Duxford 'Pilot' Magazine Bonus Day Saturday 3rd May 2008
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Alan, yet another really fab day out at Duxford - many thanks. I think Duxford has grown to be one of my favorite days out in the SE of England and being able to fly in is just terrific.
However, once again I found myself queueing behind a line of pensioners and kiddies buying plastic bum-trinkets, in order to pay my landing fee; it really would be so much easier for all concerned if a dedicated outlet could be assigned to visiting pilots? Exactly the same thing happened on the last two occasions that I visited and I wrote to the "management" - who didn't bother to respond...
I genuinely feel that you guys in the tower and on the ground do such a great job that it's a bit of a shame that your hard work is undermined by the logjam caused by having to pay in what is essentially a gift shop.
Sorry for the carp - just frustrated!
Best regards,
WSME
However, once again I found myself queueing behind a line of pensioners and kiddies buying plastic bum-trinkets, in order to pay my landing fee; it really would be so much easier for all concerned if a dedicated outlet could be assigned to visiting pilots? Exactly the same thing happened on the last two occasions that I visited and I wrote to the "management" - who didn't bother to respond...
I genuinely feel that you guys in the tower and on the ground do such a great job that it's a bit of a shame that your hard work is undermined by the logjam caused by having to pay in what is essentially a gift shop.
Sorry for the carp - just frustrated!
Best regards,
WSME
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Great Day-thank you
I,too enjoyed my day,been 3 times now to Dux.I ended up going as SLF as my rented plane went tech on Friday
but took on the radio and nav.My pilot said he was very pleased to have that extra pair of eyes as the circuit was incredibly busy with some folk at a variety of heights.Had to go around first time and it was quite difficult to get a decent spacing.Was following an a/c downwind who seemed to be taking forever to turn base.Thought about turning inside him as it seemed he might be departing the airfield but he did turn and I found that others had not been so patient and we now had 2 base legs.Thumbs up to the gent in front who must have heard me calling very short final,he announced he would take the grass and vacated it very swiftly.
I usually fly a Cessna and really missed its rear windows (was in a Warrior).
Thanks to Pilot folk for all their hard work,the can of Red Bull was a nice touch.
MM
but took on the radio and nav.My pilot said he was very pleased to have that extra pair of eyes as the circuit was incredibly busy with some folk at a variety of heights.Had to go around first time and it was quite difficult to get a decent spacing.Was following an a/c downwind who seemed to be taking forever to turn base.Thought about turning inside him as it seemed he might be departing the airfield but he did turn and I found that others had not been so patient and we now had 2 base legs.Thumbs up to the gent in front who must have heard me calling very short final,he announced he would take the grass and vacated it very swiftly.I usually fly a Cessna and really missed its rear windows (was in a Warrior).
Thanks to Pilot folk for all their hard work,the can of Red Bull was a nice touch.
MM
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WSME:
Very glad you and modelman enjoyed the Bonus Day. On the odd occasion that Bill and I got out of the tower, it was good to see smiling folk around the Spitfire and 'Pilot' tent, chinwagging and generally happy.
We know about the problem of paying at admissions. We have a plan to have a dedicated and signed till at the shop (as opposed to the row of entrance tills). This will be much less busy and the staff should know exactly what they are doing. However, it needs some new software and its hard to get a high priority. To be fair to admissions, they had said to us 'just tell the pilots to come to the front of the admissions queues,' but (apart from the impracticality of telling every pilot this on the radio), we may have swapped one problem for another, so we didn't try it.
Anyway, thanks for the feedback. I will pass it on.
Modelman:
As to modelmans comments about the circuit. We had a very mixed bag of aircraft on Saturday, from the Jet Provost, through a Pilatus PC12, the usual range of Cessnas and Pipers down to slow microlights. People in the circuit were courteous, patient and good-humoured without exception and that went a long way to keep it safe. We were very concious of the limitations of FISO-land speak. The ability to 'land after' or to demand a go-around would be very useful, but that's outside our licences.
I hope everybody got their food and drink discounts?
Alan.
Very glad you and modelman enjoyed the Bonus Day. On the odd occasion that Bill and I got out of the tower, it was good to see smiling folk around the Spitfire and 'Pilot' tent, chinwagging and generally happy.
We know about the problem of paying at admissions. We have a plan to have a dedicated and signed till at the shop (as opposed to the row of entrance tills). This will be much less busy and the staff should know exactly what they are doing. However, it needs some new software and its hard to get a high priority. To be fair to admissions, they had said to us 'just tell the pilots to come to the front of the admissions queues,' but (apart from the impracticality of telling every pilot this on the radio), we may have swapped one problem for another, so we didn't try it.
Anyway, thanks for the feedback. I will pass it on.
Modelman:
As to modelmans comments about the circuit. We had a very mixed bag of aircraft on Saturday, from the Jet Provost, through a Pilatus PC12, the usual range of Cessnas and Pipers down to slow microlights. People in the circuit were courteous, patient and good-humoured without exception and that went a long way to keep it safe. We were very concious of the limitations of FISO-land speak. The ability to 'land after' or to demand a go-around would be very useful, but that's outside our licences.
