Pilot reviews of Bournemouth Airfield
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| “ | Flew into Bournemouth on Sunday 24th June to give the greyhounds a short break on the sea front, departing on Wednesday 27th. Flying in from Blackpool was a 1 hr 50 minute flight in a Robin DR400 and the approach to Bournemouth was via Tarrant Rushton disused airfield at the request of Approach. Fortunately, Sky Demon makes this late change of arrival route very easy and the airfield was both easy to spot and approach/tower very helpful.
We used Bliss (Bournemouth Handling) for our stay and three nights parking and they marshalled us into a very busy parking spot (which seemed like miles from the runway!) Having taken our tow-bar with us, we let them park it up after we got our baggage out as the parking spot was not accessible on arrival due to the amount of traffic. Bliss were great – they arranged a taxi for us to collect our hire car (Hertz – good deal for three days) from the other side of the airfield and refuelled us whilst we were away. Total charges were around £280 including £150 for fuel. £130 for three nights parking and landing fee? Not unreasonable for an airport such as Bournemouth and VERY friendly and helpful. A good destination for a short break, but probably a bit expensive for an afternoon ‘jolly’.
Bliss staff were some of the friendliest and helpful I have met at large airports and did a very professional job in a relaxed manner. (And the greyhounds got water and cuddles as well….). ” |
| “ | Currently £73.92 including VAT for landing and four hours parking at Bournemouth Handling (1000-1500kg)
Helpful ATC - vectors to the ILS - free Tea at Bournemouth Handling but probably the most expensive small/medium airfield I've landed at - except for Luxembourg.
When busy can be a very long hold if you get behind several training aircraft.
” |
| “ | Had to divert to Bournemouth last week. Great place, but got ripped off by Bliss Aviation. They are the default handling people, so not much choice but to use them. Unless you make prior arrangements with other handling companies on the field then you are stuffed !! Beware. ” |
| “ | Visited Bournemouth on Wed 17th July 13
We use the airfield frequently and just to say what great service we always get from the ATC there. It seems a busy airport for training and is getting busier with jet traffic again.
Good and easy place to visit with all the coastal attraction so nearby.
I understand the café is good although I havnt used it myself.
Probably not the cheapest airfield to visit but great location and facilities.
” |
| “ | I recently flew into Bournemouth and found the controllers very friendly but the service I received from Bournemouth handling was second to none. I had a minor emergency and they could not have been more helpful! 10/10 and will visit again. G KELZ ” |
| “ | With a private strip out of service I had to use the field at Bournemouth recently - nice field and a friendly reception from the handlers but the whole thing spoilt by the ludicrous charges - £56 to land and park a TB10 for the day - seems like an excellent way of keeping GA traffic away - perhaps that's the idea? ” |
| “ | Busy class D field but with friendly controllers. Landing and short-term parking for visiting GA quite expensive (£30 for a C152!) at Bournemouth Handling. Tea/coffee included.
There's a small aeronautical museum just beside, though I didn't have time to stop and look around. ” |
| “ | Landed at Bournemouth today on my solo cross country qualifying flight for my PPL. I was nervous about visiting a busy airport solo in controlled airspace on a Saturday morning but the air traffic controllers were so friendly and helpful that I can't wait to go there again. I also found the staff at Bournemouth Handling to be extremely helpful although the landing fee of £20.56 for a Cessna 150 was more than I've ever paid before. I'd like to say a big thank you to anyone reading this from Bournmouth ATC or Bournemouth Handling for making my solo qualifying flight so enjoyable. From Bournemouth I went on to Sandown, Isle of Wight where again the welcome could not have been better and the landing fee was only £10. ” |
| “ | have visited bournmouth many times over the last year, mostly to ferry others to drop off their aircraft and collect them, but once on the return from jersey. Nice long runway with all the trappings of an international airport ( and charges) ILS radar ATIS etc.
