Pilot reviews of Stapleford Airfield
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| “ | Airfield: Longside, Peterhead (Aberdeenshire) A few weeks ago the wife and I had a were invited to a wedding up in Aberdeenshire near Fraserburgh. We live in east London. With my wife being 35 weeks pregnant, flying commercial was not going to be an option. We were not real keen on the 10-11 hour each way drive so decided to chance it in our 177 cardinal FG. Longside (near Peterhead) was the closest and most suitable airfield so I got in contact with the airfield in advance via details I found on skydemon and their excellent webpage. I spoke with Fergus and Jonathan who were most helpful. Jonathan offered to meet us at the airfield, help me refuel and drive us in to town. Fergus had arranged ahead of time to ensure avgas 100LL would be available upon our arrival. They were true to their word.
It was incredibly windy (gusting 45kts) so after landing Jonathan directed me to a protected World War Two revetment where I parked and tied down for a couple of windy nights. Landing and parking fees were very reasonable.
The hospitality was amazing. Longside is truly a little gem of an airfield and the people that run it could not be nicer or more helpful. If you are up that way and looking for a fly-in destination be sure to put Longside on your list. I can not recommend it enough. ” |
| “ | Flew in on Mon 2 Jan (BH). First time visit.
Circuit and join straight forward enough and some helpful diagrams on the website made things simpler. After landing though trying to obtain parking information was like extracting teeth. We eventually got directed to park up by the windsock on the other side of runway 28. A totally bizarre place to park up actually on a runway though there was ample space in front of the club house / flying school along with with the other based aircraft. We paid the landing fee to a thoroughly miserable lady on the desk (who ignored us for the first few minutes, choosing instead to continue tapping away on her keyboard creating an awkward situation where we weren't sure if she had actually seen us standing there right in front of her or not). The food in the cafe was excellent and reasonably priced, though another method of distributing the food rather than bellowing out at the top of their voices for you to go up and collect it would significantly improve the overall dining experience. Quality of runway/taxiway surfaces on the grass was good. ” |
| “ | Flew into Stapleford for the first time today from headcorn, very good and friendly radio even with me completely messing up my join, cafe very good nice atmosphere good basic food.
Will be returning soon. ” |
| “ | Stapleford. I diverted into Stapleford on the evening of July 20th 2014 due to a thunderstorm. I sat in my open cockpit for 20 minutes while the storm past. It was evening so I made blind calls lined up and took off for my home field. The next day I rang up to thank them and apologise and they charged me £17.00 for the privelege of getting soaked in a storm on there field after a divert. Lovely ” |
| “ | I recently flew into Stapleford for a navigation flight, I arrived into Stapleford and couldn't doubt the A/G controller at the time. Circuit was very busy though, and crossed runways in use made it a little confusing.
Once we landed again, easy instructions provided from the radio room. I decided to visit the Bar for abit of LATE late lunch at 15:02, and was refused the ability to order anything as food stops at 3 (so remember this if your hungry.
Got some food from the very nice gentle,em in the AeroShop and flew back, once again by a very busy but very polite controller. ” |
| “ | Revisited Stapleford after not having been there for probably 5 years.
Easy to find, good and patient ATC who were quite comfortable with my colleague having to request use of the other runway due to being over cross wind limit on 22, and my problems finding the right place to park!
The restaurant is excellent and good value and I have sampled both the breakfast rolls and the Sunday roars there in the past month.
Its a busy airfield with a lot of activity in the circuit due to the amount of training and visiting going on so worth being properly briefed before arrival. ” |
| “ | I currently fly from Stapleford for my training. And in summary its a very friendly place to visit. There are plenty of facilites for pilots visiting the airfield. For those who are thinking about learning to fly here i couldn't recommend it more. There are plenty of well maintained aircraft to choose from, as well a number of excellent instructors that will help and support you all the way though your training. ” |
| “ |
I have been to Stapleford number of times in the past and feel most welcome everytime!!
