[jhb] Re: Andreas
- From: "Fossil" <fossil@xxxxxxx>
- To: <jhb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 18 Oct 2009 11:47:47 +0100
Just checked my records and I last flew into Andreas in 1981 whilst coming
back from the Jurby Air Show. It was the only time I got all three Manx
airfields in my log book on the same day - Jurby was only opened for the one
event in those days.
When I started here Jurby was still the official relief airfield for
Ronaldsway should the latter close through accident or weather. There was
still an NDB letdown procedure for Jurby at that time. Sadly it was deemed
too expensive to keep Jurby open for maybe two or three days activity each
year and they withdrew everything - I never actually got operational
experience there. I don't count the yearly air shows as they were completely
different - very busy but great fun. I loved to clear Tornado's for a high
speed pass with afterburners full on.. <vbg>
bones
bones@xxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
From: jhb-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:jhb-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Gerry Winskill
Sent: 18 October 2009 10:50
To: jhb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [jhb] Re: Andreas
Whilst there a Cherokee appeared and landed. A check shows it belongs to
a chap in Bride. I looked up past owners and is started its IOM
existance with Ashley Garner.
Gerry Winskill
Fossil wrote:
> Andreas was essentially derelict from the 1960's onwards. It was not used
as
> an airfield for a long time despite Lionel trying to attract customers.
Some
> of us had permission to fly in during the 1970's but I only tried it once
-
> the surface was terrible. It wasn't just grass growing through the
concrete,
> it had wheel size holes in the surface and FOD lying all over the place.
>
> It was only the gliding/microlight activity that kicked it into action and
> they had to tidy up the surface runway themselves. The hangars are indeed
> cheapo affairs and the clubhouse an old Portakabin. My photos of that
period
> show Andreas in a very bad state and more farmland than airfield. It seems
> not to have changed much but I doubt anyone is going to fork out for
> bringing it up to even reasonable condition.
>
> Manx Flyers had a ban on the place after they had to replace two props
badly
> dented by the loose surface.
>
> bones
> bones@xxxxxxx
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: jhb-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:jhb-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
> Of Gerry Winskill
> Sent: 18 October 2009 09:25
> To: JHB Restricted
> Subject: [jhb] Andreas
>
> 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
>
>
>
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