I can’t legally leave this UK RAF base

[@ianellis2609]

Stef, I was the Luton controller you spoke to, I actually remember you calling that day. Don't ever be afraid of calling most UK airfields for a transit, Heathrow excepted probably, but the rest of us will fit you in if we can. Your Luton transit was a standard thing we do and will normally accommodate anytime unless the weather is a bit rough. The video was suggested by a friend (a retired ATCO) as being me and so I followed your journey from Elstree to Shoreham to Duxford then Elstree. Really enjoyed the videos, the only thing I could say as a negative was you kept dropping the N from your callsign, if that's all pretty good sir. Cheers, Ian

[@StefanDrury]

Hey Ian, thanks for the service on the day. I had read up on the transit and watched a few videos of other people doing it but honestly found it really smooth. I still get a buzz flying over a large airport like that with passenger jets taxiing underneath, so thanks for helping make that happen. I appreciate the tip about callsign readbacks as well, that’s taken on board with thanks. I appreciate you leaving a comment, hope to chat to you again next time I’m over there. stef

[@WhiskeyAlphaPilot]

Luton controllers are fantastic!!

[@Harshal-wp5hs]

Thank you so much for putting up with us!! Luton especially has always been very helpful with transits in my experience and we really appreciate it. Do you think more larger airfields should have designated transit paths like Luton? And how does having that path effect controller ops compared to say Southend where it’s a lot less scripted (albeit also a lot less busy)?

[@ianellis2609]

@Harshal-wp5hs Gatwick and Stansted both have similar procedures, you won't always get a clearance as straightforwardly as you may at Luton but that will depend on the controller workload, especially the tower. Nothing to stop you trying though.

[@flexmaniac]

Have never been refused a transit over Luton. What a great bunch, airways good service.

[@joejdl]

Just discovered your channel and have been binge-watching your awesome videos. Am an Aussie PPL (learnt at Jandakot) who has been living in England for 20 years, and let my license lapse due to work and “life”. You’ve inspired me to get current and out there again!

[@StefanDrury]

That's fantastic to hear, I'm really glad these videos are encouraging you to get back into flying. I wish you all the best with it and hope you get to make some fun adventures of your own really soon.

[@MelanieMoxon]

There are tonnes of disused airfields in the UK, the flatter counties like Lincolnshire (bomber country) are covered with the land scars of old airfields, most date back to world war 2. After that some were kept on through the cold war being extended for the large bombers that appeared during that time. Once the military finished with them they were either sold off and became airports, for civilian use, some were returned to agricultural use, some became race tracks (Santa Pod Raceway, and Silverstone are both old airfields) some are used for storage and some were left to rot; the latter because they had a clause in the contract that if the RAF ever finished with it they had to be returned to exactly how they were before being handed back to the land owner; this is expensive so the RAF just keep them on the books. The ones that became civilian airfields seem to have become small local airports (similar to the executive types in the US) or large hubs like Heathrow and Gatwick. Unfortunately because of land prices in the UK airports are valuable "brown field sites" and if the land owner isn't making much from the use as an airfield they will sell them off for housing, industrial and warehouse space. The UK is also a nation of moaners, people will quite literally move in next to a small airfield that has been there 30 years or more and immediately start making noise complaints, this has a seriously detrimental effect on UK aviation. I hope you enjoyed flying around the UK!

[@hypergolic8468]

I would add as well on top of your excellent response, mainly, for people outside the UK, they built so many in World War Two the UK was near enough an aircraft carrier. They ended up with airfields so close together that it was not impossible for confusion to reign with aircraft landing at the wrong airfield. RAF Lindholm and RAF Finningley were known for that. Also some airfields were built in the wrong place (locals warned about the persistent fog and it was ignored) RAF Acaster Malbis as a prime example, it was not really used despite the cost of construction. On top of all the operational fields there were full training airfields, again in Yorkshire only a few miles from Church Fenton, Elvington and Acaster Malbis was RAF Riccall. A full blown operational airfield that did nothing but ground crew and bomber conversion training. Looking on Google earth at Eastern England shows the amount of money spent on Airfields between 1939 and 1945. As for people moving next to airfields and complaining about noise, it happens to operational RAF stations (as told to me by my contacts), they even complain about the intensity of the runway lights! And who was there first?

