Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
By robert79
#1771750
Planning on taking my 6 year old son for his first proper flight later in the week. Plan A is Bembridge and a wander down to the beach, but that might have to be canned if the prohibition on leaving the airfield stays in place.
Plan B is to overfly some windmills (he is obsessed with them and has an encyclopedic knowledge of them, including correctly identifying the location of a converted mill in the property section of a Sunday paper). A visit to a windmill would make up for no beach in his eyes. So I need a strip or airfield within about 20 minutes walk of a mill (derelict or complete does not matter either way).
We'll be in a PA28 Arrow so strip needs to be suitable for that, open and no prohibition on leaving site.

Ideas?

Old Buckenham doesn't count, we live there! :lol:
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1771767
Joe Dell wrote:https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Thelnetham+Windmill/@52.4166075,0.845778,10.63z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x47d9c81620b61071:0x2776b09ff28eec1e!8m2!3d52.371837!4d0.9526938 Might be in the Old Buck circuit though :)


It’s near enough in the Knettishsll circuit!

Peter
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By terryws
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1771772
Come to Hinderclay Meadows.

Thelnetham windmill IS within our circuit - about 1 mile walk on quiet country roads. We are open, with no restrictions on leaving the site.

There are other local windmills within a few miles - one at Pakenham and another at Billingford, but too far to walk.

Airfield details on http://www.suffolksoaring.com

Regards

Terry
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By robert79
#1771792
Thank you all for the suggestions. The Suffolk ones are a bit close to home, but perhaps we could drop into Hinderclay on the way home from Shoreham (why didn't I think of that?!). Beach + windmill would make a very happy 6 year old...
I'll have to check he hasn't already visited Thelnetham, he's already "done" Packenham & Hinderclay. Last year we were all force marched from the Horsey windpump , a couple of miles along the river bank (with his baby brother in pram and yours truly quietly cursing as I manhandled it over the tree roots and other obstacles) so that he could admire the derelict Brograve mill.

Charlie66, might keep your suggestion as the northern option if weather down south precludes a visit that way. I'd suggest I finally dropped in for that cup of tea (I believe I did my first ever powered aircraft landing in the motor Falke with you at Syerston), but I guess the current rules* preclude that...

*For us mere mortals, they don't apply to the architects of such rules or government advisors. They must be immune (to criticism?).

Further suggestions welcome...
By Hooligan
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1771822
Rather a nice one with eight sails by Heckington railway station, between Sleaford and Boston. Dunno if Boston is open though.

As I recall the area was used to film part of "Those Magnificent Men" and I'm not at all sure but there may be a glimpse of the windmill towards the end when they are "in France". Gosh darn, I'll have to watch the movie again... Irene Demick... :wink: Think Derek Piggott flew the Bristol Boxkite up there - I'll have to read Delta Papa again too... sigh...

Edit: Heckington is about 10 miles west of Boston so it would be train or taxi - Boston station is probably about 20-30 minutes or so walking from the airfield.

The Boxkite was taken to Dover and then Skegness for filming by road and DP flew it back to Booker to avoid having to re-rig it a third time.
Last edited by Hooligan on Sun May 24, 2020 8:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
By Hooligan
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1771848
Why not give him an overflight of several windmills - say Outwood (Gatwick zone? but seems you could do that easily at the mo) and the Jack and Jill, then follow up with lunch at Sandown and maybe stop in a Shoreham for the beach. Is Shoreham doing food at the moment?

There is also another windmill at Shirley, about 4nm WNW of Biggin, and another at Angmering, west of Worthing and between the A27 and A259.