Useful airfield information and home of the forum's fuel price league tables.

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By joe-fbs
#963117
Also known as Doncaster Sheffield Robin Hood (or some such nonsense!). Once RAF Finningley.

For various practical and sentimental reasons, I have wanted to visit here for some time but only recently has the cost of a visit become acceptable (just). Before you read on, yesterday to land a PA28 and stay for six hours cost me 61 pounds (which is cheaper than advertised, you have to ask for the GA leisure rate, assuming it is a leisure flight, when you ring to book). Yes I know it's a lot but it made sense to me on that day!

Obviously, it's big and easy to find so no more to say there. No problem with the controlled airspace aspects (nor have there been when I have overflown recently).

The compulsory handling with Signature is, while unecessary except to the people who run the airport, very nicely delivered. A very friendly agent guided me to my parking spot (near the main terminal which is also where the Vuclan is living); wore the reflective jacket for me; chocked and coned the aeroplane; then drove me the twenty yards to the Signature Office where he gave me a coffee while I waited to be collected. On arrival, he then drove me land-side to meet my family. For departure, because I then knew the route, my family were able to take me straight to Signature and watch me leave (which also got them a close look at the Vulcan).

I didn't try the terminal facilites but according to my sister who has been delayed there on a commercial flight, they are not good.

The aforementioned 61 pounds was split half and half between the airport and the agent. I took an ILS approach with radar vectors for which there was no extra charge.

The agent said that while 100LL is expensive there (about £2 a litre), the kerosene is so cheap that the RAF drop in to buy it!

I still get a childish pleasure out of having a Ryanair land just behind me and a Thomsonfly depart just ahead of me which is what happened.

I will be going again because the location is convenient to me.

If you don't need instrument facilities, cheaper local alternatives are Sandtoft and Gamston. Humberside is the next nearest place with instrument approaches. Landing fees at Humberside are similar but there is no compulsory handling.

I'm not a stripper but I think there is also a large strip called Finningley Village and / or Ninescores farm adjacent
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By joe-fbs
#1025479
There is also a cafe in the industrial area. I know nothing about it but the address and telephone number are:

Ellianna's
Hanger 3
Robin Hood Airport
Fourth Avenue
DN9 3GE

07564 356725

It is also now possible to visit the Vulcan in its hanger (pre-booking required):

http://www.vulcantothesky.org/appearances.html
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By eltonioni
#1025514
The cafe is not too bad at all, in the corner here http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=doncast ... 20&vpsrc=6. When I was in the hanger a few weeks ago there were a couple of Hawks in for apprentice training, next to the Vulcan. BAe have their academy there.
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By GrahamB
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1025517
The landing and handling fees may be a tad on the high side, but the IFR approach fees are amongst the cheapest in the country.

While doing IR training there during the autumn, I was charged £3.50+VAT per approach (or touch and go).
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1092785
I suddenly had a feeling of devu vu all over again...

joe-fbs wrote:For various practical and sentimental reasons, I have wanted to visit here for some time but only recently has the cost of a visit become acceptable (just). Before you read on, yesterday to land a PA28 and stay for six hours cost me 61 pounds


Shame you weren't around when they first set up shop, they were doing free approaches and landings for GA for controller training purposes.

http://ukga.com/forum/viewthread?forumThreadId=1661

Some old Flyer threads here:

http://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9396

http://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10306

http://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11100
User avatar
By BlackheathBloke
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1451884
Looking at the charges for Donny, I can't see anywhere that it says I need handling?

http://robinhoodairportbusiness.com/fees-and-charges

I've not bothered contacting them, as I'm assuming I do and I'll just say sod it and go to Sandtoft instead.

Anyone a regular(ish) visitor or still based there can confirm that I'm going mad and handling does of course apply?
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By BlackheathBloke
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1451892
phijip wrote:The fees and charges document is not the right place to check if handling is mandatory or not. The AIP is the right place to do that.


Indeed, but would expect them to show the handling charges in there?

No handling charges on the Weston site either. Sandtoft it is. :D
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By joe-fbs
#1456442
I check intermittently, because it's so convenient for where my family live, then when I get the price of the mandatory handling go to Sandtoft. If I wanted lights and / or and instrument approach I would go to Humberside.
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By joe-fbs
#1498999
I am weathered off and going by road but was hoping to get to Doncaster by air today. The handling people gave me a much more reasonable quote than previously (now about the same as Humberside I think). This is for an AA5:

Landing £15.00
Handling £20.00
Airport Levy £ 1.60

Overnight Parking £10.00

Note that while the airfield is H24 the compulsory handler is not. They do not open until 0800 so an early start (which I wanted but declined when I saw the price) would have cost another £80.00

Compulsory handling is still an unnecessary unjustifiable iniquity but at least the price is now reasonable.

Gamston or Sandtoft are still the places to go round there for the normal light GA experience but if the location or facilities are useful to you then Doncaster is now acceptably priced.
By Bathman
#1499301
Why do they insist on utterly useless handling charges. I pass through all the time and I woukd love to drop in for a bacon butty and the landing, parking fee are very good value for money.

But the handling instantly means it not worth it.

When will airports wake up to this. And let's face it it's not like the place is busy
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By ConcordeBA
#1537902
Has anyone been recently? I am looking at taking someone who's from Sheffield into Doncaster this weekend in a DA40, what will the costs be and what will be required to get a PPR? I can't seem to find the best way to do this online.
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By joe-fbs
#1546616
I did short overnight visit to Doncaster this week to visit a sick uncle so treated myself to Doncaster for the CAS and ILS practice (and it is less distance for the family and taxi rides than Sandtoft would have been).

There was no additional charge for taking a vectored ILS (in perfect VMC) rather than a visual approach. Compulsory handling by Weston is all very nice but I would rather not, it benefits no-one except the egos of the airport management.

As it turned out weather on departure was marginal for VFR flying, cloud at 1200 feet and rain showers so being able to take an IFR climb in CAS to get between layers was a real benefit in safety and peace of mind. Not sure I would have departed Sandtoft in those conditions.

Charges for a PA28-181:

Landing 30.91
Handling 26.40
Overnight parking 12.00
Use of credit card 2.50

TOTAL 71.81

So, an occasional treat rather than a regular destination.

Ah, yes the handler mentioned that they are open 0800-2000 local so that would allow some night flying for a reasonable part pf the year although in that area Humberside would be easier and open longer (unless it has changed in the year and a half since I stopped flying there).

Oh and taxi drivers need careful guidance to go to the GA / Weston building otherwise they will drop you at the terminal. Trying to explain to a driver who barely speaks English and is terrified of being charged if he drives down the wrong road is a challenge. Eventually, I gave up and walked the last twenty yards, poor little me :-)
Last edited by joe-fbs on Sun Jul 16, 2017 11:35 am, edited 1 time in total.