[TopCat]

Imagine an airfield at the seaside, with wonderful views in every direction.

Imagine an airfield without even an AGCS (at the weekend, and some but not all weekdays), with quite a bit going on, but nevertheless very quiet; where you get to choose which of the three enormous runways to land on. None shorter than 1200m, all in excellent condition.

With AvGas available, self-serve with pay-at-pump.

With a fairly basic but friendly and quite decent cafe (paninis, bacon sandwiches kind of thing), run by a keen pilot, whose dad will offer to drive you half way to the beach.

Llanbedr is that airfield. We went yesterday, and had a glorious flight there and back in perfect weather, a walk down to the sea, and fab views of the Welsh hills. Once we got north of Brize, we saw virtually no traffic at all, although according to a guy that had flown in from Redhill, the Farnborough area was manic.

Highly recommended. Just a couple of points to note:

• If you land on 05, land short, and vacate on to 33 to taxy up to the parking area. Don't as I did, land long, in order to vacate at the end in an attempt to taxy anticlockwise to park, as there's a locked gate across the peri track and you can't get through that way.
  
  
• If you're going to walk to the beach, don't, as we did, miss the gate to the footpath and walk along the road instead. The footpath (albeit quite a bit further to walk) comes out at the sandy end of the beach, and avoids the enormous campsite that is Shell Island.

Caveats aside, we had a great day out. And the air at 5000' was a lot cooler than on the ground.

[T6Harvard]

Sounds lovely.
Great tips, thanks.

[Rob P]

I visited on one of those crisp clear mid-winter days. I never left the airfield, but the flying over mid-Wales and Snowdonia was lovely.

Rob P

[Hazel C]

Sounds lovely Rob, thats one that I want to do.....also in the "to do" box is fly over my Alma Mater (UNCW Bangor) and Snowdonia!

[johnm]

Agreed it was very pleasant today though we didn’t go walkabout this time.

[Rob L]

Thanks, TC, it's on my list!

Rob

[flyer5]

Went there last Friday. Was like the Mary Celeste. Another plane gave us a runway and QNH(=QFE) but nobody on the ground. Curiously the club house was all unlocked, although empty. So nobody to give us any information. There was a bloke mowing the grass but he intimated you couldn't walk across the airfield and get out towards the beach. So we had to walk along the causeway to Shell Island. In the heat it was tough. We tried to get a taxi to come back but the taxi driver was off duty because it was his missus' 50th birthday. Congratulations.

Arriving back, Steve of the local flying club was welcoming. As he then back-tracked down 33 with a student and I was short of remaining airframe hours I decided to go down the long runway (35) as a taxiway. However as I started I noticed it stretched as far as the eye could see (and much further) so quickly did the power checks and took off. Shortly after I started rolling, the massive runway looked as though it was running into the sea. I thought there can't possibly be any water given the prevailing weather. And of course it was a mirage.

You need to pre-book and pre-pay through https://www.flysnowdonia.com. I would try and ring up beforehand and get some information about how the get out of the airfield towards the beach, although you can just go the village. There are a couple of pubs open at lunchtime by the looks of it.

The coast down to Aberystwyth is nice and crossing Snowdonia is interesting. I would guess the mountains tend to create clouds but they didn't cause me too many problems.

And to look on the bright side, we did 10000 steps.

[TopCat]

I would try and ring up beforehand and get some information about how the get out of the airfield towards the beach

Must admit, having looked at Google Earth, I'd be tempted to ask for forgiveness rather than permission, given the rather obvious alternative to the Causeway.

It would be a bit of a bummer if there was an unclimbable gate or fence, though, which does seem likely given that airfields don't always like random walkers. Possibly a taxiway recce on arrival would be recommended.

[prd222]

If you try to shortcut to the footway through the marshes by leaving other than by the gate be very careful. It isnt permitted, there is a barbed wire fence and very marshy ground which can swallow you, ditches and hidden channels that can flood.
Walk out of the main gate, turn left then take the footpath on the edge of the boundary which followes a raised causeway (not the road) directly to the dunes and the beach.

[TopCat]

Absolutely. I'm not planning to climb any barbed wire fences, or wade chest deep through the marshes.

I was wondering about the exit from the perimeter track at the north end of 35, which seems to exit west and join the footpath you mention.



Obviously if it's closed off then nothing doing.

Clearer still on Google Maps.

[DavidC]

Visited last weekend. Don't be put off by the danger areas for Drones - they don't fly at weekends when the danger areas are cold, and even during the week there is little activity. This is a lovely airfield, multiple huge runways, easy approaches from all directions.

The online PPR system is one of the best I've used - takes your card details but only charges it after you or the airfield confirm you did actually visit. £15 for an SEP. The self-service pump takes any credit card and was considerably cheaper than elsewhere at 1.77 a litre, so fill your boots. A pleasant walk into the local village with cafe, pub, hotels, cycle shop (including for rent) or a longer walk to the beach as above.

The pilot cafe is closed for the winter season, relatively little activity onsite at the moment.

Cafe in Llanbedr open 9-2pm daily, except 10-2 on Sundays.

[simoon]

No longer seems to be open to visitors which is a great shame

[johnm]

Notam'd closed this weekend due car rally???

[Iceman]

A temporary closure by the look of it, with the following NOTAM.

AD closed due runway obstructions for car film shoot.

Iceman

[Kittyhawk]

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