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Airfield charts anyone ?

Posted: 04 Mar 2010, 03:51
by Wehner
While circling around the airfields, I often wonder where the actual runway lines up or is meant to be. I can spot the hangars, but I am ambiguous about the runways. I know that they're grass and camouflaged and all that.
I searched here, googled and browsed through the faq section without success, so I reckon the posting is justified.

Michael.

Re: Airfield charts anyone ?

Posted: 04 Mar 2010, 09:42
by Trumper
:) Hello,
A few of the airfields have runways you can see BUT the Luftwaffe ones in France are mostly just areas of grass,no runways.They are quite difficult to spot as well until you learn to see the slight differences when the buildings come into range and view.
Hope this helps :)

Re: Airfield charts anyone ?

Posted: 04 Mar 2010, 12:35
by Wehner
Thank you very much, Trumper, it's a start.

I can find the airfields, at least for now, but I would like to do it "right", in terms of approach and lining up (even with a curved approach). So it would be nice to have airfield diagrams. I did a fairly thorough search meanwhile and found no comprehensive online sources, despite the big popularity of the Battle of Britain and the fable of the British for their historic airfields. I found two books which might fulfill my needs, but I do not want to spend too much money on it.

I may do best with searching individual charts for an individual airfield, as there are some online.

Michael.

Re: Airfield charts anyone ?

Posted: 05 Mar 2010, 05:04
by Osram
Actually most airfields had no runways or defined direction of take off / landing apart from that given by the wind direction.
The undercarriages were optimised for grass and not asphalt or concrete and so sometimes warbirds pilots on airshows actually take off besides the runway instead of on it. Back then they just used a big meadow. This changed a bit during the war as bomber became heavier and fighters faster (regarding landing speed).

Re: Airfield charts anyone ?

Posted: 05 Mar 2010, 17:59
by Buddye
Ask the tower for the wind direction, and land against the wind. This is what the pilots had to do.

Re: Airfield charts anyone ?

Posted: 06 Mar 2010, 00:28
by stickman
And circle the field,
ever slow...ing down,
to touch the earth,
light as a feather!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DNA_K_i ... re=related

Norah is the daughter of Ravi Shankar famous Indian (Dot, not Feather) sitar player.
She was born in Manhattan, New York,
but was raised up as a youngster in West Texas!

--------------

When you crash...
this is a good Norah song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ergc9ZSL ... re=related

Re: Airfield charts anyone ?

Posted: 06 Mar 2010, 03:05
by Wehner
Thank you guys. If that's the way it was meant to be - I'll do so.
Stickmann, I favourited that song. Thx.
Suits my taste.

Michael.

Re: Airfield charts anyone ?

Posted: 20 May 2010, 11:53
by Bader
Buddye wrote:Ask the tower for the wind direction, and land against the wind. This is what the pilots had to do.

Exactly so. They would take off and land into wind. You are crazy to do anything else in these aircraft.

In fact today's Heathrow airport was originally a fighter station and its layout stems from the fact that the fighters just pointed their noses into the wind to take off.

Re: Airfield charts anyone ?

Posted: 20 May 2010, 14:08
by Wehner
Bader wrote:
Buddye wrote:Ask the tower for the wind direction, and land against the wind. This is what the pilots had to do.
Exactly so. They would take off and land into wind. You are crazy to do anything else in these aircraft.
sorry, this is way too practical and inherently untidy.

Michael.