Grand National Meeting 2018-Helicopter Movement Photography.
Mar 14, 2018 11:26:24 GMT 1
ghostrider likes this
Post by viscount on Mar 14, 2018 11:26:24 GMT 1
This is an update of the instructions posted and updated prior to the Grand National Meeting each year for several years past.
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 2018.
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:
For some the most convenient method of transport. Take Merseyrail to Fazakerley Station (note not Aintree Station which is on a different line). Come out of the station, turn left onto Longmoor Lane A506, keeping the University Hospital Aintree buildings on the right, over the other side of the dual carriageway. Ignore the first 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 before the woodland opens out into a paddock of rough grassland with shrub trees. Ahead is the high double black chain-link 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 then a school. Immediately, at the traffic lights turn left, just before a boarded up former pub/site for a Lidl Supermarket. This left turn takes you into Barlow's Lane. If you see Fazakerley Station on your left and the next traffic lights have a right turn into the Hospital - you have missed the left turn you needed!
Coming from the M57 junction 6, head towards Liverpool along Valley Road/Longmoor Lane dual carriageway A506. Eventually at traffic lights ignore the two turns signposted Aintree Hospital on the left. Having past the hospital lights, very soon after, with the Merseyrail Station 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 around the boarded-up former Pub on the corner. They should be the 8th set of road & pedestrian lights you reach after the Motorway (well that was the case several years ago!).
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 i.e. 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 who could not exit the drive a few years back (and rather embarrassed photographer), so do use common sense and be prepared to walk for a few minutes rather than fight for the nearest position. An alternative to the tight, narrow cul-de-sac end of Barlow's Lane, park somewhat earlier, on the right, just beyond the mini-roundabout before the faded red painted section of road. Here the official LDP footpath crosses the road. Go right, along the tarmac footpath between the back-gardens, for under 5 minutes, at the end is Barlow's Lane field.
Further information regarding helicopter movements: (updated, but actually no changes. From the Heliport Operator's website for 2018)
From the Official helipad operators site for 2018, abstracted from the instructions for visiting pilots:
Thursday & Friday 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. Oddly, in 6 years of annually revising these details never thought to query this before, but are these times 'Zulu' (GMT/UTC) or BST 'watch' time.
On Saturday 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. The 'runway' landing area aligned east-west, so 09/27.
From observation in past years on the Saturday little happens before 1000 (BST 'watch' time) hours though, the majority of morning movements being in the period 1020-1245 approx. with a peak of activity 1100-1200 likely. No activity after 1310 other than Police and TV helicopters. Each year varies slightly though.
Weather minima: There must be a minimum of 600ft cloud base and 3km horizontal visibility. Less than this and helicopter movements will not be permitted until meteorological conditions improve. No flying below 1000ft until within a mile of the landing point.
'Aintree Radio' for all visiting helicopters: 132.900 MHz. Arriving helicopters should call-up before a distance of 5 miles out.
What to expect:
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:
In 2016 while the number of individual helicopters was marginally up (at 21 plus the Police one overhead), the number of landings during the morning was well down (at 31). This was likely due to a big hike in CAA and landing fees. Weather was clear and calm, although the high cloud cover increased during the morning. In 2017 there were 30 different helicopters recorded during the morning - making last year a particularly good one.
In 2015 there had been the same number of helicopters (19 different aircraft landed plus the Police one) as the previous years, 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. The CAA and landing fees had increased dramatically for 2016 (amount to around £100 per passenger, but vary on the type of helicopter used) which may have depressed the numbers for that year.
Increasingly it is noticeable that a number of helicopters on the Thursday and Friday do not repeat on the Saturday, although clearly a number do. There has also been a trend for the number of helicopters calling on the Friday to increase each year (weather permitting).
Photos (although some older ones deleted due to Photobucket's actions), visitor listing, times, comments etc for previous meetings:
Saturday 04.04.09: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/4609/aintree-racecouse-4th-april
Saturday 10.04.10: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/2923/aintree-helicopters-gnd-saturday-10
Thursday 07.04.11: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=5971
Friday.... 08.04.11: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=5980
Saturday 09.04.11: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=5989
Thursday 12.04.12: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=9221
Friday.... 13.04.12: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=9231
Saturday 14.04.12: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=9148
Thursday 04.04.13: no report located, weather was poor.
Friday.... 05.04.13: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/11934/aintree-grand-national-2013 towards the end of the page
Saturday 06.04.13: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/11979/saturday-6th-april-aintree-helicopters?page=1
Thursday 03.04.14: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/14722/aintree-races-helicopters-thursday-14
Friday.... 04.04.14: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/14729/aintree-races-helicopters-friday-14
Saturday 05.04.14: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/14736/aintree-races-helipad-saturday-april
Thursday 09.04.15: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/17892/aintree-races-helipad-thursday-april
Friday.... 10.04.15: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/17900/aintree-fri-10-04-2015
Saturday 11.04.15: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/17911/aintree-races-saturday-11th-april
Thursday 07.04.16: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/21022/viewing-helicopters-aintree-race-april (follows the 2016 version of this post)
Friday.... 08.04.16: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/21182/aintree-fri-08-ladies-day
Saturday 09.04.16: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/21190/aintree-racecourse-saturday-april-2016
Thursday 06.04.17: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/24376/aintree-grand-national-thursday-2017
Friday.... 07.04.17: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/24388/aintree-ladies-day-friday-2017
Saturday 08.04.17: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/24400/aintree-grand-national-saturday-17
Finally:
Hopefully the Grand National Meeting, which is later than usual this year will be blessed with dry and warm weather. A light Westerly breeze, blue sky and sunshine is the best for morning photography - even if conditions are not optimal, it is worth watching from Barlow's Field. It is now many years since the Saturday suffered low cloud and continuous rain. The minima conditions for helicopters to operate are outlined above.
The band of regulars will no doubt be there again this year, and hopefully a few further 'first timers' too. GND morning at Aintree has become an NWAN Member's Annual Convention, there were around 24 of us present in '14, we were down to 15 or so in 2015 and similar in 2016, but up again to around 20 in 2017! No ladders required (it is not Manchester's AVP), but a folding chair and a flask ease an otherwise potentially cold, but certainly long 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 and become part of the Meerkats annual outing (we don't bite!).
AINTREE GRAND NATIONAL MEETING, 12th-14th APRIL 2018
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 2018.
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:
For some the most convenient method of transport. Take Merseyrail to Fazakerley Station (note not Aintree Station which is on a different line). Come out of the station, turn left onto Longmoor Lane A506, keeping the University Hospital Aintree buildings on the right, over the other side of the dual carriageway. Ignore the first 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 before the woodland opens out into a paddock of rough grassland with shrub trees. Ahead is the high double black chain-link 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 then a school. Immediately, at the traffic lights turn left, just before a boarded up former pub/site for a Lidl Supermarket. This left turn takes you into Barlow's Lane. If you see Fazakerley Station on your left and the next traffic lights have a right turn into the Hospital - you have missed the left turn you needed!
Coming from the M57 junction 6, head towards Liverpool along Valley Road/Longmoor Lane dual carriageway A506. Eventually at traffic lights ignore the two turns signposted Aintree Hospital on the left. Having past the hospital lights, very soon after, with the Merseyrail Station 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 around the boarded-up former Pub on the corner. They should be the 8th set of road & pedestrian lights you reach after the Motorway (well that was the case several years ago!).
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 i.e. 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 who could not exit the drive a few years back (and rather embarrassed photographer), so do use common sense and be prepared to walk for a few minutes rather than fight for the nearest position. An alternative to the tight, narrow cul-de-sac end of Barlow's Lane, park somewhat earlier, on the right, just beyond the mini-roundabout before the faded red painted section of road. Here the official LDP footpath crosses the road. Go right, along the tarmac footpath between the back-gardens, for under 5 minutes, at the end is Barlow's Lane field.
Further information regarding helicopter movements: (updated, but actually no changes. From the Heliport Operator's website for 2018)
From the Official helipad operators site for 2018, abstracted from the instructions for visiting pilots:
Thursday & Friday 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. Oddly, in 6 years of annually revising these details never thought to query this before, but are these times 'Zulu' (GMT/UTC) or BST 'watch' time.
On Saturday 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. The 'runway' landing area aligned east-west, so 09/27.
From observation in past years on the Saturday little happens before 1000 (BST 'watch' time) hours though, the majority of morning movements being in the period 1020-1245 approx. with a peak of activity 1100-1200 likely. No activity after 1310 other than Police and TV helicopters. Each year varies slightly though.
Weather minima: There must be a minimum of 600ft cloud base and 3km horizontal visibility. Less than this and helicopter movements will not be permitted until meteorological conditions improve. No flying below 1000ft until within a mile of the landing point.
'Aintree Radio' for all visiting helicopters: 132.900 MHz. Arriving helicopters should call-up before a distance of 5 miles out.
What to expect:
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:
In 2016 while the number of individual helicopters was marginally up (at 21 plus the Police one overhead), the number of landings during the morning was well down (at 31). This was likely due to a big hike in CAA and landing fees. Weather was clear and calm, although the high cloud cover increased during the morning. In 2017 there were 30 different helicopters recorded during the morning - making last year a particularly good one.
In 2015 there had been the same number of helicopters (19 different aircraft landed plus the Police one) as the previous years, 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. The CAA and landing fees had increased dramatically for 2016 (amount to around £100 per passenger, but vary on the type of helicopter used) which may have depressed the numbers for that year.
Increasingly it is noticeable that a number of helicopters on the Thursday and Friday do not repeat on the Saturday, although clearly a number do. There has also been a trend for the number of helicopters calling on the Friday to increase each year (weather permitting).
Photos (although some older ones deleted due to Photobucket's actions), visitor listing, times, comments etc for previous meetings:
Saturday 04.04.09: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/4609/aintree-racecouse-4th-april
Saturday 10.04.10: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/2923/aintree-helicopters-gnd-saturday-10
Thursday 07.04.11: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=5971
Friday.... 08.04.11: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=5980
Saturday 09.04.11: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=5989
Thursday 12.04.12: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=9221
Friday.... 13.04.12: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=9231
Saturday 14.04.12: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=9148
Thursday 04.04.13: no report located, weather was poor.
Friday.... 05.04.13: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/11934/aintree-grand-national-2013 towards the end of the page
Saturday 06.04.13: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/11979/saturday-6th-april-aintree-helicopters?page=1
Thursday 03.04.14: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/14722/aintree-races-helicopters-thursday-14
Friday.... 04.04.14: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/14729/aintree-races-helicopters-friday-14
Saturday 05.04.14: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/14736/aintree-races-helipad-saturday-april
Thursday 09.04.15: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/17892/aintree-races-helipad-thursday-april
Friday.... 10.04.15: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/17900/aintree-fri-10-04-2015
Saturday 11.04.15: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/17911/aintree-races-saturday-11th-april
Thursday 07.04.16: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/21022/viewing-helicopters-aintree-race-april (follows the 2016 version of this post)
Friday.... 08.04.16: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/21182/aintree-fri-08-ladies-day
Saturday 09.04.16: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/21190/aintree-racecourse-saturday-april-2016
Thursday 06.04.17: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/24376/aintree-grand-national-thursday-2017
Friday.... 07.04.17: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/24388/aintree-ladies-day-friday-2017
Saturday 08.04.17: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/24400/aintree-grand-national-saturday-17
Finally:
Hopefully the Grand National Meeting, which is later than usual this year will be blessed with dry and warm weather. A light Westerly breeze, blue sky and sunshine is the best for morning photography - even if conditions are not optimal, it is worth watching from Barlow's Field. It is now many years since the Saturday suffered low cloud and continuous rain. The minima conditions for helicopters to operate are outlined above.
The band of regulars will no doubt be there again this year, and hopefully a few further 'first timers' too. GND morning at Aintree has become an NWAN Member's Annual Convention, there were around 24 of us present in '14, we were down to 15 or so in 2015 and similar in 2016, but up again to around 20 in 2017! No ladders required (it is not Manchester's AVP), but a folding chair and a flask ease an otherwise potentially cold, but certainly long 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 and become part of the Meerkats annual outing (we don't bite!).