[@MelanieMoxon]

@@hypergolic8468 yeah absolutely.

[@pjotrtje0NL]

3:19 this was RAF Wyton

[@kenbailey9147]

We could easily have a thriving GA scene in the UK, but despite what they say and they all make the right noises, the powers that be do not want this to happen. They are not interested in GA, airfields are closing left right and centre, those that are open have to fight for their existence with planning restrictions, operating hours restrictions, Noise abatement procedures and so it goes on. It is death by 1000 cuts. It is all designed to hack people off so that they lose interest in flying as there are so many hoops to jump through in all sorts of ways.

[@allaboutkalergi5012]

Yes there's literally hundreds and hundreds of disused and partially used ex-WWII airfields all over the UK. Apparently the total stands at 1,700 - UK Airfields Past and Present: A Directory of Airfields from 1908 to 2018.

[@pjotrtje0NL]

And, 6:16 is frmr RAF Cottesmore, where the TTTE unit was based, training the British, German and Italian Tornado crews.

[@philipguacci6452]

Hi Stef you passed over my birth place. Kettering. Although I am close to Moorabbin Airport these days. Cheers.

[@rodgerburden9140]

Hey Stef, I have been a "lurker" (benefiting on the sidelines from your videos) for almost 3 years now so I thought it's probably time to thank you for the fabulous content! I am a retired IT guy so I know how much time goes into what you do; THANK YOU! I got my private here in North Carolina during COVID after my retirement. I almost always get something valuable out of your videos to help me with my own flying and today was not an exception! Interestingly my wife (who loves to fly with me here in the US) is in Melbourne right now staying with our adopted daughter and her family and they are literally walking distance from Moorabbin Airport! Thanks again! ~ Rodger

[@SJF15]

Love going to Duxford, always guaranteed to see vintage aircraft flying.

[@shelleysflyingdreams]

It is very easy to understand why you love flying when there are views like that. Thanks for sharing and I’m glad you beat the hail.

[@SurvivingTheApocalypse]

That was RAF Wyton you flew over. It closed as a flying station in 2013 but it is still an operational base for Joint Forces.

[@kevinphillips9408]

Thank you for sharing these uk experience. 👏👏👏👏👏

[@StefanDrury]

Thanks for watching Kevin

[@agentjuiceaviation]

What you said at 3:38 really speaks to me. I'm near the beginning of my training and I've pretty much only done pattern work so far, but just the sensation of being up in the air makes all that grinding worth it.

[@Mike_Costello]

Would love a series one day with more of this. All over the UK too. Ireland, Scotland, up to Wales etc. This was enjoyable. Thanks.

[@Fernandomcp]

Stefan, I’m based at Duxford. It’s all about liability and the presence of fireman. Having said that, you can depart out of hours but you have to inform tower in advance and sometimes a fee will be due.

[@StefanDrury]

Thanks Fernandomcp, good to know some more of the underlying reasons. With our metro Class-D airports here in Australia when they're uncontrolled / non-towered there are no emergency services and pilots assume all liability. Again not saying one system is better or worse, but I personally like being able to come and go whenever you like.

[@Fernandomcp]

I understand, Stefan. The bottom line at Duxford is the value of their collection. Nobody wants to be liable for that 😂 believe me, so many times I wish it was easier at Dux. And in the winter, as it doesn’t have runaway lights, it will close at 3pm.

[@nicolad8822]

@@Fernandomcp And the adjacent major motorway?

[@Fernandomcp]

@@nicolad8822 I don’t see that an issue linked to the airfield working hours

[@not0l145]

Think i mighta heard you on the frequency yesterday, flew from duxford to the isle of wight and back!

[@PureGlide]

Where next? New Zealand for some epic gliding! See you soon :)

[@Cam_Wight]

You should come to Barton just next to Manchester! It's my home airfield and a lovely place to fly into!

