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Sturgate lincs, airfield guide

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andygolfer
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Sturgate lincs, airfield guide

Post by andygolfer » Fri Nov 13, 2015 8:59 pm

Here's a guide I've prepared for visitors to Sturgate for spotting and/or photography, I hope it's of use. It's based on a visit I made on 11th November 2015. any updates or further info would of course be most welcome.

Address: Sturgate Airfield, Heapham DN21 5PA

Location: 3 miles south east of Gainsborough, just south of Heapham village.

Imagesturgate OS map by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

From Gainsborough go east on the A631 and just past Corringham look for the sign to the airfield as well as Springthorpe, Heapham and Upton. Follow the signs through Springthorpe and Heapham and as you leave Heapham the airfield will be on your left. Continue round past the runway thresholds until you reach the airfield entrance on your left.
From the south leave the A1500 at Sturton by Stow and head north on the B1241 to Kexby then turn off to Upton, go through the village and you will find the airfield entrance about ½ mile north of Upton on the right hand side

SatNav DN21 5PA should get you to the airfield entrance

Drive in and after passing the first small hangar on your left (the paintshop) you will see the office ahead of you attached to the first big hangar (Eastern Air Executive)

Imagesturgate GE hangar layout by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

Airfield information:
Sturgate is an unlicenced airfield
Runways 09/27 820m (tarmac) and 14/32 461m tarmac, the latter is unlicenced
Runway plan: http://www.easternairexecutive.co.uk/im ... rfield.jpg
Radio frequency – Sturgate tower 130.3

Imagesturgate GE airfield plan by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

Spotting Info
The airfield is owned and operated by Eastern Air Executive ( http://www.easternairexecutive.co.uk/ ) and is also home to the Lincoln Aero Club. There is a small hangar on the left as you drive in – this is the paint shop. Then ahead of you is the office where you should report and ask permission to visit. I found them very friendly and helpful and I was asked to sign in then given a quick general tour to show me the layout before being left on my own to take photos wherever I wanted (but being sensible about keeping out of the way of nay movements). I was given a high viz vest to wear, I had my own anyway but the only requests were, don’t touch anything and sign out before you leave. I always call before leaving if only to say thank you – it helps for future visitors. Of the two large hangars the first (to which the offices are attached) is the EAE hangar where maintenance was in progress, I had a brief chat and a look through the door but didn’t ask to go in as there was nothing to be gained by doing so, it was all visible from the open hangar door. The other large hangar is that of the Lincoln aero club, being a weekday that was unfortunately locked up but I was told it has quite a lot of aircraft in it. Beyond that is a brick building all shut up (and I forgot to ask what it was) and beyond that the control tower building which is also the aero club clubhouse. There was another largish hangar behind that which is the aero club’s but again it was locked up so I didn’t walk over to it. At the opposite end the paint shop guys were in the process of prepping a Cessna 150 for a new paint job, I had a quick chat and again they were very friendly – all in all a great place.

main hangars:
Image1651Sturgate hangars11-11-2015 by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

control tower and club house:
Image1644 Sturgate control tower and club building11-11-2015 by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

There were about a dozen or so aircraft parked outside in various locations and I took a few photographs to give an idea of what to expect.

Finally following the road towards Heapham there is a pull in (position A on the map) from where you can look across the airfield towards the hangars and both runways, close enough for photos but as you will be looking south the sun might be a problem – for me it wasn’t as it was cloudy at the time. You can also park on the verge closer to the entrance to get a view of the 09 threshold at quite close quarters, that should be a good location at busier times for landing or line up pics.
photo from position A:
Image1620 Sturgate airfield from the road by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

here are some photos of aircraft present during my visit...

taken from the road between the runway threshold and the airfield entrance
Image1625 Sturgate airfield from the road by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

Image1642 G-OBLC Beech Duchess Sturgate 11-11-2015 by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

Image1634 G-BTAW PA.28 Sturgate 11-11-2015 by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

Image1635 G-BXLT SOCATA TB-200 Tobago Sturgate 11-11-2015 by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

Image1638 G-BRPV Ce.152 Sturgate 11-11-2015 by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

Image1645 G-CCZA Socata Rallye Minerva Sturgate 11-11-2015 by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

Image1647 N129SC PIPER PA 32 Sturgate 11-11-2015 by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

Image1649 G-BICW Pa.28 Sturgate 11-11-2015 by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

Image1650 Sturgate 11-11-2015 by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

hope that is useful to somebody and as i said, if you can add any information to this please do so, many thanks

Andy

EDIT: here are some links to some logs from previous visits by forum members :

http://www.civilianaviation.co.uk/forum ... 77&t=11320

http://www.civilianaviation.co.uk/forum ... =77&t=7290

and a link to some photos from one of their fly ins: http://www.civilianaviation.co.uk/forum ... ate#p49708
Andygolfer (or at least I was once), now just plane crazy

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250canam
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Joined: Sun Dec 22, 2013 10:02 am
Location: North East Lincolnshire

Re: Sturgate lincs, airfield guide

Post by 250canam » Mon Nov 28, 2016 10:55 pm

The short cross runway (14/32) is now NOTAM'd as being permanently wfu. When I flew in last a month or so ago the airfield's owner (that's his KIng Air in one of the pics) told me that he was planning to erect hangars on the area to encourage more GA activity at the airfield.
Ian W - pensioner and LAPL(A) holder.

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