Post by viscount on Mar 31, 2013 0:44:35 GMT 1
With the Aintree Grand National Meeting this week, perhaps it is timely to link to instructions on how to get to the best public position to view and photograph the helicopter action from. I've copy and pasted this from a 2012 thread, updated throughout for 2013, and added to the links to include 2012's reports.
Instructions for finding the viewing site, which is beside the public access footpath of the Trans-Pennine Trail, by car or Merseyrail:
Finding the best viewing point
By Northern Line
Each year I have used Merseyrail to Fazakerley Station. Came out, turned left onto Longmoor Lane A506, with University Hospital Aintree buildings on the right over the other side of the dual carriageway. Ignored left turn Adlam Road. Next left into Signal Works Road, shortly straight ahead across Adlam Road at a minor crossroads. Signal Works Road peters out at a high green security fence. There is however a gate through this fence and across the electrified railway line. Continue ahead up a clear track through scrub woodland. On left tall woooden fence then Barlow's Lane garden fencing on left before the woodland opens out into a paddock of rough grassland with shrub trees. Ahead is the high double black fencing around Aintree Races, with Beecher's Brook jump visible through it. Around half a mile, 10-15 mins walking.
By car
Coming from the Citycentre direction; at the "Black Bull" pub, keep to the right fork and keep straight for about 3/4ml. You are on the A506 Longmoor Lane. On the left, once past the cemetery you will see a Somerfield supermarket and a school, the next traffic lights is the "Grey Chaser" pub, and the turn left into Barlow's Lane.
Coming from the M57 junction 6 head towards Liverpool along Valley Road/Longmoor Lane dual carriageway A506, at traffic lights ignore the Lower Lane turn on the left, with Aintree Hospital buildings immediate after on the left, through the new traffic lights outside the hospital (Station is over on your right) and on the top of the railway bridge you will see the "Right turn only" lane marked on the road. It is here where you turn right into Barlow's Lane past the "Grey Chaser" public house on the corner. They are the 8th set of road & pedestrian lights you reach after the Motorway.
Once on Barlow's lane note that the road eventually splits! Ignore Croft Lane, Sherburn Close and Barlow's Lane to the right and Red Rum Close on the left ie keep straight ahead on Barlow's Lane until road bears around to the right and eventually dead-ends. The path through to the 'viewing' paddock is straight ahead as the road ends. Please park considerately for the residents of the cul-de-sac houses as the road leaves little room for manoeuvre. Alternatively, park on right, just beyond the mini-roundabout before the faded red painted section of road. Here the footpath crosses the road. Go right along the footpath for a couple of minutes, at the end is Barlow's Lane field.
Further information regarding helicopter movements
Official helipad operators site for 2013, with instructions for visiting pilots www.rotarywing.co.uk/AINTREE2013.doc
On Thursday 4th April, 2013 there is a parachute-drop from a PAC750XL aircraft, overhead at 1200, drop at 1215, no rotary movements permitted 1200-1240.
Thursday & Friday operating hours 0830 to 1900, with no helicopter movements within 10 minutes of the start of a race, or within 10 minutes from the end of a race.
On Saturday, 6th April 2013, the operating hours are 0830 to 1900, with strictly no movements from 1315 until after the end of the Grand National race and all horses have left the course. The landing area is situated on the 9th fairway of the golf course, within the race track.
Weather minima: 600ft cloud base and 3km horizontal visibility. Less than this and helicopter movements will not be permitted until met. conditions improve.
'Aintree Radio' for all visiting helicopters: 132.900 MHz.
From observation in past years little happens before 1000 though, the majority of morning movements being in the period 1020-1245 approx.
From the Barlow's Lane field, the view over the fence is excellent of helicopter movements, landing or departing, although the actual landing site is out of sight around to the left, beyond a tree and domestic garden fences. Best weather is a westerly (27) breeze on a sunny day (sun is behind you) as the helicopters descend right in front of you, right to left. With an easterly (09) wind the arriving helicopters are further away but clearly seen descending in front of you, departing helicopters rising close and straight ahead of you, left to right.
Activity in Past Years
In 2012 26 different helicopters, with 43 landings, were noted on the Saturday morning, this compares with in 2011, 23 different helicopters and 35 landings, around the same number of different helicopters as in 2010 in perfect conditions, which was a few less than in 2009, when there were 27.
Photos, visitor listing, times, comments etc for previous meetings:
Thursday 12.4.12: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=9221
Friday 13.4.12: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=9231
Saturday 14.4.12: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=9148
Thursday 7.4.11: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=5971
Friday 8.4.11: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=5980
Saturday 9.4.11: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=5989
Saturday 10.4.10: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=zone&action=display&thread=2923
Finally
Hopefully the weather will be as good as it was in 2010 (some hope given the weather record during March '13). Westerly breeze, blue sky and sunshine is best for morning photography - it was a sunny but with an easterly breeze the last two years so approaching helicopters were further away to the north. Advance weather forecasts seem to be indicating 09 (easterly) conditions again for a third successive year, 2013.