[@dragondragon7255]

if you are fling around the uk at any cuter point a airport suggestion is Teesside international airport , there is not a lot there but it is a old RAF base and I think there is sum RAF activity there still and the aitramblace was might still be there.

[@gettingoutthere9998]

Hey Stef, Darren ex-Darwin ATC and now Deutschland based. Nice work. Your confidence & professionalism in CTA is top stuff, well done mate 👍

[@clivemyers301]

Hi Stef, really enjoying your videos. I am a recently retired 71 year old Perth man and currently have about 18 hours towards my RAAus RPC. on completion will do navigation and, wife permitting, will be buying a plane. Look forward to exploring this great land. Love your videos and can't wait to get out there.

[@martynbrinton]

My favourite GA YTuber. Love the videos, your explanation and your voice is great for narration! Im just a FlightSimmer and any aircraft I buy new is always tested in thia region so great watching IRL. Keep posting videos!

[@StefanDrury]

Hey thanks Marty, I'm grateful for you saying that. Enjoy your FS flying, I really need to get back into that again.

[@ttjclz]

Fantastic video, nice radio telephony. Thank you!

[@barrydixon3692]

Mixing it with the big boys!! What an experience flying over Luton airport must have been. Years of hard work and dedication, good on you Steph 👏

[@WhiskeyAlphaPilot]

Luton is one of the most helpful 'big' airports in the UK.

[@hoverboard365]

Some airfields in the uk are closing because they are old raf bases that have been unable to progress to commercial and general aviation after being left by the raf

[@Rick-gs8pp]

Love your videos Steph - Looks like you definitely had a high workload there, nice flying! The controllers are so helpful and polite.

[@Tempest14774]

That disused airfield looks very much like RAF Wyton, the base is still active as a joint force base but the airfield has been in private hands for nearly 10 years now. Currently used for vehicle storage. This airfield was once a very active Royal Air Force station, with history right back to WW1

[@johnp8131]

You are probably right, did two tours there as an armourer on the Canberras and still only live a couple of mlles down the road. Shame he didn't put the camera about a bit more there, as people would have seen the remnants of some of those satelite stations from WW2 like Warboys etc.....? Or even Alconbury in the distance.

[@abritandhisbikeinpoland6802]

And I did two Air cadet tours (joking) summer camps there in 76 and 77 I believe. And without looking it up, I recall 360 Squadron, 51 Squadron and 39 Squadron, canberras with extend nose and the bulbus Nimrods, god I remember so much from the days! I beleive we walked to a village pub one night from the base, and were refused drinks because of our age, but I'm dammed if I can find that pub on google maps!? Was there a pub in Woodhurst village John?@@johnp8131

[@mikemac5223]

Love your videos Just discovered the channel I did a few GA lessons out of Biggin many years ago but never pursued flying further Now watching you is fantastic though tinged with ‘what if’ Love your work

[@moritz4470]

Its always special being allowed to fly over big airports, with those giant airliners taking off and landing at the same time! I had the joy to fly over Leipzig (EDDP) a few times and it's always a spectacular sight! Often you even get allowed to do a low approach.

[@gavinsullivan9015]

Enjoyed that - looks like quite the work rate in places! Thanks!

[@MrSeebsy]

What RAF (ex?) base is that at 6:13?

[@andrewwardlaw]

Absolutely loved this video. Looked like a lot of fun flying that route and transiting Luton! :)

[@footlaunch1]

At 2.27 disused airfield is RAF Wyton and top left in the distance is USAF Alconbury

[@olliemuncaster]

Hope you fly again soon in the UK

[@marspp]

