I mentioned earlier, I think, that I couldn't get access to Andreas, so that Tony Meredith might do a more accurate version. Well, yesterday I got in. The announcement, last week, that there was to be a landing at Jurby was wrong. It was in fact the arrival at Andreas of a locally funded Kodiak; a present to a Missionary Organisation.
Having got in, ostensibly as being interested in the mission, I was quite shocked at how different it is from the GE based version that I did, a couple of years ago, and the more recent Tony Meredith version.
The shock started with the hangars, which are just a couple of small plastic sheet over hoops type. Rather like an overgrown Nissen hut.
Next was how little of the rest of the field can be seen, from the hangar area. Most of the total area is covered in cereal crops, with scrub thrown in, to limit sightlines.
The old disused runway section used as the visitors' apron is tiny and has scrub on one side and what look like a collection of scrap vehicles on the other. One of these is the fuel bowser!
The derelict WWII Control Tower isn't, now, even in the same fields.It was only thinking about it after arriving home that I realised it was my expectation that was wrong. If thought of as a farm strip whose runways just happen to be clapped out tarmac, then that gives a better appreciation of the place.
Unfortunately, most design problems don't do dereliction! Gerry Winskill
