JD_LincsUK 0 Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 I've lived on the outskirts of Boston now for 14 years. I knew there had been an old strip nearby, but had only ever seen trike style craft and the new craze of power para-gliding (?) there. It's got a couple of rugby pitches there now where the local club is at home, and an 'Aerodrome Bar' from the old days. I think I saw something akin to an autogyro there when I last drove past, several years ago. So imagine my surprise, then, when I was taking the mutt for her daily walk nearby last weekend, when I heard the unmistakable sound of an aero engine and looked over to see a Cessna Skylane rumbling along the edge of the rugby pitch and lifting off with yards only to spare before the ploughed field at the end... :icon_yikes: Minutes later, what looked incredibly like an SF-260, but probably wasn't, came in to land from t'other direction! Wow! My very own local airstrip! Yippee. :icon_thumbup: Up to now, I'd considered my 'local' to be Fenland, EGCL, but it's quite a way as the roads lead there in a very round-about manner. So the last time I went was ages ago. Now I'm going to have to do some investigating and see if there's any kind of club. I took a pic of it today - can you spot it?: No? Well, the eagle-eyed amongst you may have spotted the windsock on the left side - and that is the western end of the strip: And just to show how local it is: So I'm left feeling a bit of a numpty for not knowing it still operated - and on a 09/27 heading, no less: Must be my age... JD Link to post Share on other sites
mutley 4,498 Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 I love these local "farm" strips, I have flown from our local field and finding it from the air was a challenge! I now have it marked in FSX and presently building the scenery around it. Another nice thing is there are no high fences and barriers to obscure your view. What you need now is a cheap little scanner to listen in, they may not have their own frequency yet but must report in somewhere, Cheers Link to post Share on other sites
ehunyadi 0 Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 Very cool! My former hometown's local airport started this way (as a grass field) and is now an international airport with a terminal and a tower! I used to wash airplanes for free rides when I was a teenager and I remember bumping along the runway in old Aeronca's and Citabrias (and even a Long-EZ). Good memories. It's cool that you have this VERY LOCAL field. The field closest to my home is KDWH. It's the largest private field in the US, allegedly. Link to post Share on other sites
JD_LincsUK 0 Posted January 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 YAY! They have a club! :biggrin: http://www.bostonaeroclub.co.uk/ This is gonna be fun... I don't think the area will be difficult to find for this strip, due to it being next to the rugby pitch, and just North of the aerial picture above, there's a red running track with red stands, very easily spotted. There is only flat ground for miles, too. Conversley, Fenland is notoriously difficult to find (apparently) even for 'home' pilots - and that, despite having an NDB operating 24hrs near the tower/bar. Honestly, though, it can be difficult to find in FSX, too, especially with the default scenery. Thankfully there are a couple of decent add-on sceneries of it (including the bar! ). I just wish I had the time and patience to make an add-on scenery for the Boston strip. JD Link to post Share on other sites
mutley 4,498 Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 Life is good JD! :icon_thumbup: Link to post Share on other sites
Tim_A 997 Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 If the "SF260" was the yellow plane from the aero club site, it's a PAZMANY PL-2, homebuilt. http://www.airplane-pictures.net/image99718.html Get yourself round there; make your face (and mutt) known; offer to do chores for flying, and people will take you up (literally) on it. Most pilots like a bit of company, and a right seat can often be had just for the asking once your face is known. Link to post Share on other sites
Martyn 9 Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 Conversley, Fenland is notoriously difficult to find (apparently) even for 'home' pilots - and that, despite having an NDB operating 24hrs near the tower/bar My flying instructor decided to take me up to Fenland during the navigation stage of my PPL training for a bit of a challenge. The airfield is very hard to spot from the air if you are unfamiliar with it. There are very few obvious features in the area north of P'boro! If you locate it on Google Maps and zoom out a bit, it quickly gets lost amongst the surrounding fields. Link to post Share on other sites
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