 480m long with a hedge at one end and trees at the other. There are also a couple of other strips in the local area that we use. See you at the club.
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By StratoTramp
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1883574
Yeah we had a discussion. It was my sloppy adjustment, after the plane had been rented. I should have been better really. Just noticed it's wrong in the other video too!

I've learnt now though. Guess at least with solo it was preoccupation with the rest of flying. If you are going down you are having a bad day anyway but being strapped in right just might make enough of a difference. I think sometimes its me subconsciously pulling over and over on the shoulder straps! :cyclopsani:
Flyin'Dutch' liked this
#1883592
Funnily enough PPR did come back here again, I think we all agree PPR is a good thing in strip flying: including long +800m grass strip where you can land a Lancaster with 30 pages of briefing, or the some really tiny grass that no one know about or heard about let alone and we can’t visit as some random guy own it and does not like anyone here :lol:

Having said that I flew to Pittsford few times, it’s in the 400m and no PPR, maybe 1 ou of 3 airfield without PPR in the country? (the others two are Sandown & Fenland), I have landed there in Cub, Faulke, C172 (I called), last was 3pob with good winds, always to do some water sports or just rent and cycle around the reservoir, still lovely to talk to the chap who owns it…
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