Protecting local airfields from housing developments

[Tony Lockhart]

Brands Hatch has been around for yonks, so the nimbies would have less of a case. In the case of our local airfield, the small business was set up about 30 years after the local houses were built and there was an almighty uproar from disgruntled residents. The local council put on a united front and approved a new housing estate and quite rightly so.

Also Brands Hatch entertains millions of people, a light aircraft probably entertains a few well heeled hooray Henry's for a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon.

Total no brainer.

I think you’d struggle to entertain millions at Brands over the course of a year now. No GP since 1986, only one or two international events, and restrictions on number of ‘noisy’ weekends. Most weekends have surprisingly low attendance.
We’re approaching 90 years since the expansion airfields were constructed. That is almost as long ago as Brands started its low key events.

I live a mile in a straight line from the runway at Wattisham. Many neighbours really miss the sounds of Phantoms (retired in 1993) and Lightnings (left in 1976). They also don’t mind the sound of Apaches and visiting aircraft. Or the light aircraft at weekends. I’m guessing most people have bigger things to be concerned about.

 

[Beobloke]

I would imagine you get even more enjoyment at preventing other people the chance to live in new accommodation. Keep them living in dumps to allow the hooray henry's the opportunity to make noise and pollute neighbouring areas.

I get enjoyment from doing fun things. Have you tried going up in a small aircraft for a flight or even taking a flying lesson? My wife bought me one for my birthday a few years ago and it as one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

You could try giving it a go before ranting against it.

 

[Mick P]

I get enjoyment from doing fun things. Have you tried going up in a small aircraft for a flight or even taking a flying lesson? My wife bought me one for my birthday a few years ago and it as one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

You could try giving it a go before ranting against it.

Yes I would enjoy going up in a small aircraft but it's plain bloody antisocial so I don't.

A balloon flight would be a more acceptable alternative.

 

[Tony Lockhart]

Yes I would enjoy going up in a small aircraft but it's plain bloody antisocial so I don't.

A balloon flight would be a more acceptable alternative.

Enjoy the long wait for acceptable weather. Then being crammed into a picnic basket with other people who you’d probably not want to share a “Hello” with normally.



120 years of private aircraft isn’t going to disappear into nothingness, and by the time electric powered aircraft have taken over, us lot will be with the dodos. And electric aircraft will still make a noise that someone will complain about!

 

[eevo1969]

If it was up to me I’d build the houses. Where else do you want people to go? The requirement for housing far exceeds the requirement for a local airfield.

 

[Sue Pertwee-Tyr]

Brands Hatch has been around for yonks, so the nimbies would have less of a case. In the case of our local airfield, the small business was set up about 30 years after the local houses were built and there was an almighty uproar from disgruntled residents. The local council put on a united front and approved a new housing estate and quite rightly so.

Also Brands Hatch entertains millions of people, a light aircraft probably entertains a few well heeled hooray Henry's for a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon.

Total no brainer.

You may not realise, but Brands and most other motor racing circuits use old airfield sites too. And what is motorsport but a few well heeled hooray Henry’s entertaining themselves for a few hours. Your prejudice is obvious.

Plus, your example is a rare and isolated case, almost unique. There have been almost no new airfields built since the war. And, just so you know, the airfield in the OP has also been in existence for generations. Nobody living near it can claim to have been taken by surprise by its existence.

 

[manicatel]

From the experience I have had, with 2 airfields, Namely Duxford ( working in the control tower) & Andrewsfield (which I lived very close to), the aircraft are strictly instructed not to overfly the local villages.
The circuit at Duxford has specific instructions to keep clear of the village. And this was reinforced when speaking to the pilots prior to them joining the circuit.
And the local villagers had preferential rates to access the museum.
So the airfield & local community tried to keep friendly & respectful with each other.
I’m not saying we didn’t have the occasional breach of these rules, & not every airfield has the same ability to keep clear of the community.

The aviation enthusiasts & PPL pilots I met in general were just passionate about their hobby & flying. Not “hooray Henry’s”. They drove average cars, wore everyday clothes, nothing special. They were just hooked by their hobby in the same way that we here are hooked by music & HiFi.

 

[Sue Pertwee-Tyr]

^ Exactly this! Most PPLs are skimping on other things to enjoy their hobby, which they are passionate about.

 

[Mick P]

From the experience I have had, with 2 airfields, Namely Duxford ( working in the control tower) & Andrewsfield (which I lived very close to), the aircraft are strictly instructed not to overfly the local villages.
The circuit at Duxford has specific instructions to keep clear of the village. And this was reinforced when speaking to the pilots prior to them joining the circuit.
And the local villagers had preferential rates to access the museum.
So the airfield & local community tried to keep friendly & respectful with each other.
I’m not saying we didn’t have the occasional breach of these rules, & not every airfield has the same ability to keep clear of the community.

The aviation enthusiasts & PPL pilots I met in general were just passionate about their hobby & flying. Not “hooray Henry’s”. They drove average cars, wore everyday clothes, nothing special. They were just hooked by their hobby in the same way that we here are hooked by music & HiFi.

There will never be a meeting of minds here.

Fortunately local councils pander to the majority view so I would predict that the days off upsetting the locals are slowly being numbered. If you want the "sport" to continue, the answer is obvious - stop annoying the locals who value peace and quiet.

 

[Kirk]

There are quite a lot of them.

https://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/

 

[manicatel]

There will never be a meeting of minds here.

