MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL

THE HEADCORN AERODROME CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE

MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 12 OCTOBER 2004

PRESENT:            Jamie Freeman (Chairman), Sue Line, Colin Highwood, Jerry Knight,  David Parker, Bruce Abbott, Lyn Selby, James Tuke, Miranda Kelly, Shiralee Colin, Bridget Dungey, Roger Munn and Gill Gymer.

1.            APOLOGIES

Apologies for absence were received from Llewellyn Lloyd and Mhairi Gilchrist, Liz Fisher, Terry Hodges, Brian Bristow and Jenefer Gibson.

2.            MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING

AGREED:

That subject to paragraph 4.2 being amended to read “turbine engine” not “jet engine” the minutes of the meeting held on 8 June 2004 be approved as a correct record and signed.

3.            MATTERS ARISING

A sign had been erected advising pilots to keep to their course (to fly straight ahead on take off and climb to 500 feet before turning).

Aircraft movements - Jamie Freeman reported that for July, August and September 2003 over 12,700 aircraft movements had taken place (plus 15% for circuit movements).  For July, August and September 2004 10,262 aircraft movements had taken place.

Jamie Freeman report that Planning Permission had been refused for the two Orange Telecom Masts.  He had spoken to the CAA who were of the opinion that the proposed Telecom Masts were far enough out of the Aerodrome circuit, the airfield could not object to the siting of the mast as local trees were taller. Jamie Freeman would be discussing the matter again with Maidstone Borough Council.

The Committee were told that the Sukhoi was currently in pieces and had not been flow this year.  The Sukhoi went to world championships but now required a new engine.

4.            PLANNING APPLICATIONS

Jamie Freeman told the Committee that he was liaising with MBC Planning Department regarding a change to the planning condition which currently allowed piston engine aircraft only.  The proposed alteration would change the planning condition back to the inspector’s recommendation for propeller driven aircraft only.  Jamie Freeman was asking the Planning department to look back at a study that has been carried out on various turbine engine noise levels.  He proposed that all fixed winged aircraft should keep to those limits with Gazelle type helicopters being exempt.

Lyn Selby reported that Headcorn Parish Council had turned down this planning application and required more information.  However, she had not attended that particular meeting.  She was aware that there was a fear that there would be an influx of helicopters to the aerodrome.  The Committee were told that Headcorn aerodrome could not become an airfield with lots of helicopter movement due to the parachute activity. In any case, businessmen did not want to fly into airfields, they wanted to be transported from their home to their business and landing at airfields was a very expensive operation and not convenient.

Jamie Freeman told the group that with regard to his application for evening flying he expected to receive objections from villagers.  He felt that the only way to allay village fears was to commence evening flying.  A number of factors, especially the weather, would limit landings to two occasions per week.  Extended landing hours would ease the load for the aerodrome.  In winter, the extended hours were seen as less antisocial as people were not spending time in their gardens.  Biggin Hill, Rochester and Shoreham all had extended evening flying and it had not proved to be a problem.  The moving of lights to illuminate the runway took approximately 5 minutes.  As weather got worse and nights draw in, pilots can find that they are having to land in the dark and may have to relocate to other airfields that they are not familiar with, that have extended landing hours.  If Headcorn had extended landing hours it would be better placed to act as a commercial concern and not just a recreation airfield.  The Committee were told that there was a fear locally that extending the landing hours would open up business at the airfield and would increase the number of movements.  In response to this concern, the Committee was told that light aircraft pilots do not want to fly at night; it was an unusual thing to do.  The ground appears very dark and there were pylons etc that have to be avoided.  There would not be a big take up on night landing, however, it was a rating that pilots like to have when delayed by weather etc and needed to get to their home airfield.  Pilots needed five landings to achieve night landing rating.  It was not considered to be something that would have a big take up, however it would be extremely useful for pilots who were familiar with Headcorn as it would avoid them having to relocate to another airfield that they were unfamiliar with.

Jamie Freeman told the group the application to amend the weight restriction was purely amending the weight restriction from pounds into kilograms which would update the airfield rating.  Liz Fisher was dealing with this application however, she had been unable to attend the meeting.  Jamie Freeman told the Committee that he was willing to meet with MBC Planning Department to discuss and clarify any points on the planning applications.

5.            CORRESPONDENCE

A complaint had been received from Mr and Mrs Todd at Ivens Oast complaining that on approaching their house pilots shut down their engines and then re-started them.  The group were told that this procedure was the ‘practice engine failure after take-off’.  The throttle is closed but the engine is still running at idle and it was very important to practice the manoeuvre to ensure pilots were well versed with the procedure.  The property in question was at the point where aircraft would reach 500 feet and this was the time at which the practice engine failure after take-off procedure was carried out in accordance with CAA guidelines.  At this point there are a lot of fields ahead which ensured that there would be a landing area if the engine stopped.  Properties under the practice forced landing area would not be at risk from the aircraft which would land half a mile further away in the event of an engine failure.  Jamie Freeman had responded to the letter and hoped that he had imparted sufficient factual knowledge to allay the fears of the residents. 

Lyn Selby told the group that Headcorn Parish Council had received objections to the planning application from Will Day, a residents association and a number of other local residents.  They had also received a petition.  Jamie Freeman responded that he felt he had done his utmost to educate local people on the outcome of the applications. 

Lyn Selby further told the group that Headcorn Parish Council had received another complaint regarding a parachutist who had landed in a field with horses and had caused damage to a gate.  She requested that parachutists do not land in fields with horses.  David Parker told the meeting that the objective was always to get a parachutist to land back at the airfield, but it was impossible to ensure that all parachutists landed at the airfield.  A map had been produced marking fields in which parachutists must not land.  Regarding the incident, the insurers had been involved and compensation had been paid out.  The conclusion was satisfactory for all parties. 

Jamie Freeman told the group that he had received a number of complaints over the summer, quite a number of which had come from a residents association at Shenley Park.  Unfortunately, Shenley Park was at the end of the runway.  Pilots were being advised to turn after Bletchenden or at 500 feet, whichever was sooner. 

A flyer was circulated that the postman had delivered, objecting to the planning applications.  As the flyer was unsigned it was impossible to respond to it. 

6.         ANY OTHER BUSINESS

The group were told that there had been a complaint from V Baker who was the organiser of a Second World War fly past event at Staplehurst.  The complaint was that a parachute club plane had flown into the area and the fly past had to be cancelled.  A lot of people had been disappointed.  The parachute club responded that it could only fly within one and a half miles of Headcorn, and Staplehurst was quite a way from Headcorn.  Jamie Freeman told the group that he knew nothing about the complaint.  However, the World War II fly past would have had a defined area and if another aircraft flew into that area a complaint would have been made to the CAA that there had been an infringement.  Jamie Freeman undertook to investigate this matter to repair public relations.

Brian Bristow, who sent his apologies, also said that as he was due to retire next year he hoped to attend meetings in future.

7.         DATE OF NEXT MEETING

AGREED:

That the next meeting be held on 10 March 2005 in Wings at Headcorn Aerodrome at 2.30 pm