Airtime aviation are based there so lot of flights to them. once went to the GA side for the handling agent to rip us off for landing fee.
have a nice club there with good resturant but need taxi to get there as on the oposite side of the field and can not work.
would not say that its the most GA airport cardiff better both in class D so need to be resonable on the RT and on Hieght and heading and VRF routes out of their zone, and ready to copy clearances. ” |
| “ |  As a part-time instructor flying from Bournemouth Airport I obviously know it well. I rarely hold for scheduled traffic unless I am in the circuit, then I will expect to orbit perhaps twice an hour, although if I thought about busy times (and Ryanair timetables!) and could shuffle my students around I could avoid some of that even. I would not hesitate to praise the overall level of control there - occasionally there are issues as at any arifield, but having completed CPL/IR/FI(R) there and done almost 200 hours instruction I would give them a good rating. If you are polite and amicable they are also very cheerful and friendly, which makes work (even) more pleasurable! ” |
| “ | As both a Recently qualified GA pilot who flies from Bournemouth and an Avionics Engineer who works there, I can safely say that in my experience the ATC personel have always been helpful and polite. One small problem is the rising use of the airport by the likes of Ryanair, which has on more than one occasion kept me at the holding point in excess of 15 minutes, whilst the controllers are trying to get the scheduled traffic away between GA operations. Bournemouth is a great place to fly and very local to the holiday resort of Bournemouth. Hope more GA pilots will give it a go! ” |
| “ | If you really want to know how professional the ATC staff are at Bournemouth, you will find out as I did if ever you are in a spot of trouble halfway across the channel returning home from France.I have nothing but praise for the way I was prioritised and handled. That was last year.
I returned this year, again on the way home from France. No niggles with ATC, but as with most UK airfields after being in France, I was shocked at the cost of the landing fee and the somewhat basic facilities available at Bournemouth handling. Unfortunately Bournemouth is not alone in this trend. ” |
| “ | Well, I'm based at Denham and, like Roger Kershaw, I like my home airfield. And that's the point -we all like our home base because it is our home and because we know and understand how it works and why.
When we are visiting other airfields perhaps we should tell people at the time if we have a problem and not save it up for letters to magazines or websites. I know this is a staple of correspondence columns these days but in my view it is better to say "I have a problem, can you help me please?" It works wonders. We're all in aviation. There are enough people who hate us for that without starting feuds over the merits of the ATSUs/handling/catering/colour of the grass at different airfields. Roger, if you want to break your vow of abstinence from Denham and try it again, I'll be pleased to stand you a cup of tea and bun in the Pilot Centre and attempt to show you the advantages of the place ;-) ” |
| “ | Runway 17/35 is soon to be permanently closed according to the booking out chap in the tower when I flew out of there recently
Regards Rob Sawyer ” |
| “ |  As a Bournemouth based GA pilot ( 7th share in PA 28 Arrow G-AWBC ) I have nothing but praise for the ATC there..... they are ALWAYS helpful..... cheery..... and a joy to hear their familiar voices when returning from a "land away ".
I take great offence at some of statements that I have just read.... if you, as a visiting pilot offer them professional RT, they will bend over backwards to assist..... EGHH is the only place for me, there are far smaller and much snootier places to visit...ie: Denham..... one and only visit , sorry Denham ... never again! ” |
| “ | After reading the comment from Martin on the 2nd July I must stand up for the controllers, I use the airport on a regular basis and have found them very friendly and helpful far beyond the call of duty on many occassions.
EGHH is now run as a commercial airfield and I think the managemment have done little to help the GA side in fact it would appear they do not want us there at all. ” |
| “ | I have had the misfortune to fly to EGHH several times in the past few months. The level of service offered by ATC is bordering on the incompetent. last sunday I was parked out of wind on the apron furthest away for thw terminal as possible. Customer service at this place is the worst I have encountered in 20 yrs of GA they do not understand that the customer is king and have ATC management of the lowest possible standard I have nothing but contempt for this place and only fly to it because I have to.
I hope we do not see EGHH controllers at Bristol any time soon PS. execair handling do a very good job ” |
| “ | Bournemouth is PPR & they want the ubiquitous Dayglow Safety Vest thingy.
Hint: Pay on the day for your landing & parking - it's cheaper. Runway 17/35 is almost always permanently blocked so don't rely on it being available in a strong crosswind. ” |
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