This is the 2022 update of the instructions posted and updated prior to the Grand National Meeting each year for several years past, previously fully updated in 2019.AINTREE GRAND NATIONAL MEETING, 7th-9th APRIL 2022
HELIPAD VIEWING
With the Aintree Grand National Meeting nearly underway, 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 amended/added to each year since to 2019; despite no public at the event due Covid restrictions 2020 and 2021, these updated instructions should still be valid.
Finding the best viewing point:Instructions for finding the best viewing site, which is an open field, public space, 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 the new 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 new Lidl Supermarket 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 their 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: Abstracted from website instructions for visiting pilots issued by Rotary Wing Ltd of Worsley, Manchester - the CAA approved Heliport Operator for 2022:
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. These times appear to be BST 'watch' time, rather than UTC/GMT 'aviation' time.
On Saturday the operating hours are also 0830 to 1900, with strictly no movements after, and engines shut-down by 1315 until after the end of the Grand National race and all horses have left the course. No vehicle movements between stands and helipad 1700-1800 hours (a new rule in 2019 which will affect passengers returning to their helicopters). 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 headings are 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 1,000ft (amended 2022) 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. All approaches and departures are from/to the east of the landing area.
Air/Ground radio frequency, 'Aintree Radio' for all visiting helicopters: For 2022 has been changed to:
121.175 MHz. (8.33 channel 121.180). Arriving helicopters should call-up before a distance of 5 miles out, should approach from the east, and should not overfly HMP Walton.
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, climbing left to right.
Activity in Past Years:In 2018, there were 26 helicopters seen during Saturday morning, with another one that sneaked in later in the day. During the three days of the meet a total of 32 different helicopters were noted landing. In 2019 there were only 18 different helicopters on the Saturday, 6 of them making multiple visits. The event was cancelled in April 2020 at the height of the first wave "lockdown". Racing returned in 2021, but with restrictions. On the Saturday only 5 visiting helicopters noted. Hopefully with travel restrictions lifted, 2022 will be more interesting.
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-aprilSaturday 10.04.10:
www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/2923/aintree-helicopters-gnd-saturday-10Thursday 07.04.11:
www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=5971Friday.... 08.04.11:
www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=5980Saturday 09.04.11:
www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=5989Thursday 12.04.12:
www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=9221Friday.... 13.04.12:
www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=9231Saturday 14.04.12:
www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=local&action=display&thread=9148Thursday 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=1Thursday 03.04.14:
www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/14722/aintree-races-helicopters-thursday-14Friday.... 04.04.14:
www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/14729/aintree-races-helicopters-friday-14Saturday 05.04.14:
www.derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/14736/aintree-races-helipad-saturday-aprilThursday 09.04.15:
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/17892/aintree-races-helipad-thursday-april Friday.... 10.04.15:
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/17900/aintree-fri-10-04-2015Saturday 11.04.15:
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/17911/aintree-races-saturday-11th-aprilThursday 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-daySaturday 09.04.16:
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/21190/aintree-racecourse-saturday-april-2016Thursday 06.04.17:
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/24376/aintree-grand-national-thursday-2017Friday.... 07.04.17:
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/24388/aintree-ladies-day-friday-2017Saturday 08.04.17:
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/24400/aintree-grand-national-saturday-17Thursday 12.04.18:
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/27902/grand-national-helicopter-movement-photography (follows the 2018 instructions)
Friday.... 13.04.18:
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/28190/grand-national-fri-ladies-daySaturday 14.04.18:
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/28199/aintree-grand-national-saturday-2018Thursday 04.04.19:
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/31437/aintree-thursday-04-2019Friday.... 05.04.19:
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/31444/aintree-fri-05-ladies-day Saturday 06.04.19:
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/31451/aintree-grand-national-saturday-2019In April 2020 there was no Grand National Meeting due to Coronavirus restrictions the height of the 'first wave' "lockdown".
Thursday 08.04.21:
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/37227/aintree-race-course-08-04 Friday.... 09.04.21:
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/37227/aintree-race-course-08-04 (and scroll down)
Saturday 10.04.21:
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/37248/aintree-sat10-4-21Thursday 07.04.22
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/39992/aintree-helicopter-thur-7-22Friday.... 08.04.22
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/40004/aintree-helicopter-fri8-4-22Saturday 09.04.22
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/40014/aintree-grand-national-day-2022 DRONESAs responsible aviation enthusiasts/photographers watching the skies, were asked in 2019 to watch for drone activity in the vicinity of the Racecourse. There could also be approved drone activity though, details to be confirmed. As this nwan update of viewing instructions is prepared we are still unaware of who to contact should there be a need to do so.
Finally:Hopefully the 2022 Grand National Meeting will be blessed with a light Westerly breeze, blue sky and sunshine. A westerly breeze is the best for morning photography - even if conditions are not perfect, the activity 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, with around the same number in 2018, while in 2019 down to around 14. No event in 2020 and with travel restrictions in 2021 only a few enthusiasts witnessed a disappointing day.
No ladders required (it is not Manchester's AVP), but a folding chair, decent footwear for long wet grass and a hot 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!
