Western Isles

Gary Carr · Post by **Gary Carr** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 2:20 am

I thought i would post you this to see the western Isles from above thanks to Ian.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX630OtZ ... re=related

Gary

Nigel Hitchman · Post by **Nigel Hitchman** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 9:47 am

nice video Gary, how many days a year is the weather that nice! Occasionally see some of the isles from FL350 and it looks great down there, but more often than not we are above cloud.

What is the best time of year to fly around there, thinking of coming up in the RV6 one of these days. It would be nice to combine it with the Dornoch fly-in, but that always seems to clash with OShkosh.

Are there expensive landing fees on all the Islands as I think many are owned by the BAA.

Gary Carr · Post by **Gary Carr** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 3:10 pm

Hi Nigel,
Quote:Are there expensive landing fees on all the Islands as I think many are owned by the BAA.

The BMA have nothing here.. its either stornoway airport or private strips and as far as i know ...i am the only one who is doing a private strip....hopefully over the winter months but when this is compleated i would welcome any aircraft... i am lookig at a 300ft North to south and 300ft west to east...this will be a grass strip..there are no microlights around these parts the last visitor was from glasgow in a gyrocopter who landed at stornoway airport!
When i get my strip compleated it will go in the book..be nice to throw the odd barbie in the summer months!

regards gary

Alan Kilbride · Post by **Alan Kilbride** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:38 pm

WOW 300ft hey?
Juss about long enough to get the wheels down,but not stop

Gary Carr · Post by **Gary Carr** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 9:08 pm

Hi Alan,

well it is 300ft of ...free strip!might pinch the od 50 or so... which i think is a reasonable size!............

gary

Sandy Hutton LAA372 · Post by **Sandy Hutton LAA372** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 1:38 am

R Alan Kilbride wrote:WOW 300ft hey?
Juss about long enough to get the wheels down,but not stop

With a 30knot wind off the Atlantic, will you need all 300 feet?

I was on Bute a couple of months ago and it was a consideration to go off Across the runway.

Bill McCarthy · Post by **Bill McCarthy** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 11:37 am

Gary - if you are insistant that it's 300ft, you must be talking model aircraft useage.

Gary Carr · Post by **Gary Carr** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 1:44 pm

O.K.Lads ..........interesting!

Quote: Sany Hutton..Gary - if you are insistant that it's 300ft, you must be talking model aircraft useage.

What length would you want to put down... i said around 300ft+50or so??
I would be interested to know... what would be a good length...the land is no problem. i thought around 300 to 350ft would have been ok for all light aircraft!.....You tell me...what you think!!
No Power cables
No trees
No Housing
no obsructions on at lest 22 Acres!

gary

Gary Carr · Post by **Gary Carr** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 1:48 pm

Gary Carr wrote:O.K.Lads ..........interesting!

Quote: Sandy Hutton..Gary - if you are insistant that it's 300ft, you must be talking model aircraft useage.

What length would you want to put down... i said around 300ft+50or so??
I would be interested to know... what would be a good length...the land is no problem. i thought around 300 to 350ft would have been ok for all light aircraft!.....You tell me...what you think!!
No Power cables
No trees
No Housing
no obsructions on at lest 22 Acres!

gary

Bill McCarthy · Post by **Bill McCarthy** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 2:32 pm

Over three times the length you propose - i.e 300yards or 300 metres approx.

Ian Melville · Post by **Ian Melville** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 5:42 pm

Even that is a bit on the short side for 'light aircarft'

PA28 -161 is about 320m with no margin for error, density alt, slope or grass factors

300m may be fine for STOL types

Have a flick through one of the airfield guides that cover strips for a general idea of the typical length. I would guess 400m to 800m

Ian Melville · Post by **Ian Melville** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 5:46 pm

BTW our model strip is 180 feet, and some models need most of it

Brian Hope · Post by **Brian Hope** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:34 am

Even at 300m you are unlikely to seee many people coming in, probably only those with microlights. It's not the getting in, for most light aircraft use more getting off than they can get away with for landing. If you have the land then 400m is an absolute minimum for a useable strip for light aircraft (I operated for years out of 340m but there were days when you wouldn't want to risk getting off two up, and hot, airless days when even landing called for very accurate flying. The longer the better, 600 plus metres would be better. Why risk take-of accidents for the sake of a bit of extra grass?

Gary Carr · Post by **Gary Carr** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 9:34 pm

Hi Brian,
I Agree with you on this one!

The longer the better, 600 plus metres would be better. Why risk take-of accidents for the sake of a bit of extra grass?

Gary

Simon Clifton · Post by **Simon Clifton** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 12:02 pm

I have sucessfully operated a 600Kg SportCruiser out of a 280m long grass strip, with a downward slope and wires on one approach.

The other aircraft homed there is a CT microlight (450Kg).

The SportCruiser is famous for its slow flight capability but being heavier than a microlight, but we absolutely wouldn't want anything shorter.

Simon C
~~~~~~

Light Aircraft Association

Western Isles

Western Isles

strips

airstrip

strip

Re: strip