Whippingham
WHIPPINGHAM: Private airstrip
Note: Both of these pictures were obtained from Google Earth ©
Location: Just E of Whippingham, about 1.5nm ESE of East Cowes
Period of operation: 2018(?) to -
Runway: 04/22 570 grass
NOTES: The initial information about this airstrip came from the AAIB report: AAIB-26536.
It took a while to pin this airstrip down, the main clue in the report being that the runway was 580 metres long. As the first picture above shows, the mostly well defined runway is exactly this length - 570 metres long according to Google Earth.
I had of course dismissed this location as the centre of the runway passes through a narrow gap in mature trees. When I was flying I landed at over two hundred airfields ranging from major international airports to 400 metre grass strips. And, as I got older I failed to get bolder. My only regret being that there were so many destinations I failed to reach.
Being always up for a challenge, despite being 570 metres long, a doddle in a lightly laden Cessna 172 for example, I would have refused an invitation to fly into this strip - it being in my humble opinion - an accident waiting to happen. Stands of trees being one of the major hazards for pilots of light aircraft as they generate all manner of hard to predict behaviour for winds depending on the strength and direction. Even when the trees are a couple of hundred metres away.
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