What are you planning? Where shall we go?
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By Fellsteruk
#1851438
Had my booking confirmed got the cherry for a few hours in the afternoon so I’ll be nipping in for a bite and say hello :)

Gonna try and visit sleap once or twice before then so I’m use to the place, looking forward to it.

Fingers crossed for nice weather.
By TopCat
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1851442
Fellsteruk wrote:Gonna try and visit sleap once or twice before then so I’m use to the place, looking forward to it.

Two top tips:

1. Find out in advance how to pronounce 'Sleap', otherwise everyone on frequency will be laughing at you.

2. Don't land at Shawbury by mistake.
By Fellsteruk
#1851446
Lol, It’s not pronounced sleep that’s for sure :) I’ve transited the matz a number of times so hopefully won’t land at the wrong airfield.

The matz will be closed on the Saturday Is there any point calling their freq just to say your landing at sleap or can you just tune into sleap I’ll be coming from the east so will technically hit the ATZ before the matz
By TopCat
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1851449
Fellsteruk wrote:Lol, It’s not pronounced sleep that’s for sure :) I’ve transited the matz a number of times so hopefully won’t land at the wrong airfield.

:thumright:
The matz will be closed on the Saturday

Are you sure? SkyDemon has the MATZ active every day.

Image
Is there any point calling their freq just to say your landing at sleap or can you just tune into sleap I’ll be coming from the east so will technically hit the ATZ before the matz

Don't forget that the MATZ extends 1000' above the ATZ so if the MATZ really is closed, you can be above the ATZ without talking to them.

However, the ATZ is active every day so you'd definitely need to talk to them to cross it. The direct line from Tatenhill to Sleap does miss the Shawbury and Tern Hill ATZs, just. But it would be easy to bust one or the other if you weren't very careful and not high enough to avoid them.

Talking about that direct line, I'm sure you would, but just in case... note the gliding site at Seighford. Winch cables up to 2321'.
By Fellsteruk
#1851459
Hey @TopCat
Happy to be proven wrong but I’m of the opinion shawbury is closed at the weekend and after 5pm in the week. I say this because I’ve passed through the matz of a weekend and evening without talking to them or permission as I was told they are closed.

This is what I’ve been lead to believe however as you say ATZ is still active so have to stay out of that.

I’ve called them before at the weekend also and got no answer.
By TopCat
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1851460
Fellsteruk wrote:Hey @TopCat
Happy to be proven wrong but I’m of the opinion shawbury is closed at the weekend and after 5pm in the week. I say this because I’ve passed through the matz of a weekend and evening without talking to them or permission as I was told they are closed.

This is what I’ve been lead to believe however as you say ATZ is still active so have to stay out of that.

I’ve called them before at the weekend also and got no answer.

Probably closed as you say, I don't know myself, I'm just reporting what SD says. Somewhere there'll be an official source.

I've just checked the same SD display for Benson MATZ (between Brize and White Waltham). It says active every day too, but it's been closed at weekends for years, so I wouldn't be surprised if you're right about Shawbury.
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By GrahamB
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1851462
Speaking as a (near) local, Shawbury can be active outside of published hours, so it’s always worth giving them a call.

If no answer, just self-announce -brief- details on the Zone frequency before entering the MATZ..
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By Fellsteruk
#1851484
GrahamB wrote:Speaking as a (near) local, Shawbury can be active outside of published hours, so it’s always worth giving them a call.

If no answer, just self-announce -brief- details on the Zone frequency before entering the MATZ..


That’s interesting, I wonder where I would stand then with the following I mean I guess I’m pic so it’s 100% on me.

I was on a solo Nav the other month crossing their matz, I told hawarden radar I was switching and they told me it’s closed do you want to stay with us, I was like “sure” I stayed with them on a basic service did the route and back home but what if it had been activated, guess they would have called hawarden to ask what I was doing but I guess a matz is classG so it’s not like I’d be doing anything illegal just stupid maybe.... thoughts?
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By GrahamB
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1851491
Fellsteruk wrote:
GrahamB wrote:Speaking as a (near) local, Shawbury can be active outside of published hours, so it’s always worth giving them a call.

If no answer, just self-announce -brief- details on the Zone frequency before entering the MATZ..


That’s interesting, I wonder where I would stand then with the following I mean I guess I’m pic so it’s 100% on me.

I was on a solo Nav the other month crossing their matz, I told hawarden radar I was switching and they told me it’s closed do you want to stay with us, I was like “sure” I stayed with them on a basic service did the route and back home but what if it had been activated, guess they would have called hawarden to ask what I was doing but I guess a matz is classG so it’s not like I’d be doing anything illegal just stupid maybe.... thoughts?

A Basic Service? Hmmm.

You are likely to get a better awareness of traffic from people self-announcing on the Shawbury frequency than from Hawarden on a BS IMO, even though that approach is not promulgated - I’ve called Shawbury, well out of hours, and had them respond as they had helicopters aloft.
By TopCat
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1851516
Fellsteruk wrote:I was like “sure”

If you've got enough experience for the sort of relaxed R/T (sic) that includes things like "sure", then I shall feel duty bound to step up to the next level of what I like to call "helpful suggestions".
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By GrahamB
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1851525
TopCat wrote:Haven't been to Sleap for years. Any other Grummans coming? @GrahamB does this count as a Grumpy validation trip?

Just remembered I hadn’t replied to this.

I can’t speak for Grumpy Control (which actually doesn’t exist) but it would depend on the unpublished ‘quorum’ requirements being fulfilled. These are quite complex when it is an event, organised by others, being descended upon by Grumpies.

So the answer is “it depends”, but it would be a wise precaution to bring along details of how you fulfil the qualification criteria, written in Chinograph on the scruffy remains of a printed SD PLOG (at least five years old) with a sworn affidavit notarised by a suitable member of the legal profession, and stained with Avgas (or previously used as a temporary funnel when topping up the oil).
Rob P, Iceman, TopCat liked this
By TopCat
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1851546
GrahamB wrote:So the answer is “it depends”, but it would be a wise precaution to bring along details of how you fulfil the qualification criteria, written in Chinagraph on the scruffy remains of a printed SD PLOG (at least five years old) with a sworn affidavit notarised by a suitable member of the legal profession, and stained with Avgas (or previously used as a temporary funnel when topping up the oil).

Hmm. I wasn't using SD 5 years ago, and printing them out is just silly in any case, as is the whole concept of a PLOG. What's the point of all those numbers, anyway.

Could we compromise on smudged and therefore illegible felt tip (original 1992 set, virtually unused since NFT) on an out of date map? @2Donkeys is coming, but he's obviously a completely unsuitable member of the legal profession. I define 'suitable' as 'not remotely legally qualified', so that should be ok.

As for the qualification criteria, obviously I wouldn't divulge them here, but I'm pretty sure I ticked off 9 of them last time I looked, mostly with words like "oh god, yes that as well".
GrahamB, 2Donkeys liked this
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