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

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By joe-fbs
#746981
On holiday in SW Wales next week so have booked a couple of trips at Haverfordwest (one in a 172 en famille with an instructor then one in a 152).

Not much about the place in these forums although what there is makes it sound very nice. Any hints or tips anybody? Any recommendations for where we should go sightseeing by air from there?
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By leiafee
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#747068
It's lovely, the people are friendly, the cafe is brill (she said with undisguised nepotism) and and the landing is a fairly typical tenner.

It can tend to have a bit of its own microclimate and the nearest "offical" weather is Cardiff or Ireland so it can be a bit finger-in-the-air. I tend to work on "Cardiff minus a few hours" ;-)

Runways are in reasonable nick and don't present any particular dramas. There's a few things like the hosiptal and the riding school they prefer you to avoid but it's all fairly simple.

My favourite local jollies from there are up around the Preseli hills and Llys-Y-Fran reservoir, or around the coast, St Davids, St Anne's, the Haven and all the pretty little islands.

Poke your nose round the hangers while you there they're in the throes of restoring a Spitfire and there's some over cute types there too. (The Spit's in several large-ish) pieces but recognisable!

Aberporth is striking distance for coffee and also very friendly -- don't let the danger area put you off, they're very accomodating.

Rosemarket course couse also has a strip which is a silly ten minute hop for H'west, but almsot worth it for the novelty alone, also very friendly.
By MrSoapsud
#748134
Went to HFW on my QXC a long time ago without much incident. More recently I also hired a 172 from them whilst on holiday near Cardigan. IIRC they have 2 172's - one is modern with wobbly-prop, the other is the aviation equivalent of a Ford Anglia - nearly as old as me. We took the latter as I don't do wobbly-props. Plan was that the instructor would come up with me for a few circuits and if all was well he'd hop out. Well it wasn't - quite windy/blustery and the land surrounding the field produced lots of turbulence. Add that to the 172 being 30 years older than the ones I'm familiar with and between me and the instructor we agreed he'd come along for the ride. Went west from the field to the coast between the two headlands and then round the coast, past St Davids, over Ramsey Island and on round the north coast up to Strumble before heading back to the field. Amazing scenery and highly recommended. The coastal path is a national park and the cliffs are impressive. Instructor was a chap called Gwynfor and the CFI if I remember right. Very nice chap - he enjoyed the flight too cos usually he's either flying or instructing and enjoyed the opportunity to look out of the window more.
2 decent runways and plenty of parking. You may have to scoot along part of one to get to the hangers if you need fuel.
Opening hours aren't the longest as I recall...
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#748358
Popped in for fuel and to see if anyone from Customs or SB was interested in my trip to Waterford, Haverfordwest had happily processed a GAR for me. Very quiet (Good Friday) but friendly welcome and easy access to fuel with same self service system as Kemble.

Surrounding country is a delight as others have said
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By leiafee
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#748528
MrSoapsud wrote:Instructor was a chap called Gwynfor and the CFI if I remember right. Very nice chap - he enjoyed the flight too cos usually he's either flying or instructing and enjoyed the opportunity to look out of the window more.


Gwyndaf. Responsible for turning me loose on the flying world that man! :D Did my skills test.
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By joe-fbs
#750314
Thanks for the tips everyone. Back yesterday having flown two days from Haverfordwest. As everyone has said, a most friendly place. Large, well kept hard runways with almost no-one using them. Well done to the local authority. Decent enough cafe, apparently used by non-flying locals as well which is good. Leia, maybe you could ask your relatives / friends to get some brown bread and maybe a few cakes or biscuits as well as the fry-up stuff. Plenty of aeroplanes to hire and done with a minimum of paperwork.

First day, a St Davids jolly with the above mentioned Gwyndaf and my family. Stunning views as already described by others. A bit bumpy for the small boy so we only managed 45 minutes. A bite to eat (the aforementioned small boy recovered instantly from feeling ill to scoff a massive full breakfast!) then some circuits to check me for solo hire. Very bumpy by then so although Gwyndaf said yes, I postponed the solo trip to later in the week. Duly did so with a run to Pembrey and back (top welsh cakes at Pembrey!). First flight with a passenger as well, my other half joining me for the trip. Small boy both worried and excited at the prospect of being left a rich orphan!

Anyway, South West Wales, delightful to look at. I'll have to get over there again.
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By holyflyer
#750721
Joe-fbs - was that you last Tuesday around lunchtime in reims 172 G-AVJF(?), if so I came round the circuit behind you in bound from Ireland in sister reims 172 G-AVTP. Again if it was I think I was sitting at the next table to you in the cafe munching my bacon butty. (The description of the young lad putting away a big breakfast fits too).

Have to say Haverfordwest is a nice place. Easy to re-fuel in & out to Ireland. Chaps in the tower very friendly who will re-organise your GAR with SB Fishguard if you have to change dates due to weather etc.
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By joe-fbs
#750856
Tuesday lunchtime, G-AVJF and a very peckish small boy - definitely us then!
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By jollyrog
#758666
I used Haverfordwest twice last week, on the way to and return from Waterford.

I didn't get to sample the delights of the cafe on the way there as I was too late. Top marks to Pete from Ops who made me a cup of tea. Friendly place, everything in good condition. Fuel was easy on the self-serve and reasonably priced.

Managed the cafe on the way back and the big boy's all day breakfast was more than I could cope with and I'm a big boy. Good food and very cheap.

Overall, it's a nice aerodrome to visit.
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By Steve H
#945521
Went there this weekend. Pretty much what everyone else says. Perfectly fine airfield and runways in nice condition. £10 landing fee at weekends. Relaxed but informative radio. Very friendly reception. Basic cafe, but good food at good prices. Lovely seating outside on the picnic benches (in the right weather of course). Locals present in the cafe (always a good sign I think) and watching the planes go by.

Be a bit careful to make sure that runway 27 is vacant, as the displaced 'starter' threshold is in a dip and could well hold a plane backtracking that you cannot see.
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By Pete L
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1191141
All Steve's comments still true as of 10-Aug-13. Friendly and good clean cafe. Saw G-IANJ - Ian Judge?
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By BlackheathBloke
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1406325
Landing fee now £16 for singles, waived if you top up with 60L + of fuel.

Cafe still doing a roaring trade.

I called in on Friday afternoon when the tower was operational, and came back on Sunday afternoon when the Flying Club man the radios. A sensible solution by the local authority and one which works well.

The local helitour guy was doing almost as good trade as the cafe!
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By Dave W
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1474214
As others have already said, very friendly airfield with an excellent cafe in a beautiful part of the UK.

The only thing to add is that the fuel (Jet-A and 100LL) is dispensed from self-service pumps that take most cards and I'd love to see the facility more widely available.
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1474250
Dave W wrote:The only thing to add is that the fuel (Jet-A and 100LL) is dispensed from self-service pumps that take most cards and I'd love to see the facility more widely available.


Popham, Sandown, Sywell, White Waltham and Breighton all have self service credit card pumps. There may be more.
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By mick w
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1474273
Paul_Sengupta wrote:
Dave W wrote:The only thing to add is that the fuel (Jet-A and 100LL) is dispensed from self-service pumps that take most cards and I'd love to see the facility more widely available.


Popham, Sandown, Sywell, White Waltham and Breighton all have self service credit card pumps. There may be more.


Wickenby , Fenland , Leicester . :thumright: