Viewing the helicopters at Aintree Race Meeting, April 2016
Mar 20, 2016 17:40:59 GMT 1
Beemer likes this
Post by viscount on Mar 20, 2016 17:40:59 GMT 1
AINTREE GRAND NATIONAL MEETING, APRIL 2016
HELIPAD VIEWING
HELIPAD VIEWING
With the Aintree Grand National Meeting soon, perhaps it is timely to post instructions on how to get to the best public position to view and photograph the helicopter action from. Originally posted 2012, rewritten 2013 and added to each year since, now checked, updated, copied, pasted and posted again for 2016.
Finding the best viewing point
Instructions for finding the best viewing site, which is an open field, outside of the race-course, crossed by the public access footpath of the Trans-Pennine Trail, easily accessed on foot from a parked car or by Merseyrail electric:
By Northern Line Merseyrail
Some years for convenience, I have used Merseyrail to Fazakerley Station (note not Aintree Station which is on a different line). Came out, turned left onto Longmoor Lane A506, keeping the 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 the same Adlam Road at a minor crossroads. Signal Works Road peters out at a high green security fence. There is however a pedestrian gate through this fence and across the electrified railway line. Continue ahead up a clear track through scrub woodland. On left tall wooden fence then 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 City centre direction; at the "Black Bull" pub, take 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 Co Op supermarket and a school, beyond the next traffic lights is the now boarded-up "Grey Chaser" pub (and by 2017 a Lidl Supermarket). It is at this turn, left into Barlow's Lane. By 2017 this will be a Lidl Supermarket.
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. Move into this right-turn lane and you turn right into Barlow's Lane past the boarded-up former "Grey Chaser" public house on the corner. They should be 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 effectively 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 narrow road leaves little room for manoeuvre - we did have one rather annoyed resident blocked-in Saturday 2013 (and an embarrassed photographer), so do use common sense and be prepared to walk for a few minutes rather than fight for the nearest position. As an alternative to the tight, narrow cul-de-sac end of Barlow's Lane, park a little earlier, on the right, just beyond the mini-roundabout before the faded red painted section of road. Here the official footpath crosses the road. Go right along the tarmac footpath for under 5 minutes, at the end is Barlow's Lane field.
Further information regarding helicopter movements
From the Official helipad operators site for 2016, with instructions for visiting pilots:
Thursday 7th & Friday 8th April operating hours 0830 to 1900, aerial activity must cease 10 minutes before the start of a race until 10 minutes after the end of a race.
On Saturday, 9th April 2016, 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., with a peak of activity 1100-1200 likely.
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 still clearly seen descending in front of you, departing helicopters rising close and crossing directly ahead of you, left to right.
Activity in Past Years
Although there were the same number of helicopters (19 different aircraft landed plus the Police one) but it seemed quieter with 37 landings (of which 17 were by just 2 machines) compared with 43 landings noted Saturday 2015 (in damp dreary conditions), this compares with in 2013 a total of 22 helicopters arriving with 39 landings noted on the Saturday morning. While in 2012 there were 26 different helicopters, with 43 landings, and 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. So (given decent weather) the pattern for slightly fewer helicopters may continue, but I will have to wait until after the event to analyse if that trend does continues this year or not. However the CAA and landing fees have increased dramatically for 2016 (amount to around £100 per passenger, but vary on the type of helicopter used)
Photos, visitor listing, times, comments etc for previous meetings:
Saturday 4.4.09: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/4609/aintree-racecouse-4th-april
Saturday 10.4.10: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/2923/aintree-helicopters-gnd-saturday-10
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
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 4.4.13: no report located, weather was poor.
Friday 5.4.13: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/11934/aintree-grand-national-2013 towards the end of the page
Saturday 6.4.13: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/11979/saturday-6th-april-aintree-helicopters?page=1
Thursday 3.4.14: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/14722/aintree-races-helicopters-thursday-14
Friday 4.4.14: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/14729/aintree-races-helicopters-friday-14
Saturday 5.4.14: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/14736/aintree-races-helipad-saturday-april
Thursday 9.4.15: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/17892/aintree-races-helipad-thursday-april
Friday 10.4.15: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/17900/aintree-fri-10-04-2015
Saturday 11.4.15: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/17911/aintree-races-saturday-11th-april
Finally
Hopefully the weather will be as good as it was in 2010. Westerly breeze, blue sky and sunshine is best for morning photography - it has been sunny or cloudy bright 2011-2013, then drizzle, grey and cool in 2014; sunny and with the desirable westerly breeze but chill in 2015. Hopefully this year will again bring a westerly breeze with hopefully some reasonably warm, dry and sunny weather too.
With a bit of luck, will meet up with the band of regulars again, and hopefully a few further 'first timers' this year. GND morning at Aintree has become an NWAN Member's Annual Convention, although with 24 of us present in '14, we were down to 15 or so last year! No ladders required (it is not the RVP), but a folding chair and a flask eases an otherwise long, cold stand-up. If you are a 'first timer' don't be shy and do own up to your username and be introduced to many of the regulars.
