4 June 2013
A new ‘Pilot Hub’ has opened at Redhill Aerodrome as part of an initiative by the airfield’s General Aviation community. The team aims to make the airfield more user-friendly and attract more visiting aircraft.
The aerodrome is situated eight miles north of Gatwick Airport, and just south of the junction of the M25 and M23 motorways. The team says, ‘It is relatively easy to spot from the air and an ideal place to stop off for lunch, to refuel, or to have a meeting.’
The indoor lounge at The Hub (which is based at Hangar 9) has a terrace with an airside view, with seating and light refreshments available. The Hub also has free WiFi and a flight planning computer with printer, and has a few items for sale such as the latest charts, books, oil etc.
Most of the time pilots will also be able to pay their landing fees at The Hub, rather than the previous arrangement of having to stop at the control tower, which is situated the other side of Runway 18/36 from the hangars and other businesses – such as the Propeller Café, and Cubair, Harvard Aviation and a microlight school, which all offer training and air experience flights.
Redhill is a controlled airport as the southern part of its ATZ overlaps Gatwick’s Class D Controlled Airspace, but this causes no problem for GA pilots who are very welcome as long as they PPR with the aerodrome, and call “Redhill Tower” on 119.6 in good time; ATIS is available on 136.125. Detailed information on airfield procedures is available via the Redhill Aerodrome website (<a href=’http://www.redhillaerodrome.co.uk’ target=’_blank’>www.redhillaerodrome.co.uk</a>) and should be studied carefully before visiting. (Image: Richard Blain)
