Abandoned airfields southwest London.
Discussion
Someone who certainly isn't me would probably suggest...
Get up very early one dry Sunday morning, go out to the middle of nowhere on some big, open, well-sighted empty roads, find a suitable corner with a good line-of-sight and try braking hard and driving around it a few times until you've learned what you want to learn.
Your car is low powered, front-wheel drive, with ABS, traction control and a plethora of stability systems. Unless you're a total cack-handed nutcase with his eyes glued permenently-shut there's zero chance of you binning it if you build up slowly and after 3 or 4 goes you'll know what's what. Job done - no harm done. It's not like you're trying to learn an AC Cobra on the limit.
Of course I would never recommend such a thing in this risk averse, prosecution-prone, car-hating country. But some people might.
Get up very early one dry Sunday morning, go out to the middle of nowhere on some big, open, well-sighted empty roads, find a suitable corner with a good line-of-sight and try braking hard and driving around it a few times until you've learned what you want to learn.
Your car is low powered, front-wheel drive, with ABS, traction control and a plethora of stability systems. Unless you're a total cack-handed nutcase with his eyes glued permenently-shut there's zero chance of you binning it if you build up slowly and after 3 or 4 goes you'll know what's what. Job done - no harm done. It's not like you're trying to learn an AC Cobra on the limit.
Of course I would never recommend such a thing in this risk averse, prosecution-prone, car-hating country. But some people might.
MDifficult said:
Someone who certainly isn't me would probably suggest...
Get up very early one dry Sunday morning, go out to the middle of nowhere on some big, open, well-sighted empty roads, find a suitable corner with a good line-of-sight and try braking hard and driving around it a few times until you've learned what you want to learn.
Your car is low powered, front-wheel drive, with ABS, traction control and a plethora of stability systems. Unless you're a total cack-handed nutcase with his eyes glued permenently-shut there's zero chance of you binning it if you build up slowly and after 3 or 4 goes you'll know what's what. Job done - no harm done. It's not like you're trying to learn an AC Cobra on the limit.
Of course I would never recommend such a thing in this risk averse, prosecution-prone, car-hating country. But some people might.
And if you do a low speed sighting run first you will see if there are any lurking camera cars, etc.Get up very early one dry Sunday morning, go out to the middle of nowhere on some big, open, well-sighted empty roads, find a suitable corner with a good line-of-sight and try braking hard and driving around it a few times until you've learned what you want to learn.
Your car is low powered, front-wheel drive, with ABS, traction control and a plethora of stability systems. Unless you're a total cack-handed nutcase with his eyes glued permenently-shut there's zero chance of you binning it if you build up slowly and after 3 or 4 goes you'll know what's what. Job done - no harm done. It's not like you're trying to learn an AC Cobra on the limit.
Of course I would never recommend such a thing in this risk averse, prosecution-prone, car-hating country. But some people might.
Plus if you drop it in a ditch your insurance will pay out. Maybe less so on an airfield.
Book onto a Car Limits day at North Weald but be quick as change of use may mean they can no longer be run.
They do some Fridays where its the car that's booked so you can take a mate/s along and share the cost.
Great fun incidentally.
https://www.carlimits.com/
They do some Fridays where its the car that's booked so you can take a mate/s along and share the cost.
Great fun incidentally.
https://www.carlimits.com/
Sure, Wisley Airfield just off A3 and the old Vickers site at Brooklands.. now partly a nursery and MB world.
But to be serious, there is no chance of just rocking up in a car and using an old airfield. They have all either
been redeveloped or have ditched across the runway to stop people doing this.
A track day or skid pan are better bets.
MB world is fun in an AMG.
But to be serious, there is no chance of just rocking up in a car and using an old airfield. They have all either
been redeveloped or have ditched across the runway to stop people doing this.
A track day or skid pan are better bets.
MB world is fun in an AMG.
Edited by rev-erend on Wednesday 28th April 11:54
Edited by rev-erend on Wednesday 28th April 13:00
aeropilot said:
rev-erend said:
Sure, Wisley Airfield just off A3 and the old Vickers site at Brooklands.. now partly a nursery and MB world.
Neither of which can you can just go and drive on. And Wisley was bought by Taylor Wimpey for housing development at the beginning of 2020.
I have an embarrassing confession. I have trawled Google maps and marked every airfield in Europe and Russia. Starting on America now. Don't ask me why.
But all I will say is Google maps is a really easy way of finding airfields close to you, so you can then go do some exploring on the quiet ones and see what's what.
But bear in mind, most of the abandoned ones will have a trashed surface, and those with a nice surface will be hard to get to. And for flips sake if they are active runways don't try it. (or if you really have to be stupid, use the windsock to drive into the wind so at least you'll be driving the same direction as any landing/taking off aircraft)
But all I will say is Google maps is a really easy way of finding airfields close to you, so you can then go do some exploring on the quiet ones and see what's what.
But bear in mind, most of the abandoned ones will have a trashed surface, and those with a nice surface will be hard to get to. And for flips sake if they are active runways don't try it. (or if you really have to be stupid, use the windsock to drive into the wind so at least you'll be driving the same direction as any landing/taking off aircraft)
The abandoned ones will either be in poor shape, have access blocked (owners fearing liability) or (as noted) have barriers / ditch to prevent high speed runs.
A modern airfield may have equipment that could be struck in event of leaving the airfield (lights, etc)
So you need a track, OP.
Or a very quiet deserted road.
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