I hope everybody got their food and drink discounts?
Alan.
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As Pilots are approaching the admissions area from the 'inside', so to speak ie they are already 'in' the airfield, could they not just fix it to use the 'back tills' (2) on the other side of the admisions desk: (the ones one uses to buy stuff from the shop), to pay landing fees?
I go straight to the Friends desk, sign in, get my stick on day badge and just get nodded through (unless I'm flying in), when I do have to queue to pay the (reduced) landing fees.
Sadly didn't get a 'double' reduction on Saturday.
If you visit Duxford more than twice a year, joining the Friends is a no-brainer..........Think of all those 20% reductions at the greasy spoon.
Cusco
I go straight to the Friends desk, sign in, get my stick on day badge and just get nodded through (unless I'm flying in), when I do have to queue to pay the (reduced) landing fees.
Sadly didn't get a 'double' reduction on Saturday.
If you visit Duxford more than twice a year, joining the Friends is a no-brainer..........Think of all those 20% reductions at the greasy spoon.
Cusco
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I don't particularly find paying at the main entrance a problem, that is what a P2 is for. Although it seems that the people taking the money are not briefed as well as they could be.
Alphaalpha, apparently Bill thinks he is better looking than you, I heard him say it. Comment?
Alphaalpha, apparently Bill thinks he is better looking than you, I heard him say it. Comment?
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Cusco: This is exactly the plan, but it will take some time to implement -- software priorities, I believe.
He's right about Friends of Duxford. If you're a more than very occasional visitor, you win hands down. FoD had a small recruitment marquee near the tower for the weekend.
Skyhawk-N: Well, he has more hair than me.
But thanks for not including us in your pics!!
Leezyjet: You're welcome.
The next Bonus Day is 31st May for Cessnas. I'll post a separate thread in a week or two.
Alan.
He's right about Friends of Duxford. If you're a more than very occasional visitor, you win hands down. FoD had a small recruitment marquee near the tower for the weekend.
Skyhawk-N: Well, he has more hair than me.
But thanks for not including us in your pics!!Leezyjet: You're welcome.
The next Bonus Day is 31st May for Cessnas. I'll post a separate thread in a week or two.
Alan.
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to the duxford atc- thank you very much as i know it was busier than heathrow that day for u guys. u did a great job.
i know its safty but was just wondering if it would be possable to use both runways in the future? for example, if someone lands on the hard they land long and exit at the end or somthing? that way if someone is landing of the grass there would be alot more space and no conflict. ofcourse aircraft type dependent. also maybe one runway could be kept for the slower aircrafts and the other one used for the faster ones with circuts going opposite directions or at different levels and sizes.
i flew in with a friend and albiet the circut was very very busy, i do belive that some pilots could have done better to help the situation. quite a few people were flying extreamly tight circuts which does not help, and the aircraft that landed before us (on our second approach after a go around) took a long long time to vacate the runway even when we called short final. finaly not jumping in on the radio would have also helped as we got stepped on pleanty of times.
saying that, a very good atmosphere on the ground with pleanty of smiles and great people, not forgetting the aircrafts on show either. great show duxford. look forward to the next one!
. u did a great job.i know its safty but was just wondering if it would be possable to use both runways in the future? for example, if someone lands on the hard they land long and exit at the end or somthing? that way if someone is landing of the grass there would be alot more space and no conflict. ofcourse aircraft type dependent. also maybe one runway could be kept for the slower aircrafts and the other one used for the faster ones with circuts going opposite directions or at different levels and sizes.
i flew in with a friend and albiet the circut was very very busy, i do belive that some pilots could have done better to help the situation. quite a few people were flying extreamly tight circuts which does not help, and the aircraft that landed before us (on our second approach after a go around) took a long long time to vacate the runway even when we called short final. finaly not jumping in on the radio would have also helped as we got stepped on pleanty of times.
saying that, a very good atmosphere on the ground with pleanty of smiles and great people, not forgetting the aircrafts on show either. great show duxford. look forward to the next one!
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Sorry if this is a daft question but what is the rationale for treating the hard and grass as one runway? They seem far enoughapart to be operated separately and, from my own observations on Saturday, to have done so would have made life a whole lot easier for both the pilots and the guys in the tower!
Great day by the way, thanks to all concerned.
LB
Great day by the way, thanks to all concerned.
LB
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Leagle Beagle:
The grass runway has been moved sufficiently far away from the hard, which has also been downgraded to Code 2, to allow the runways to be used for simultaneous occupation (but not fully simultaneous landings/departures). However, not all the supporting pieces of the jigsaw are yet in place (holds and final CAA approval, I believe), so legally we have to treat them as one.
Alan.
The grass runway has been moved sufficiently far away from the hard, which has also been downgraded to Code 2, to allow the runways to be used for simultaneous occupation (but not fully simultaneous landings/departures). However, not all the supporting pieces of the jigsaw are yet in place (holds and final CAA approval, I believe), so legally we have to treat them as one.
Alan.
