Grand Designs at Strathaven Airport Scotland

[red750]

My wife is a fan of Kevin McCloud's TV show Grand Designs, and I happened to look in and see a number of light aircraft, including an Alpi Pioneer 200, CTLS, and footage of a trike landing on the strip. The show covered construction of a two-storey dwelling alongside the runway at Strathaven airfield, south east of Glasgow. See photos below. What surprised me was that a high building like that was allowed so close to the runway. Wind turbulence would surely have adverse effect on take-off and landing for trikes and gyro's.

 

  

 

 

[kasper]

Gyros less affected than trikes by turbulence and that airfield generally has a gale straight down one of the runways most of the time anyway ?

 

 

[red750]

Nice view of the aircraft from the floor to ceiling windows, though.

 

 

[Yenn]

Who would have allowed the build. As far as I can recollect, the strip is owned by the house builder. He has the rights to allow or disallow.

 

Are we expecting everything to be allowed or not by some faceless bureaucrat?

 

 

[kgwilson]

Saw this 4 or 5 years ago. If you can fly here then every where else is a breeze.

 

 

[onetrack]

The place looks to me like one, where, if the vicious wind gusts don't get you, the wind turbines will. 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/sep/29/house-at-strathaven-airfield-review-richard-murphy-grand-designs-lanarkshire

 

The missus and I stayed in a steel-clad, steel-framed holiday rental at Tugun on the East (Coast) side of the Gold Coast Hwy.

 

It was bad enough after we moved in, that we realised we were right on the flight path to the Gold Coast Airport, with 737's coming in so low behind the building that I could nearly read the writing on the tyres - but the living areas were raised, with the car parking underneath - and the place rang like a bell, anytime anyone walked along a walkway, or slammed a door, or walked up the steps!

 

We only rented the place for a few days, and I have never been so glad to get out of a holiday rental - despite the fact that place was only 200M from the beach.

 

Then the owner got upset when I left him a negative review.

 

Well, he showed beautiful vistas of the beach that were impossible to view from our unit, unless you stood on tiptoes at the bathroom upper window - and he said nothing about aircraft noise, or being on flight path - and he said nothing about 100% steel, industrial-style building construction, that had exactly zero insulation or damping.

 

So he got a review that the place deserved. In fact, the landing aircraft were so low, they cut off the TV signal, every time they flew past.

 

 

[Red]

Whats the problem? , the hangers are about as tall anyway.

The only problem there is the Strips have some nasty sunken spots, its far from smooth, the wind turbine is no problem either.

 

 

P.S. I must admit the turbines at Caernavon are a bit spooky first time you go there

 

Edited February 20, 2020 by Red

[Jerry_Atrick]

Yeah, but they are a handy landmark... Once this carp weather passes, I may take the TB20 (if it gets out of the paint shop alive) up to Caernavon..

[nomadpete]

Those wind turbines look safer than some Ferris wheels I've seen near airstrips......

 

With a little practice you could use them like Tvasis to set your approach on finals.

[facthunter]

They have done well there. Fairly short strip aimed at the only structure for miles around and the wind turbines couldn't have been any closer and a couple of fences to trip over if you land short. Centre line is wiggly also. 3/10. Nev

[onetrack]

The wiggly centre line is designed to match your track, as you swerve viciously from side to side up the runway in the permanently savage crosswinds.

[Jerry_Atrick]

Rwy 2/29 is over 1,000m long.. Not the longest, but suitable for most, aircraft... The structure is a few hundred metres from the end of the runway and as an ex RAF airfield, I am guessing that the strcuture was built then - the road layout suggests it.. However, looking at google maps there is a holdiay part just off the eastern end of the 55/07 runway..