'unused' military airfields may not be!

[Mike Fortescue]

Letter in Feb magazine describes:

Colerne: 'used occasionally by UAS, unused 90% of the year'

Hullavington: 'used by an Air Cadet Gliding Club on suitable weekends but the rest of the time unused'

This is dangerously far from the truth. The reduction of UAS flying at Colerne has led to an increase of flying by the colocated Air Experience Flight (which uses the same pool of Tutors). There is commonly flying on 5 (Weds-Sun), sometimes 6, days/week, as well as visits by other military aircraft. AEF flying commonly goes on until 1700l, or dusk, all year round. Personally I have never failed to get very helpful transit from Colerne (on 120.075). Lyneham Approach should also know if they are active.

Hullavington houses 2 Volunteer Gliding Schools using winch-launched gliders. If both are active (2 winches, 2 caravans) they will use different direction circuits. They fly all weekends unless weather is either IMC or with very strong winds, and on weekday evenings until dusk in summer (and late spring, early autumn). In the Easter and Summer school holidays they may have several weeks of summer camps with flying every day. I have never failed to be able to spot, from outside their ATZ, whether there is a caravan or winch vehicle (bright red and white squares) out on the field. Again, other military aircraft may visit, and Lyneham Approach will know if they are active. An encounter with a winch cable may spoil the day not only of an intruding civil type, but also of the Cadet/instructor. It is worth noting that these roles may be combined: last year's winner of the LAA flying scholarship was an Air Cadet (of the unit which I instruct) who also qualified as a gliding instructor at our local VGS (and is now at a UAS, and still a LAA member).

[vigdriver]

Same goes for Little Rissington - we are active with up to 4 Vigilant motorgliders until dusk every Sat and Sun and mid-week during Easter / Summer camps. Feel free to call on 124.10 if you need to pass close though.

In addition, although seeming little used, a number of airfields around the Brize / Lyn area (including Little Riss) are used for C130 para dropping and load dropping!

Matt Lane
033112