Oaksey Park
OAKSEY PARK: Private aerodrome
Note: This picture was obtained from Google Earth ©
Operated by: 2000: Mr M Woodhouse
Location: 3nm SSE of KEMBLE, 5nm SSE of Cirencester
Period of operation: 1980s (?) to -
Note: This map is reproduced with the kind permission of Pooleys Flight Equipment Ltd. Copyright Robery Pooley 2014.
Runways: 2000: 17/35 785x20 grass 04/22 775x30 grass
2001: 17/35 785x20 grass 04/22 975x30 grass
NOTES: In 2000 runway 17 was restricted to take-offs only and the opposite direction 35 restricted to landing only with the proviso that these rules were exempted when flight safety might be compromised. In 2001 runway 17/35 was reserved for emergencies only.
A PERSONAL MEMORY
After visiting RAF COLERNE to photograph the last of the RAF Chipmunks, on the way back to TOP FARM Aussie Brown and I decided to visit OAKSEY PARK for the first time in the Piper PA-38 Tomahawk G-BGWU. We were quite surprised to find that, even though it was a fabulous day for flying, virtually nothing was happening.
At that point in time Aussie had just retired from being an ATPL, ran the Aviation Picture Library and was the Chief Photographer for Flyer magazine. I am not at all sure that he had ever been in a Tomahawk before, and he certainly wasn't impressed as he told me he was feeling distinctly queasy due to its flying characteristics. Perhaps oddly, although having only a fraction of his flying hours, the Tomahawk didn't bother me at all in this respect, although I must say that of all the sixty plus types I have flown, this type remains well down, virtually at the bottom of the list, of my favourite types.
So why you might ask, did I choose this type to fly into COLERNE? The answer is simple enough, it was the only group aircraft available that day - for the whole day at least.
ANOTHER PERSONAL MEMORY
In May 2000 my wife and I called in with the Cessna 172 G-JVMD, on our way back to TOP FARM after a tour of Devon and Cornwall. The pictures taken on that trip were used for an article in Pilot magazine.
I can clearly remember, when taking off from here, finding a formation of Hawker Hunters from KEMBLE flying at low level through the overhead. I asked my wife to keep a very good lookout to see where they were going, just in case we should get near to this bunch of amateurs. It is a well known fact of life that those who fly fast jets, including those in the RAF, invariably have such a high opinion of themselves that they very often forget the rules of good basic airmanship; including the Rules of the Air, taught to pilots in training..
Robert M
This comment was written on: 2019-02-14 19:48:53You let yourself down by making such a judgemental remark about fast jet pilots. A counter remark about you could question your ability to judge what low flying is.
Reply from Dick Flute:
Hi Robert, Good point. This said I'd be happy to be put to the test - even at my age. Best regards, Dick
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