The cafe is excellent with good choice of food and drinks. Need to be very careful of the 'complex' airspaces around, London City to the south and Stansted to the North. ” |
| “ | If the airfield service could be perfect, Stapleford would be an example. I have started my PPL here, and was surprised by the choice of aircraft, they also have a simulator and own doctor on site, so I didn;t have to go to HRW to do my medical. The airspace is fairly busy, + Stanstead and LCY are above, so be careful. Apart from that it's a good way out to France. Cafe is nice and clean, but staff make up for that, very friendly and efficient! ” |
| “ | Visited Stapleford yesterday on a trip from Old Sarum. The staff were very friendly when I called for PPR as required and were equally friendly and helpful on the radio as I approached. I was allocated the into-wind grass runway 28 as befits an ancient tail-dragger and slotted in amongst the busy circuit traffic. A number of kind individuals greeted me once I'd landed and helped me manoeuvre G-ACDI to park.
The ground was quite waterlogged, with a few remnants of the recent snow remaining alongside the main runway. Many of the resident aeroplanes looks rather as if they'd be mud-wrestling. I don't think that the airfield is at its best in a wet English winter…
Nonetheless, all in all it was a very pleasant visit and somewhere that I might well go again. My only (minor) gripe was the fuel point. There is a slightly complex system for logging in before the pump starts. Unfortunately the pump then stops if deliveries don't start within a few seconds. Refuelling a Tiger Moth requires a spot of mountaineering whilst one climbs onto the cowling and then perches there whilst poking the nozzle into the fuel tank on the top wing. You've guessed it, each time I clambered up there with my hose the bloomin’ pump stopped just as I got the nozzle into the tank! It must of looked amusing to onlookers, but by the time it had happened twice it was a trifle exasperating for me. Maybe there's a knack.
Anyway, nice place. Would go again.
” |
| “ | Interesting airfield with a funky collection of runways. They have 2 parallel runways, one all grass and the other tarmac..... for a bit , and then it's just grass ..... and a long starter extension so you really don't have that much tarmac at all! But it's easy enough when you're there.
Didn't see any sign of poor maintenance like the previous reviewer. The only "down" side I would say is it's very busy with as many planes passing through the overhead as there are landing. I would go back.
I had a funny one on the radio. I asked for airfield details on start up for my return leg and the guy said "QNH 1015, report passing the overhead". I paused for a bit and not knowing the exactly how to put it just said "Erm. I'm actually on the ground......" ” |
| “ | I must say stapleford is a mix of both worlds. the Restaraunt is really very nice, scenery is also very nice, but the place looks dirty and tacky to me. The taxiways are pretty much covered in loose stone chippings. Would I go again, probably not I'm afraid. ” |
| “ | Visited last week in a British Airways Flying Club Piper Warrior. This was my first trip wth the family including my two girls aged 6 and 8 and my firsy cross country since obtaining the PPL in October.
No problems at all. When I telephoned the guy in the tower was first class and went through the joining procedure well. Easy to find, I just followed the M25 from Wycombe all the way. Lovely club house with good quality grub only spoiled by around 6 or 7 out of control toddlers presumable being left to their own thuggery whilst daddy learns to fly! Look forward to going their again soon. ” |
| “ | It's worth getting a telephone briefing the first time you fly in to Stapleford. The circuit is quite busy but if they're landing on 22 you give them a call on finals indicating a full-stop and then you can do a 180 and taxi back to the cross runway on the tarmac section. Reception is very smart and the cafe/bar equally so. It does say "Members Only" but nobody queried my presence.
There are a couple of "gotchas". Watch out for the Stansted zone if you are coming from the North.The base is at 1500 ft which puts you virtually at circuit height for Stapleford. The other one is that 22 slopes upwards quite visibly so the rotation in to the flare is a tad greater than usual. There are wires on the approach as well so you need to keep your wits about you. However none of this should put you off a visit and it is quite close to London if that takes your fancy. ” |
| “ | I've had the pleasure of flying into stapleford about two weeks ago onto runway 28-watch the house on short finals.
It's my first time in to this runway and I have flown many times into this airfield. Great club house house. ” |
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