Lee on Solent/Daedalus Update

I wouldn’t hold your breath ! Lee does not have a reputation for being ‘user friendly’. How they’ll ever acquire one is a matter of conjecture.

As somebody who has family in the area and who visits quite a bit Lee is a massively frustrating airfield. Lee is the only GA airfield in the whole country I can think of that has no public areas what so ever. If things settle down is there any change of some public access, would love to see some fly-ins with ground bound enthusiasts welcome?

Short video of the resurfaced runway here:

Looks very inviting

Moggy

Hello,
Along with the usual GA and HMCG movements at Daedalus in the past week, there has been an interesting visitor in the shape of an AS 332C Super Puma, LN OBX of Airlift. The chopper has been making daily air lifting flights over the ‘Heogh Osaka’, the grounded car carrier (since 3 Jan) in the Solent. The stricken vessel can be seen from the airfield which finds itself in the ideal location, and just a short distance away for the task.

Updating the subject of airfield ownership, the interim 9 month RCAM contract should have expired on Dec 31st last year, unless it has been extended for a for a further 3 months?. It is expected that Fareham Borough Council will have control of Daedalus by Spring 2015. The next step for the airfield is licensed status, for which the completion of the recent runway re-surfacing in Dec last year, was one of a number of CAA requirements as key to that eventual goal.

Regards, Gerry R

Steady on Moggy, you’ll be getting accused of sensible thinking if you carry on like that.

How about an FBO that provides things like bicycle hire, wouldn’t that be a great idea?

But wait …..

The problem with investment in Lee is two fold: After twenty five odd years of bickering among the commercial interests, including the latest involving Sapphire, confidence in the airfields future is not high.

This could be resolved but it could take a very long time.

The other problem is perhaps, slightly more durable. Lee sits at the seaward end of a peninsular that is served, for all intents and purposes, by a single access road running thru’ Fareham which, particularly during summer becomes very busy giving access to not only the naval establishments but also the attractions (ahem) of Gosport and Portsmouth via the ferry.

Things are slowly improving – with additional public transport helping pedestrian access but, the roads remain very congested.

True, but hopefully Lee on Solent can now look forward to more inward investment and keep the GA part of the site thriving.
The airfield is in a unique position within that area and has great potential for the future.
Regards
Cap10

Small compensation for what was done to Sapphire Aviation in my opinion.

Moggy

Thanks for the update it’s good to here a positive story that involves one of our local airfields.
Regards
Cap10

Completion of runway re-surfacing.

Hello,
The runway re-surfacing detailed in post 3 has now been completed, the use of the secondary 17/35 remaining as an alternative runway to the main 05/23, has yet to be decided.
Regards, Gerry R.

Gerry, Thanks for the updates,keep us informed.

Housing and runway funding

The encroachment of housing at Lee has so far been confined to the former naval accomodation and domestic sites rather than the airfield itself. The former naval ratings single storey living quarters have gone for new houses in recent years spreading west from Broom Way, and a large brick built 2 storey ex barrack block was flattened this summer, for another development to build 101 dwellings within sight of the HM Coastguard hangar and helicopter apron. I personally hope the future tenants of these new builds, sign a declaration of non complaint over aircraft and helicopter noise, and possible night flying with the new runway lighting, before they step through their new doorways.

The runway work is being funded by both Fareham and Gosport Borough Councils via the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), who are funding other developments on the airfield mainly for future business and employment, revenue from these will go back to the government via the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). Of course all this is totally unrelated to General Aviation and private flying.

Lee Flying Association are the organisation that will fight to ensure that aviation and flying continues at Lee, GA has for the moment taken a back seat, for example, there is still no on airfield cafe for visiting pilots and with no immediate prospects for this situation to improve, all news on the light aviation front is lacking. The stated aim of establishing a thriving GA community at Lee on Solent has become very low priority, though finishing on a positive note, the new runway by year end will benefit this sector, (if there is not another work postponement!?).

Regards, Gerry R

Flown into Lee on Solent many times,a great location but all this uncertainty does not bode well.How long will it be until the first housing developments start to encroach the airfield.
Just a question? Who will be paying for the runway resurface, it’s been put back twice,I hope this goes ahead but I have my doubts what are the owners getting out of it in these austere times.

Regards
Cap 10

Airfield Developments

Hi, a belated update.
With the Solent Enterprise Zone airfield developments now in full swing, it has been very much a case of the resident GA fraternity being on the outside looking in and the feeling of being on the fringe. Most of the old east side infrastructure has been swept away including the ex MARTSU building and most of the ex Admiralty ‘S’ type Mainhill hangars, all for new buildings to be erected connected with the Zone, all this development meant that the former FBO Sapphire had to sacrifice its ideal location too.

The Regional & City Airports Management (RCAM) is now 6 months into its 9 month temporary contract as the operator of Lee/Daedalus airfield, to re-cap, they were awarded the contract by the airfield owners The Homes & Communities Agency (HCA). Under present arrangements RCAM will relinquish control by the year end, a new operator will then be installed by HCA for a longer duration of 3 years.

The the present airfield operators involvement has not been well received by the based tenants/pilots, with changes placed upon them on “safety grounds”. There is no mention of Lee on Solent on the RCAM website, which reinforces the view that the airfield is a temporary tenure for the company. An extension of the previous operators contract Fly BN by HCA might have been a better option, on the other hand, either HCA were not keen to extend, or Fly BN were no longer interested in operating Daedalus after a 2 year stint.

The proposed establishment of an Air Traffic Zone (ATZ) and other work associated with obtaining CAA licensed status for airfield, was in June this year, put on permanent hold by the CAA Safety & Airpspace Regulation Group (SARG). This situation will probably not be reslolved until a new permanent long term operator is at the helm from the start of 2015. A new application to the CAA for an ATZ would then be required, and subjected to a new round of negotiations and consultations with interested parties.

To finish on a more positive note, the twice postponed runway re-surfacing will commence on 20th Oct, and all work is scheduled to be completed by 1st Dec 2014. Between the dates 17th to 30th Nov the shorter 17/35 2,976ft (907m) runway will be available on weekends only, the work on the main runway 05/23 4,294ft (1309m) includes new lighting. The runway renewal was originally scheduled for April but put back to Sept for completion that month, the re-surfacing will be the first for the runways since the closure of HMS Daedalus in 1996.

Regards, Gerry R

Late summer upgrade for runway

A September start for the re-surfacing of the main runway has been confirmed, this being a re-schedule for this work, originally due to have been completed this month.

RCAM were installed as the interim airfield operator on 1st April for a period of 9 months, the owner of Lee/Daedalus (HCA), are seeking a longer term partner to promote the airfield. On the subject of RCAM I stated one of their areas of operation was Cardiff airport, this was incorrect, it is the heliport 2 miles from the city centre they are involved with, as well as the 4 airports at Blackpool, Derry, Exeter and Coventry.

PPR at Lee remains a requirement but now only applies to out of hours, if space is available visiting aircraft are usually directed to the tower to park, the same situation as pre-Sapphire.

Gerry R