RAF Valley 17/03/2009

[colj]

Operating this mornings/evenings Cardiff flight

G-JURA Jetstream Highland Airways

Also present on visitors apron
ZF210 Tucano

Overshoots by
314-UB Alpha Jet French AF
E-120 314-LG Alpha Jet French AF
E-51 314-AD Alpha Jet French AF

Hope this helps

Colin

[colj]

Just a few photos taken to accompany the above report










Cheers
Colin

[markmai]

Nice pictures Colin.

Keep them coming so I can convince the Boss (Wife) to drive me up there one day. ;D

Mark

[viscount]

In my opinion RAF Valley is well worth the drive. Exactly 100 miles from Liverpool Airport - usually around 1 hour 50 mins taking into account the inevitable road works and the windy bit at the Valley end.

Three out of the four active runway end are accessible - the fourth is too if you are prepared for a long walk along a sandy beach.

For anyone not familiar with Valley. Use the A55 across Anglesey, take the RAF Valley signed turn. Follow road through the domestic section and over a railway bridge. Once on the top of the bridge the gate guard and 19 Sqdn Hawk ramp are right in front of you. Immediately after the right bend at the bottom of the bridge, turn right through a gate and there is a safe off-road gravel parking area. The line of Hawks is easy to pick off with even low power binocs. After Easter the Valley Aviation Society have a small shop there - useful for picking up local gossip/rumours etc. If the short runway 19 is in use a great place for photos landing and departing - not bad for the railway either! Only problem with a 19 day is that any fast-jet or overshoot visitors are likely to use the longer runway 14.

Even on a 19 day, go on around the 19 runway end, turn left at a T-junction, road narrows and twists at a B&B, then past a new hotel and stables. An obvious parking area as the airfield re-appears into view. The low mound on the right (often with cars on top) is known locally as "suicide hill" - if theres space and you check first for sump cracking rocks, a great place to park and view. Wonderful position if 14 is in use, great departing and arriving photos. Also a clear view across to the Visiting Aircraft Section apron and the distant 60 Sqdn and SAR helicopter pans. Sun is on the wrong side for photographers, but a short walk down the cinder track enables landing shots. 14 is my favourite end - but needs a South-Easterly wind. The cinder track leads to a flat tidal parking area and access through sand-dunes to a beautiful long wide fine-sand beach. Beware though, extremely dangerous for swimmers due to sweeping currents. A walk around the dune tops gets close to the SAR Sea King and Griffin stands.

By road it is a long way around to the opposite 32 end. Well worth it if that end is in use. Back to the A55, one junction towards Menai and take the Rhosneiger turn. After some distance, in a village with a Church on left and Post Office on right, turn right. A narrow country road shortly passes under a low railway bridge, soon after turn right down a bumpy track with a Golf Club House on your right and their car park on left (if you stay on the public road soon after this turn there is a lay-by on the right, which is nice for landing shots, but too distant for departing traffic). Park anywhere reasonable on the common land. Grab your gear and folding chair and walk over the plank bridge marked 'Unsafe for vehicles' (locals drive over it - I don't). At the boundary fence/runway end either go right and follow the track around to the left and a field with great views of Hawks taxiing out, or go left and follow the footpath around to right and up into the sand-dunes. The path follows a low wire fence slightly above and parallel to the taxi track used by any visiting aircraft (and possibly this summer the Hawk T.2s) to depart. The sun is behind you. Colj's shots above are from there. Pick your sand dune, unfold your seat, make yourself comfortable, get a tan and see what happens. Take care on the dune heathlands as I once spotted an Adder slithering past while I sat quietly - and once at the 14 witnessed a kid having been bitten - a 999 call got a local doctor within 15 minutes as they carry the anti-serum rather than ambulance crews!

Although there is no rule, as every day is different, any night stopping visitors depart 8-9am, visiting aircraft often stop for lunch (say 11am-2pm) and night stoppers, if any, arrive after 4pm, but activity or overshoots can occur at time during a day. The scheduled Highland Jetstream departs early and returns after 5pm. and uses the apron by the bridge. Provided you don't stray onto the airfield, I've never seen anyone bothered by the RAF Police/security. Many of the resident Hawks will make several sorties in a day, so there is usually something happening. Takes a while to build a decent log - but when the weather is right, if you have time, who cares.

Don't bother with Mona on a weekday - while you may see Hawk activity there, they all operate from Valley. On a Friday evening or weekend, if the hangar door is open, go in and ask the Flying Club for permission to have look at the dozen or so civilian residents. Access is from the old A5 road, not the dual carriageway A55.

As you can tell, Valley is my favourite Air Force base as Leuchars, Waddington or Conningsby are just too far away for a casual day out!!