Fortunately local councils pander to the majority view so I would predict that the days off upsetting the locals are slowly being numbered. If you want the "sport" to continue, the answer is obvious - stop annoying the locals who value peace and quiet.

Pretty sure the “locals who value peace & quiet” don’t often relish a couple of thousand new homes tacked on to the end of their village either.

 

[Tony Lockhart]

You may not realise, but Brands and most other motor racing circuits use old airfield sites too. And what is motorsport but a few well heeled hooray Henry’s entertaining themselves for a few hours. Your prejudice is obvious.

Now that’s funny. Very very funny.

Brands Hatch an airfield? When? Can you please find me details.

Brands Hatch, Cadwell Park, Oulton Park, Donington Park, Knockhill, those are straight off the top of my head, were never airfields.
Edit to add: Mallory Park, Lydden Hill,

Go to Brands, Snetterton, Cadwell on any normal race weekend, and I think you’ll be surprised how ‘grass roots’ most motorsport is. Owner/drivers and owner/riders all trying to enjoy a bit of adrenaline legally. Yes, there are meetings where being able to blow £500k+ a year just to compete is a prerequisite, but those people and championships are the minority.

Oh, and airfield circuits are boring and usually windy. No thanks.

 

[PsB]

I try to avoid them too. Imagine my horror this morning, flying from Dublin to Luxembourg, to find I was flying in a 90 seat tiddler with propellors ffs. It didn't even need airport staircase thingies to get on and off, it just dropped its door, which doubled up as a 5 step staircase to the ground. It was called a Bombardier Q400 I think. Tons of noise and vibrations to make things even worse in the air. Stupidly, I checked it's safety rating whilst waiting to take off. 2 major incidents already this year alone. One flight company retired it's fleet in 2009 because they had several accidents where the front wheel would not come down when landing.
Hated every second. Here is one trying to land in strong wind

Anyway, I'm home now.

The Q400 is part of the Dash-8 family. They’re all good planes, extremely reliable and safe as long as they’re properly maintained. An Airbus would get thrown about a lot less, but nobody flies those on piddling routes; airlines are sometimes naughty and slide in a Q400 instead of a jet when they see the passenger count is down (SAS used to do this often on routes like Stockholm-Helsinki).

Great video, by the way: pilots working hard. There seems to be quite a wide range of pilot abilities or maybe conditions changed, but they all landed somewhere/somehow. Never begrudge pilots their salaries. I would imagine a pilot with a Navy background would have an advantage in these conditions - tight landings in crosswinds is what they do for a living.

 

[Sue Pertwee-Tyr]

Now that’s funny. Very very funny.

Brands Hatch an airfield? When? Can you please find me details.

Brands Hatch, Cadwell Park, Oulton Park, Donington Park, Knockhill, those are straight off the top of my head, were never airfields.
Edit to add: Mallory Park, Lydden Hill,

Go to Brands, Snetterton, Cadwell on any normal race weekend, and I think you’ll be surprised how ‘grass roots’ most motorsport is. Owner/drivers and owner/riders all trying to enjoy a bit of adrenaline legally. Yes, there are meetings where being able to blow £500k+ a year just to compete is a prerequisite, but those people and championships are the minority.

Oh, and airfield circuits are boring and usually windy. No thanks.

Ok, so I’m wrong about Brands, but did you have to be such an arse about it?

 

[Tony Lockhart]

Ok, so I’m wrong about Brands, but did you have to be such an arse about it?

Sorry, I was laughing so much I lost my sense of decency.

 

[Sue Pertwee-Tyr]

There will never be a meeting of minds here.

Fortunately local councils pander to the majority view so I would predict that the days off upsetting the locals are slowly being numbered. If you want the "sport" to continue, the answer is obvious - stop annoying the locals who value peace and quiet.

How’s the train route to your Spanish villa Mick? As easy, quick and cheap as flying? How you gonna get there when we stop training pilots? And I’m taking no lessons on environmental responsibility from Mick ‘two homes’ P.

 

[manicatel]

Confusing Brands Hatch with Silverstone possibly?

 

[Sue Pertwee-Tyr]

Sorry, I was laughing so much I lost my sense of decency.

I’m not really into motorsport, so showed my ignorance, but the circuits I have visited, Goodwood, Thruxton, Silverstone, are where I got my impression from.

 

[Tony Lockhart]

I’m not really into motorsport, so showed my ignorance, but the circuits I have visited, Goodwood, Thruxton, Silverstone, are where I got my impression from.

If you can, get to Brands for a historic meeting (there’s one at the end of May). If the racing doesn’t do it for you, take a walk through the woods, see the cars racing in a beautiful setting. Go into the pits area via the tunnel from the top of the paddock, it’s a different world.
I have my issues with Brands, mostly to do with every increasing safety rules, but it’s a great place and so much more accessible to the average racegoer than the flat, boring, windy, retail park of a circuit called Silverstone.

 

[les24preludes]

I can well imagine the thrill of flying small aircraft. I once had a trip in a glider which was sublime.

Unfortunately many of the things we love add to global emissions and small planes are amongst them. Basically we all need to go back to trains. But due to the naked greed of the capitalist system trains are far, far too expensive in many countries. Plus the rich are far too obsessed with speed to take the time to travel economically by the least polluting means. And since the rich and the capitalists rule the world......