Isle of Wight

Where to this Bank Holiday Weekend………

Sandown, Isle of Wight, of course.

Let’s go…………..

See you there at the cafe. Wasn’t there something about free drinks on this thread? Must have a look see. 😀

hey

, Lake and Sandown towns and seafront. Plenty to do locally if you are going for the day. I would suggest getting hold of a local street plan to help your navigation once on the ground, although this isn’t

Might do so as well.

Having flown many times to Bembridge since 1971 and to Sandown since 1977, I have probably been to the latter over 50 times and half that number of times to Bembridge. No guesses therefore as to which airfield I prefer. 🙂

The fortunes of the two have fluctuated over the years with usually one in the ascendancy and the other in the doldrums and certainly in the last couple of years, ever since the restaurant fire, it seems that it has been a case of Bembridge thriving while Sandown has declined.

It is good to know therefore that its immediate future seems secure.

Wannabe pilot, I hope you managed your trip to one or other of them, and for what it’s worth, rightly or wrongly, despite flying from an airfield on the coast, mainly in single-engined light aircraft, I have never once worn a lifejacket, otherwise than for trips across the Channel and the Irish Sea, when it does become essential.

Wicked Willip :diablo:

Hear Hear.

I may just pop over.

Sandown Special Offer……….

Sandown is still very much here and, according to reports, will be FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER 2 YEARS, and much longer it has to be hoped. Locally it is reported that NO planning permission has been granted for any so called development, and is unlikely to be granted. Additionally the ‘Island Plan’ shows an airport at Sandown.

Tell a friend. Bring a friend.

LONG LIVE SANDOWN!

Over our dead bodies mate. There has been an airport at Sandown since 1928 AND IT IS GOING TO STAY THERE. If Messrs Barratts, or any other developer for that matter, want to build on the Isle of Wight then may I suggest they do an aerial survey in May / June and look for all those Oil Seed Rape fields that are going to waste and simply looking for some good use.

Why this very dim mentality to build on airstrips? Soon be an outcry if someone decided to build on all the football pitches or cricket grounds. Second thought – what a good idea.:rolleyes:

So next time you are ‘down south’, give Isle of Wight / Sandown a call and drop in (well not litterally) for a chat, wad and cuppa. It is still there – very much so.

LONG LIVE SANDOWN.

Whilst I totally support your standpoint, and I will join the campaign when it starts……but the present owner will sell it. (This was his plan before the slump). At that time he wouldn’t even pay a few quid to rescue the Merlin engine (By rescue I mean dump it in a vat of derv oil to prevent even more damage). He had no plans to re-open the Cafe either.

He may have changed his mind in the past 12 months.

Sandown Liveth..

Go to Sandown before it’s gone forever. Within a few years it will be a Barratts estate

Over our dead bodies mate. There has been an airport at Sandown since 1928 AND IT IS GOING TO STAY THERE. If Messrs Barratts, or any other developer for that matter, want to build on the Isle of Wight then may I suggest they do an aerial survey in May / June and look for all those Oil Seed Rape fields that are going to waste and simply looking for some good use.

Why this very dim mentality to build on airstrips? Soon be an outcry if someone decided to build on all the football pitches or cricket grounds. Second thought – what a good idea.:rolleyes:

So next time you are ‘down south’, give Isle of Wight / Sandown a call and drop in (well not litterally) for a chat, wad and cuppa. It is still there – very much so.

LONG LIVE SANDOWN.

Go to Sandown before it’s gone forever. Within a few years it will be a Barratts estate (Present economic conditions allowing). From Sandown you can walk to Sandown itself, a bustling holiday town. At Bembridge, the town is pretty, the harbour is pretty but not much to do other than look around at wealthy peoples houses.

Moggy, swim in the Solent? Not when the tide is moving you don’t – it’s as fast as a River. Most people caught in the tide, die. Swims across (For Charity etc.) are highly supervised.

Sandown was always good, nice to know that it still is. Bembridge seemed rather unfriendly and up its own rear end to me.

Bembridge has a hard surface runway; Sandown has a grass runway. You can walk to either Sandown or Shanklin from Sandown Airport, alternatively there is a bus or a taxi will pick you up. The cafe has re-opened at Sandown and is highly recommended for the bacon butties, or anything else you may care to consume. Give it a try!:D:D

Good Morning, I just have a few questions for you all if you don’t mind regarding flying to the Isle of Wight.

I recently passed my PPL and I’m starting my hour building in a 150/172, it looks like we might get a couple of warm days next week and so I’d really like to go out somewhere different for the day. Here goes:

– Would you fly to the IOW without life jackets, or would you consider it foolish not to have them? It’s quite expensive even to hire lifejackets and due to current money situation it would probably put the trip out the question if I did have to fork out. Surely as long as I’m at a good 3000ft or so and cross the shortest way (something like Gosport-Ryde = 2.5nm) I should be within comfortable gliding range? After all, 2.5nm isn’t much different to crossing the Thames Estuary from Essex-Kent as I did many times in my training.

– Any thoughts for/against either of the 2 airports, Sandown and Bembridge? Ideally I want somewhere within walking distance of a nice town (30 mins walk is ok) to spend the day. You’ll have to excuse my ignorance but I’ve never been to IOW so don’t have a clue where’s best and where’s good to spend a day!

Any opinions/advice greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!

I have no idea what the airspace classification is for the shortest crossing (Hurst castle to Fort Albert = 0.75 miles)

Thanks all for the replies, much appreciated. Having had a proper look at the airspace I can get up to over 4000ft if I want to, which will allow me to glide much further than the distance over water.

Deano – any reason you prefer Bembridge?

The general consensus seems to be that Bembridge is a nicer and better equipped airfield if you’re just going down for the £100 bacon sarnie, but Sandown is better located to be able to go and spend a day on the sea front or touring the island.

I personally wouldn’t worry about jackets going to the IOW. I prefer Bembridge, if you do go in there watch out for turbulence and a bit of windsheer if the wind has any southerly component in it and of reasonable strength (+10kts) 😉

Assuming you can swim I wouldn’t give it a second thought.

Having once left the lifejackets in the hangar prior to a trip to Italy I’ve spent long hours over the Bay of Genoa without. After a while you stop worrying about it.

Moggy

and its sods law it will over water. :rolleyes:

And you left the jacket on the briefing room table!:D

If I was you i’d still take life jackets because you never know if you might have to divert abit further due to a bank of cloud or something. I used to train at an airfield where the circuit was over water and we never had life jackets and I didnt really like not having them. Always be safety conscious! You never know when that big fan in the front may stop, and its sods law it will over water. :rolleyes:

Provided you take the short crossing – Portsmouth/Gosport to Ryde – you should be within gliding distance of the coasts at normal GA altitudes so Life Jackets, in my opinion, are not essential.

I have been regularly flying to both Bembridge and Sandown for over twenty years and each has its merits. I prefer Sandown as it is within easy wandering distance of Shanklin, Lake and Sandown towns and seafront. Plenty to do locally if you are going for the day. I would suggest getting hold of a local street plan to help your navigation once on the ground, although this isn’t critical as the natives are friendly!

Shanklin and Lake stations give you access to all stops as far as Ryde (including the IOW Steam Railway) and there is a comprehensive Island bus service that covers pretty much everywhere.