31 July 2018
The manager of Henlow Aerodrome has issued a polite request to pilots to avoid flying overhead, or close by, the airfield at circuit height. If that’s not possible, then at least call the airfield on the radio.
Flt Lt Gavin Nicholson of Station Operations at RAF Henlow said: “Fifteen aircraft flew through the Henlow circuit in the last month at circuit height without making radio contact.
“The aeronautical chart now shows that Henlow Airfield has been afforded Training Aerodrome status. However, there are still regular over flights, at circuit height, by rotary and fixed wing aircraft.
“Henlow is a grass airfield, of a World War I design and still without threshold markings or runway designators. I suspect that, unless you know what you are looking for, the airfield can be quite difficult to distinguish from the fields of the surrounding countryside. [See the Google image above – Ed]
“Nevertheless, I urge pilots to be cognisant of Henlow grass airfield, together with the busy flying training school, practice flying displays and resident private aircraft, operating Tuesday to Sunday.
“It is clearly good airmanship to call aerodromes marked on the chart even though the airfield doesn’t have an ATZ or other annotation (i.e. T or U) before overflying at circuit height or passing close enough to be in the likely visual circuit as a way of mitigating the risk of collision.
“If there is any doubt, why not simply plan to avoid said aerodrome by a safe distance?”
RAF Henlow’s A/G station is on 121.100MHz.