Another great vid. You would have/will benefit from studying our procedures in UK. Particularly around whether the station is Radio/Information/Tower etc. That will then tell you what service you can expect and what you “can and can’t do” with respect to things like whether you can take off outside operation hours. When you called “Duxford Tower” he noted back he was “Information”- responding back with “Roger Duxford Information etc etc” would have let them understand you then knew what level of service they offer (control you on the ground but can’t give takeoff or landing clearances, can control whether you are allowed into the ATZ, provide a basic service and so on). Same when you called up London Information... they don’t have aerodromes but in the name it tells you they only do Basic Service. If a station cangive traffic service they would be XXXX Radar/Approach/Director and so on. I got put on to Luton Director on a very busy day when I called Luton Approach for a basic service on the way from Newquay to Duxford. They then put me on a traffic service as I went past another airfield that was busy which was good of them. “Duxford Information November 774MW on the East Apron request airfield Information for flight to Elstree, 1 POB” nice succinct first call 😊

[@Toms_Aviation]

Love your videos mate, i live close to Duxford and love seeing everything around there

[@bradleyleksas1479]

What’s amazed me watching you fly in the UK is the amount of squawk code changes! I’m used to getting 1 and that’s it for the whole flight!

[@kkiwi54]

I'm usually 1200 all the time here in New Zealand 😆

[@owencarlstrand1945]

Overflew Luton one night some 15 years ago with my PPLIR instructor, they offered us a 500 foot pass up the runway and even turned the lights up for us. Doubt they’d allow it now!

[@TerryMurrayTalks]

Love the voice clarity of the UK ATC guys.

[@christianhill3426]

Stef - great video. Next time you’re due in the UK you’re welcome to join me for a few days tour of the UK in my SR22 G3, similar to EYZ :-). I’m based at Cambridge, just around the corner from Duxford.

[@irisaviation852]

This is all my local area being based at southend. Great videos having just found your channel. You do a great job. The luxury of auto pilot and being able to take your hands off the controls!

[@downunderdave5417]

As always a good watch

[@StefanDrury]

Thanks Dave, always appreciate the support

[@idlewise]

Nice landing

[@geoffreycoan]

I live just North of Luton and have transited Luton many times in my microlight. Great fun doing transits over commercial airfields. As you discovered theres not much point (other than opening flight plans and crossing the channel) in getting a service off London Information. They dont have radar so cant really assist your flight and they cover the whole of the UK. Farnborough North for a LARS service would have been better but you were soon going outside of their area

[@classicraceruk1337]

How about trying Tanzania and Kenya next. I just came back and the strips are great. You can do some safaris to. Looks like you had fun in my backyard…..

[@mikep4821]

Cracking video and flight, really liked your excitement in getting through Luton, I remember landing there and having to part with over £300 at the FBO just for a quick trip to the loo and complimentary coffee & biscuits. [nav and parking charges]

[@davevanbeers6944]

Stef, I hope you come flying in the Netherlands!😊

[@The_Flying_Pig]

Loving the UK videos, and enthusiasm for zone transit. I echo your comments about closed airfields. It's a sad affair and full of nostalgia. I fly out of Old Park Farm 16miles ESE of Swansea EGFH. Next time you are in UK try Haverfordwest and Rosemarket Golf course. If you can't get the cirrus on the golf course I'll take you in the 'Ranger

[@jshbontjer]

Stef, thanks for sharing this videos. It was lovely to see you enjoying the flights 😎 Next time, please do come to Switzerland and we can explore this beautiful country together?!

[@IamAceBadgeYT]

I fly cirrus and love it so much

[@ElizabethWarrenYeahYeah]

Next time you're up in Scotland, could you possibly do the Westray to Papa Westray loop? Then hoop back down to Lerwick? You'll know what that journey is, and I've not seen it done except for the scheduled daily service. I'm unsure if you could actually do this, but it would be cool if you were able to do this and film it. I've seen another pilot do it as a passenger but not as the pilot in their own aircraft. This would be soooooo cool!

[@calumlonzie6900]

Was a good time to fly in the uk due to the heat hope you enjoyed it while it lasts 😂 my dad was a pilot but passed away due to cancer love watching your videos 💙

[@Cptkooky]

Great vid steph, looking forward to more echo yankee zulu content

[@rusle]

I know that some minor airport in Norway, the pilots just call up the tower even when it is empty and tell what they are planing to do so other pilots who are listening in know what is going on. Now several airports in Norway have the tower remotely controlled due to nearly no traffic (maybe two commercial flights a day).

