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Please click here for an OS map of the area. Please click here for a web-based map.
SMAC has secured an agreement with the Owner of Leisure Lakes so as to enable it to utilise a field within the site for the purposes of flying model aircraft. Mereside Model Club has helped enormously in making this development come about.
The track that leads to the flying field may be muddy at times. If motocross is taking place, please proceed with care to the flying field; it can get busy near the motocross pits area.
The grass will be cut by Leisure Lake staff on a regular basis. The 'runway' will also be more finely cut on a regular basis by a Professional Landscape Gardener.
Given the proximity to the motocross and jet-boat courses, it has been determined that pilots will stand on the north side of the field and face towards the south (i.e. towards the Sun). A flight-line 'box' has been mown accordingly (please park on the longer grass around the 'box'). In sunny conditions care will have to be taken when flying.
Powered paragliding (paramotor) fliers from the nearby club are not permitted to use our field (except strictly in emergency only). If any of these fliers approach any member of SMAC/Mereside Model Club seeking permission to use/share our flying field, they should be politely refused.
Leisure Lakes is situated about four miles to the east of Churchtown,
which in turn is situated at the north end of Southport. The closest village is
Mere Brow.
To access the flying field, enter the Leisure Lakes site via an entrance road off the
north-western end of the B5246 (known as The Gravel at this point). The
B5246 can be accessed either off the A565 (Southport New Road) via a roundabout
(signposted),
or off the A59 (Causeway Lane/Liverpool Road) at Rufford. At this point,
the B5246 is known as Holmeswood Road. Once on the Leisure Lakes site,
drive to the main entrance. Please have to hand your current BMFA and SMAC membership cards so as to gain entry. Once past the
entrance, continue straight ahead down the driveway. You will come to an
offset roundabout that you should drive straight through. Next you will do
a slight left right s-bend and continue straight ahead through a yellow gate.
Continue straight on between the two main lakes
and beyond. Eventually the driveway becomes a track that will lead you to the
flying field.
The gate to the flying site will
now be locked at all times. Please see the Member part of this web site
for instructions regarding access.
When using Leisure Lakes, be very careful; DO NOT OVER-FLY THE BIKE CLUB
MEMBERS who are at the end of the runway - we don’t want any accidents.
Remember, at all times, SAFE FLYING IS NO ACCIDENT!
All members visiting the site MUST have their current BMFA and SMAC membership cards on them and be prepared to show same to Leisure Lake and Club officials on demand.
Please note that only fixed wing and scale helicopters will be permitted at Leisure Lakes. Sport and 3-D helicopters will not be permitted. 3-D flying of helicopters at Leisure Lakes is strictly prohibited. Scale helicopter operations must not interfere with fixed-wing flying, and must be carried out in co-operation with fixed-wing operations. Scale helicopter operations can consist of hovering off the fixed-wing flight line, and/or 'circuit' flying with fixed-wing aircraft.
3-D fixed-wing operation is permitted, but this must not interfere with other fixed-wing operations and must be carried out in co-operation with non-3-D flying.
Please note that an agreement whereby Mereside Model Club
members and SMAC members could fly on each other's flying sites as 'associate
members' has been rescinded. However Mereside Model Club members are
welcome to join SMAC as well, and vice versa; appropriate club membership
fees must be paid.
The following photographs will give you some idea of Leisure Lakes and the
flying site. They will be updated as and when possible.
The turn-in towards Leisure Lakes from The Gravel
The driveway towards the entrance proper at Leisure Lakes
The main entrance office at Leisure Lakes at the end of the long straight drive
View towards the flying site down the lane between the two main lakes
View towards the flying site further down the lane that runs between the two main lakes
Track turns right after lakes
Continuation of the track from the first bend towards flying field
Entrance onto the flying field
View of pit area
View of flying field in front of pit area
View of pit area from the East
Panoramic view from the pit box area looking south (scroll across)
Panoramic view from the south side of the flying field looking towards the north (scroll across)
Panoramic view of the main runway looking from the east towards the west (scroll across)
Panoramic view of main runway from the west looking towards the east (scroll across)
Panoramic view from the north-west of the field (scroll across)
Start your engines!
Off she goes
An appreciative 'crowd' witness an early flight on the new site
For an overhead view of the site, please click here. The flying site is towards the bottom of the image, in the centre.
PLEASE READ, TAKE NOTICE, AND ABIDE BY ALL OF THE FOLLOWING RULES
IMPORTANT UPDATE - FLYING ON THE BEACH IS NOW PERMANENTLY SITUATED AT THE AINSDALE END OF THE BEACH (SHORE ROAD ENTRANCE). The Birkdale (Weld Road) entrance is NOW CLOSED OFF AND WE will NO LONGER be using this area.
DURING
the summer (APRIL TO SEPTEMBER INCLUSIVE) YOU MUST FLY North of
'the barrier'.
DURING THE WINTER (OCTOBER TO MARCH INCLUSIVE) YOU MUST
FLY SOUTH OF 'THE BARRIER'.
OTHER RESTRICTIONS APPLY SO MAKE SURE YOU READ ALL OF THIS PAGE.
1. Observe all CAA (e.g. cap 658), BMFA, SMAC guidelines, codes of conduct and Sefton Council byelaws.
2. Sefton Council has identified an Aero Zone at Ainsdale [see notes below] for the use of flying model aircraft. No other part of the Sefton foreshore owned by Sefton Council or by other agencies in the Sefton Coast Partnership can be used for this activity.
3. Any vehicle parking outside the [public] beach car parking area at the Ainsdale Aero Zone will be required to display a valid vehicle permit in the windscreen. Details and permits available from the Coast and Countryside Service (vehicle and aero insurance / membership details will be required) [See notes below].