With a bit of luck, will meet up with the ever growing band of regulars again, and hopefully a few further 'first timers' this year. GND morning at Aintree has become the NWAN Member's Annual Convention! No ladders required (it is not the RVP), but a folding chair and a flask eases an otherwise long, cold stand-up.
Instructions for finding the viewing site, which is beside the public access footpath of the Trans-Pennine Trail, by car or Merseyrail:
Finding the best viewing point
By Northern Line
Each year I have used Merseyrail to Fazakerley Station. Came out, turned left onto Longmoor Lane A506, with University Hospital Aintree buildings on the right over the other side of the dual carriageway. Ignored left turn Adlam Road. Next left into Signal Works Road, shortly straight ahead across Adlam Road at a minor crossroads. Signal Works Road peters out at a high green security fence. There is however a gate through this fence and across the electrified railway line. Continue ahead up a clear track through scrub woodland. On left tall woooden fence then Barlow's Lane garden fencing on left before the woodland opens out into a paddock of rough grassland with shrub trees. Ahead is the high double black fencing around Aintree Races, with Beecher's Brook jump visible through it. Around half a mile, 10-15 mins walking.
By car
Coming from the Citycentre direction; at the "Black Bull" pub, keep to the right fork and keep straight for about 3/4ml. You are on the A506 Longmoor Lane. On the left, once past the cemetery you will see a Somerfield supermarket and a school, the next traffic lights is the "Grey Chaser" pub, and the turn left into Barlow's Lane.
Coming from the M57 junction 6 head towards Liverpool along Valley Road/Longmoor Lane dual carriageway A506, at traffic lights ignore the Lower Lane turn on the left, with Aintree Hospital buildings immediate after on the left, through the new traffic lights outside the hospital (Station is over on your right) and on the top of the railway bridge you will see the "Right turn only" lane marked on the road. It is here where you turn right into Barlow's Lane past the "Grey Chaser" public house on the corner. They are the 8th set of road & pedestrian lights you reach after the Motorway.
Once on Barlow's lane note that the road eventually splits! Ignore Croft Lane, Sherburn Close and Barlow's Lane to the right and Red Rum Close on the left ie keep straight ahead on Barlow's Lane until road bears around to the right and eventually dead-ends. The path through to the 'viewing' paddock is straight ahead as the road ends. Please park considerately for the residents of the cul-de-sac houses as the road leaves little room for manoeuvre. Alternatively, park on right, just beyond the mini-roundabout before the faded red painted section of road. Here the footpath crosses the road. Go right along the footpath for a couple of minutes, at the end is Barlow's Lane field.
Further information regarding helicopter movements
Official helipad operators site for 2013, with instructions for visiting pilots www.rotarywing.co.uk/AINTREE2013.doc
On Thursday 4th April, 2013 there is a parachute-drop from a PAC750XL aircraft, overhead at 1200, drop at 1215, no rotary movements permitted 1200-1240.
Thursday & Friday operating hours 0830 to 1900, with no helicopter movements within 10 minutes of the start of a race, or within 10 minutes from the end of a race.
On Saturday, 6th April 2013, the operating hours are 0830 to 1900, with strictly no movements from 1315 until after the end of the Grand National race and all horses have left the course. The landing area is situated on the 9th fairway of the golf course, within the race track.
Weather minima: 600ft cloud base and 3km horizontal visibility. Less than this and helicopter movements will not be permitted until met. conditions improve.
'Aintree Radio' for all visiting helicopters: 132.900 MHz.
From observation in past years little happens before 1000 though, the majority of morning movements being in the period 1020-1245 approx.
From the Barlow's Lane field, the view over the fence is excellent of helicopter movements, landing or departing, although the actual landing site is out of sight around to the left, beyond a tree and domestic garden fences. Best weather is a westerly (27) breeze on a sunny day (sun is behind you) as the helicopters descend right in front of you, right to left. With an easterly (09) wind the arriving helicopters are further away but clearly seen descending in front of you, departing helicopters rising close and straight ahead of you, left to right.
Activity in Past Years
In 2012 26 different helicopters, with 43 landings, were noted on the Saturday morning, this compares with in 2011, 23 different helicopters and 35 landings, around the same number of different helicopters as in 2010 in perfect conditions, which was a few less than in 2009, when there were 27.
Photos, visitor listing, times, comments etc for previous meetings:
Thursday 12.4.12: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=9221
Friday 13.4.12: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=9231
Saturday 14.4.12: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=9148
Thursday 7.4.11: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=5971
Friday 8.4.11: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=5980
Saturday 9.4.11: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=5989
Saturday 10.4.10: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=zone&action=display&thread=2923
Finally
Hopefully the weather will be as good as it was in 2010 (some hope given the weather record during March '13). Westerly breeze, blue sky and sunshine is best for morning photography - it was a sunny but with an easterly breeze the last two years so approaching helicopters were further away to the north. Advance weather forecasts seem to be indicating 09 (easterly) conditions again for a third successive year, 2013.
With a bit of luck, will meet up with the ever growing band of regulars again, and hopefully a few further 'first timers' this year. GND morning at Aintree has become the NWAN Member's Annual Convention! No ladders required (it is not the RVP), but a folding chair and a flask eases an otherwise long, cold stand-up.
?