[@adrianbarber2905]

How many callsigns did you get called in this video? I counted 6 i....N774MW, 74MW (OK), N774MU, MW, 74MU, 7MW, 74MW, N4MW

[@SWR112]

They are old WW2 air fields we had hundreds of them. Some lost to farming, industrial sites but if you look close you may spot just a small part remains.

[@tonybeam]

What a beautiful UK VFR day.

[@khombol69]

I go and watch people land all the time at Elstree! Wish I hung around to see you

[@flyingkub]

We have a lot of WW2 airfield that are no longer used as airfield, lot handed back to the farmers and a large number of operating fields are being lost to house building 😞

[@sandemike]

Visit Sandown Airport on Isle of Wight and visit the Aviation Museum there.

[@glennwatson]

I did my first really major trip since getting the PPL going to bankstown. I think nerves probably made me over-prepare each time but I suspect you're right about the same amount of prep.

[@StefanDrury]

Yeah doesn't matter the length of flight, there's a minimum amount of time required before you can get an aircraft airborne, for me anyway.

[@jasonrwilkinson9216]

Yes loads of disused airfields in the UK Stef - many of which could be made serviceable again. We're lucky where I'm based that we can fly dawn 'till dusk with no restrictions but as per comments below licensed airfields and those with a FISO service (like Duxford) need to have measures in place and personnel unless you're home based whereby often you can sign an indemnity release for flying outside of hours.

[@WhiskeyAlphaPilot]

Yup Elstree is similar... sign the form and off you go, but I am based there

[@rigilchrist]

Welcome to the UK, where runways are rolled-up in the evenings until the morning - and even when they are open, you need to ask permission to use them.

[@carpless]

I learnt to fly at Sibson, loads of class G, freedom! yes lots of closed airfields, Alconbury + old RAF bases, also lots of farm strips to.

[@tbx1024]

Hello from Cambridge!

[@WhiskeyAlphaPilot]

Duxford was my first solo XC from Elstree, and is still a regular destination.

[@lookoutleo]

That was great , Luton seems busy :) have you tried Scotland it's lovely

[@dogwoodwoodcraft]

Here's to more strips being developed as third spaces in the UK. Where the general public can gather, get food, drink, and raise the awareness of GA. A bit like what Guy Ritchie is doing with compton abbas. I think thats the only financially stable option in the UK

[@c1ph3rpunk]

“Less restriction is better” said no government, ever.

[@ttvbrxkens0ul]

Holy shit, I always visit Duxford!! My little brother is autistic and obsessed with planes, so we have a membership to go there all the time and it's only a few hours away from where I live as well so seeing this is amazing.

[@tepinkie6393]

Loving the UK videos! All our airfields are sadly shutting down because so very few get involved in gen aviation as were such a short country 😢

[@StefanDrury]

It's sad to see airfields closing like that. Such important history in many of those places, and a country with a real love of aviation.

[@WhiskeyAlphaPilot]

Not quite that bad,, some are growing and adapting

[@flybobbie1449]

Rain showers been like it for weeks. Showery summer. Must be global wetting.

[@statistics_em]

what an eventful flight! I was feeling the second-hand stress. shame the cameras didn't pick up the A320 landing at LTN though, that must have been an epic view

[@johnfitzpatrick2469]

G,day Stefan from Sydney. How about Nigaloo Reef WA? Over a whale shark. 🌏🇭🇲

[@sunrise4905]

As someone who lives in Kettering, it's probably best you flew far, far away 😂

[@speedbird300]

Finished my PPL and did my night rating out of Luton, used to be fun until they decided they didn't want to bother with the little ones any more ...

[@kevinnorthfield5097]

Duxford is an EX RAF base, no longer current.

[@vaanathil]

Would you call this mild or moderate turbulence? I've been flying for a couple of years now and i find my self reaching out to the controls at the first sign of a shake. Ive cancelled flights for scattered clouds. Watching your videos (your calm and confidence) gives me a lot of inspiration. Thank you.