4. Vehicular access to and from the Ainsdale Aero Zone is via Shore Road at Ainsdale only.
5. Aero Zone users must take note of the public, fishermen’s access, horse riding and other activities and must give way to all other beach users at all times.
6. There will be no flying on days when tides of 8.6m or greater are predicted [(please see the Links page for tide times link)]. This applies during both the Winter and Summer (i.e. all year round).
7. During the Winter (October to March inclusive), pilots will only use the Ainsdale Aero Zone for two hours either side of low water [(please see the Links page for tide times link)]. This will help to prevent disturbance to the flocks of roosting shorebirds. Please note that you will need to take 12 minutes off the times shown for Gladstone Dock to give our 'official' tide times. Please also note that the tide times accessible via the link are not corrected for BST (i.e. they are always shown as GMT) so in the summer you will also have to adjust for BST as well (the site tells you how). A further 15 minutes either side of the flying period is permitted for setting-up and packing away model aircraft. The 'two hours either side of low water' rule does not apply during the Summer period.
8. The Aero Zone may be closed due to other events taking place (SMAC will be informed).
9. No flying over any part of the sand dunes or the green beach to the seaward of the sand dunes.
10. The maximum number of aircraft permitted to fly in the Aero Zone at any one time is five.
11. All Aircraft must be fitted with a muffler.
12. No pyrotechnics of any kind are permitted.
13. No pulsejet or rocket powered models to be flown.
14. Dangerous flying will not be tolerated. Any dangerous flying will result in the offender being asked to immediately leave the Aero Zone and be subject to the SMAC misconduct procedure.
15. Flying model aircraft outside of the Aero Zone or outside the designated time frames related to tidal activity and the gathering of flocks of shorebirds, will result in that person being asked to immediately leave the site and be subject to the SMAC misconduct procedure. Prosecution for disturbing flocks of shorebirds birds within the Ribble and Alt Estuaries Special Protection Area may also be considered by Sefton Council.
16. Only set up model aircraft within the Aero Zone. The first club member arriving will initiate the parking arrangement. Further members arriving must park parallel and immediately adjacent to him.
17. No persons under the age of 18 years to use the Aero Zone without a responsible adult in attendance.
18. Users under the age of 18 will adhere to the same rules as all other users.
19. All model aircraft users must assess the risks and hazards prior to each launch. Consider wind speed and direction, weather conditions and other beach users; the user must have a continuous awareness of the tides and their own level of skill and must follow all regulations at all times.
20. Have an emergency action plan for yourself and others.
21. These rules may be amended from time to time.
22. Permission must be sought for special events via the Coast and Countryside Service. SMAC will comply with all legal and safety requirements necessary.
23. Visitors may fly at the invitation of members, but they must have valid third party insurance through current BMFA membership.
Failure to adhere to the above rules may result in the removal of permission for SMAC members and guests to use the Aero Zone
These rules are underpinned by Sefton Council’s Seashore byelaws and by the byelaws for Ainsdale and Birkdale Local Nature Reserve.
Permits to park outside the public car parks at the beach aero zones
All areas of the beach outside the public car parks are designated 'No Vehicle Zones'. This includes the aero zone. In order for vehicles to be driven to the aero zone, a permit must be obtained. This rule applies to both SMAC members and their guests if they wish to take their vehicles into the No Vehicle Zones.
In order to obtain a permit to enter the No Vehicle Zone, you must make an appointment to see Gill Farrell (tel. 0151 934 2967) at Sefton Council's Ainsdale Office (please do not simply turn up without an appointment since it takes time to prepare a permit). Appointments can be arranged for Wednesdays, Thursdays, Friday mornings and Sundays. You must take your valid vehicle insurance details and your BMFA membership details plus BMFA insurance certificate. As an interim measure whilst members await their new membership cards and insurance certificates, Gill has been provided with a list of all members who have paid their renewal membership subscriptions. A vehicle permit will then be issued. This will remain valid until the vehicle insurance expires, at which point you will need to renew your permit. There is no charge for a vehicle permit.
Ainsdale Aero Zone (Shore Road entrance) details
Please click here for an OS map of the area. Please click here for a web-based map.
Vehicles (permit holders only) should approach the site only via the Shore Road beach car park and entrance (no attempt must be made to approach the flying site from any other beach entrance). Turn right once on the beach and proceed in a northerly direction (i.e. towards Southport).
In the winter (October to March inclusive) drive approximately three-tenths of a mile (~500 metres) past the end of the public parking area. Once this distance has been covered you have arrived at the flying area. This will be to the South of 'The Barrier'.
In the Summer (April to September inclusive) drive beyond The Barrier' until you are clear of the public car park area.
In either case, once you are at the appropriate place along the coast, drive out away from the 'green area' towards the sea as far as is safe, depending on tide and sand conditions, and then park.
Model helicopters at the beach Aero Zone
Only scale helicopters will be permitted on the beach. Sport and 3-D helicopters will not be permitted. 3-D flying of helicopters on the beach is strictly prohibited. Scale helicopter operations must not interfere with fixed-wing flying, and must be carried out in co-operation with fixed-wing operations. Scale helicopter operations can consist of hovering off the fixed-wing flight line, and/or 'circuit' flying with fixed-wing aircraft.
Visiting members of the public
We welcome visiting members of
the public, but do remember that only permit holders may drive to the flying
site from the public car parks, so please walk to where we are situated.
Visitors should bear in mind the fact that all model aircraft are potentially
dangerous, so should ensure that children are properly supervised. Dogs
should be kept on a lead in the operational area for both their own safety and
that of the model aircraft. At all times when model aircraft are being
flown there will be a runway area. This will normally be parallel to the
row of parked cars. As you approach the flying site, please try to
determine where aircraft are taking off and landing, and, for your own safety
and our assistance, avoid loitering in this area.
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