Pilot reviews of Shobdon Airfield

“I would love someone to try this for me..... Visit Shobdon and at 11.01am try and order a breakfast! Do you remember that film 'Falling Down' when Michael Douglas goes mad? Well, luckily I kept my cool whilst Hitler and her sidekick abused me for asking for such a product! Eat here at your peril!! ”

“Visited Shobdon today as my first flight after gaining my PPL, with Instructor, wife and club Ops Manager in the aircraft to keep me honest! Found it relatively easily, but the FISO was incredibly busy and seemed more involved in preventing traffic jams on the ground than talking to pilots still in the air. Had a close moment on base leg with another pilot inside me heading for the grass runway, but we got it sorted and all ended up fine. Food was top notch, and very reasonably priced. Will definitely be back!”

“Visited Shobdon today ( 13th May ) Nice run down from Blackpool via Low Level Route. Airfield came into a surprise view when we popped over the hills from the north.No one on radio but calls from other aircraft all ok. Great scenary around the airfield and today there were a couple of Hercules doing low level go rounds. Great little cafe, very cheap, quick service and good quality. £10 landing fee for C172 Will visit again, friendly place. If anyone is going though, download circuit details due to noise abatement. ”

“Flew in to Shobdon to fly my family out for some sight seeing. The airfield was easy to find (especially with some recce on Google Earth!!). The A/G was absolutely fine (it was the weekend). There is a very friendly atmosphere and it was wonderfully busy. The food was excellent and well priced and came very quickly despite a warning that it wouldn't from the staff!! The noise abatement circuit is big but it is amazing how many people ignore it...it was not hard to download it from the Herefordshire Aero Club site. Also there overhead join procedure seems to be one rule for locals and one rule for people who know what an overhead join is. The locals seem to fly straight over all the villages they are supposed to avoid! The airfield is very busy with glider aero-tow launches, microlights and fixed wing. Don't go at a weekend unless your airmanship is up to scratch. And to the idiot who parked a foot in front of my prop; thanks for making my family push my aircraft out of the parking spot!”

“Flew in to Shobdon today for the first time. Very pleasant airfield with a nice, relaxed, welcoming atmosphere and an interesting mix of aircraft. Very easy to find, but reluctantly have to report that the A/G is very hit and miss - there one minute and gone the next. Be sure to check the Shobdon website to get a map for their noise abatement procedures and to help keep the neighbours happy! Hot food available for most of the day, which was very good value and decent quality - not the usual greasy spoon. Worth a visit? Absolutely. Would I visit again? Yup, certainly.”

“Visited Shobdon for the first time from Plymouth (via Haverfordwest). The route to Shobdon gave us some amazing views in the Brecon area and the airfield was easy to find. The layout is very good with large parking areas, some of which were just for visiting aircraft. The A/G service was sort of ok although it didn't seem to be operating at all times. The circuit is quite big due to noise abatement procedures..............and we had to go-around. Worth a visit if you are in the area.”

“A friendly place with grass in excellent state, well-marked taxiways and aircraft parking. The cafe (midweek too) serves good quality food at very reasonable prices, with plenty of outside tables for when the weather is good. No A/G service when I visited, but there was little traffic anyway so not a problem. ”

“I flew in today, as part of my PPL training. This was only my second land-away, and was easier than I had expected. From Leominster to the east, you can see the field easily. The trees at the eastern edge of 27 are a little disconcerting for the novice, but I know for next time. Only had time for a cup of tea and a Danish, but the menu looks reasonable. A very friendly airfield. Good fun, I'll be back. It was also my wife's first time as a passenger with me, and she enjoyed the ride.”

“I flew into Shobdon for the PFA Strut fly-in on 26th May and was met with an extremely warm welcome. The circuits are larger than most GA airfields due to noise sensitive villages located where the conventional downwind leg would be. Care must be taken to avoid these villages to the south of the field. The westerly runway was in use when I flew in. The runway/taxyway intersection is located closer to the westerly threshold, so when using this runway an accurate approach may be required to ensure the turn-off can be made without the need to backtrack. It's no big deal if you do, but it might be advantageous (to accomodate others in the circuit) to land long-ish and vacate at the end rather than land on the numbers, miss the exit and have to backtrack. Typically, most don't appear to miss the exit by much and so tend to backtrack to vacate. There is a parallel grass runway (called 'Northside Grass') that is typically used by the gliders, although it is available to all where circumstances allow. All of the movement areas appeared in good condition.”

“Went to Shobdon on my QXC, and will definitely be returning. Friendly, helpful staff made all the paperwork juggling, landing fee paying a refuelling run nice and smoothly.

Great atmosphere-the café was full of families, and visitors, and there was a steady stream of landing traffic. Good chocolate cake too!

”

“Went to Shobdon as one of my landaways for my PPL training. Found it really easily, the FISO service was excellent, even helping me with parking directions and giving me radio checks when my box 1 radio decided to fail on me !

The bacon butties are the best I've ever tasted and even better when enjoyed sitting outside on the picnic benches in the sunshine.

A gem of a GA airfield.

”

“Shobdon airfield, is a mixture of laid back, relaxing fun, against a backdrop of manic aircraft movements. I flew up today for the first time, and found it quite easily.

The radio was very friendly, and the welcome very worm. While I was there, three Harriers made an approach, and then flew off, great to see.

On departure, the was nobody in the tower, so just had to keep talking, so that other pilots knew what I was doing.

I would recomend a visit, and the grub is good too.

”

“Excellent place to visit and Alex's hospitality is splendid. Beer prices a little high at £2.00 compared with local pubs.”

“Visited today (29/05/05) very busy, well handed by the FISO even marshalled for parking. Wide range of aircrafts, gyros, gliders, the lot. Spent a couple of hours there. Had lunch, which was excellent. A great field, would recommend a visit.”

“Have visited shobdon very many time as it is only 55 miles from swansea over the brecon becons. A nice flight in itself and good reason to go. Once there it is totaly GA with lots of activity and things to see, have on several different occasions seen the guy in the C152 i think side sliping in on finals looks very impresive had me standing up the first time i saw it.

Easy ish to find if you dont use the NDB or the brecon VOR and DME at the foot of the hills. has lots of gliding going on there

Nice cafe with good food the sunday lunch is very nice.

if it is within your area of opperations i would go there one sunday afternoon in the summer for a look.

all the best nick

”

“Nice & friendly place. Good facilities, and a cooked breakfast to see you through the weekend !! Very easy to find (NDB on airfield), and an interesting range of a/c there when we went.”

“No longer any good looking for the trees on the south perimeter, they've all been chopped down...”

“Great field with friendly staff, excellent cafe with a V.good menu. Well worth a visit.”

“Popped into Shobdon for a decent cup of tea and a nice Eccles cake (also a drop of Lycoming lotion) 26/07/04. A decent little airfield.”