[@YohamYT]

Come fly in British Columbia if you can, The scenery is amazing & it would be amazing to see you visit my province. Obviously not during wildfire season (now) though! 🇨🇦 🇨🇦 🇨🇦

[@StickandGlider]

Sad they moved the warbird airshow away from Duxford.

[@Jah_Rastafari_ORIG]

@StickandGlider "warbirds"...? As in, _Romulans_ ...? Yikes!

[@Hayden_TGM]

Where next? Antarctica of course!

[@keirlumsden]

Sibson was where I did my parachute jump 😂

[@chillies4156]

Nice video

[@StefanDrury]

Thanks

[@henryyandell3222]

Sadly I think it’s an insurance/liability thing, some airfields offer an out of hours indemnity for based aircraft but you have to apply

[@StefanDrury]

I don't mind the liability being on the pilots / operators when the aerodrome is non-towered.

[@ILiquidGasI]

A lot of discontinued or disused runways are old RAF bases around England 👍🏼

[@PilotFlo]

It's kind of like this in Germany. But due to a recent change in law, those airfields that want to can become really uncontrolled.

[@MrDelvey]

what software are you using on the tablet?

[@StefanDrury]

That's called "Garmin Pilot".

[@Kiwi_Pilot]

In North America, they usually become Class E and you revert to Unicom

[@HA3MISH]

did you end uo doing the gold coast marathon??

[@John-pn4rt]

at 6:06 that looks like Cottesmore

[@IamAceBadgeYT]

Thank you for making such great KZbin videos

[@jennoian]

airfields do go uncontrolled, this one is a little different

[@IamAceBadgeYT]

Stef, you are my fave aviation youtuber

[@StefanDrury]

Thanks AceBadge, I appreciate that.

[@normd5776]

Stefan, care to comment about the Quantas fiasco?

[@elixier33]

My uncle has taken me flying many times. He never bothered tracking around showers. I do find you a bit confusing you're going to make all the effort to track around a little bit of rain but not to fly around Luton Airport very strange. Also paperwork shouldn't take 4 hours..

[@ryanharris3420]

I wish somebody would look at me the way Stef looks at me at 8:51

[@StefanDrury]

Haha, if you are an A320 on short final I promise to look at you that way as well!

[@ryanharris3420]

@@StefanDrury Setting expectations a little high, aren't we? Another top video

[@kstacey]

no way kettering is where i live 😮

[@allaboutkalergi5012]

UK pilots have a similar level of culture shock when they go to Australia and find, because it is so much less densely populated, that it has almost no regulation at all away from the big cities. The UK regulations have helped keep us safe, despite being one of the most overpopulated developed countries in the world and having some of the worst weather to fly in.

[@Rover2430]

Confused by the title. Which UK RAF base was it that you couldn't legally leave?

[@christianhill3426]

It’s Duxford. Lovely field…

[@Rover2430]

@@christianhill3426 RAF Duxford closed on 1st August 1961. With it not having been an RAF "base" for 62 years, I can now see how you became confused with their published opening times.

[@hypercomms2001]

There are a lot of dis-used airfields either from the Second World War, or from the Cold War in the UK. There were a lot of them. Some have been turned into airports such as Heathrow, some have been turned into racetracks, some have been used to store cars... And some have been ploughed over... A joke I remember from the 1980s... That the United Kingdom was a nuclear powered Aircraft carrier parked 20 miles of the French coast....

[@faisalsultan892]

Things like this make me realise how good, no GREAT, we have things in terms of GA flying the USA.

[@nicolad8822]

Out of Duxford I presume you were seeing what might have been old RAF sites? Edit I live in East Anglia, I am quite happy not to have more small aircraft overhead tbh, the aerobatic practising in particular. God that stuff is grating on the nerves. Take off and bugger off somewhere, not so bad.

[@sIightIybored]

The one he showed was Cottesmore and he probably went within visual range of Woolfox, Thurleigh, Podington, Staughton, Tempsford and Henlow. And that's just the ones with runways or tarmac left.