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Leisure Lakes - New Flying Site For SMAC
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 flying area on the field is now ready for use. The track that leads to the flying field has not yet been completed. In dry weather this does not present a problem. However after wet weather it may be difficult if not impossible to drive all the way to the field. Please assess the situation when you arrive and try to avoid getting stuck in the mud! Also, if motocross is taking place, please proceed with care to the flying field; it can get busy near the motocross pits area.
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.
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. Please click
here for a map.
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/associate* 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.
All members/associate* members visiting the site MUST have their current BMFA and SMAC/associate* membership cards on them and be prepared to show same to Leisure Lake and Club officials on demand.
* Associate membership cards will be issued to all fully paid-up members of the fixed-wing Mereside Model Club; a reciprocal scheme will be worked out with Mereside Model Club.
Please note that only 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.
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
Final set of gates after the lakes
Continuation of the track from the first bend towards flying field
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
Subject to amendment
Letter provided by Sefton Council (modified following further communication, subject to further negotiation):
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 Birkdale (Summer only) [see notes below] and a smaller Aero Zone at Ainsdale (Winter only) [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.
·
The Winter zone
at Ainsdale will be used October – March, the Summer zone at Birkdale will be
used April - September.
· Any vehicle parking outside the [public] beach car parking areas at Ainsdale or Birkdale Aero Zones will be required to display a vehicle permit. Details and permits available from the Coast and Countryside Service. (Vehicle and aero insurance / membership details will be required.) [See notes below].
3. Vehicular access to and from the Birkdale Aero Zone is via Weld Road beach car park only. Vehicular access to and from the Ainsdale Aero Zone is via Shore Road at Ainsdale only.
4. A vehicle permit is required for any motor vehicle to use areas of foreshore other than those set aside for beach parking. A valid vehicle permit in must be on display in the windscreen at all times.
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 at either Aero Zone [(please see the Links page for tide times link)]. This applies to Winter and Summer.
7. During Winter, 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 Zones 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 gas turbine (jet), pulsejet or rocket powered models to be flown. The restriction relating to model aircraft powered by gas turbines will not apply at organised air shows on the beach.
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 zones. In order for vehicles to be driven to the aero zones, 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 Zones, 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.
Summer Birkdale Aero Zone (Weld Road entrance) details
Vehicles (permit holders only) should approach the site only via the Weld Road beach car park and entrance (no attempt must be made to approach the flying site from any other beach entrance) (see Map). Use the track that leads straight out towards the sea from the car park (do not use the muddy track to the left). Once you get to the edge of the 'green area' turn left, and drive along the beach in a southerly direction (i.e. away from Southport) for approximately two-tenths of a mile (~300 metres). Once this distance has been covered you have arrived at the flying area. Drive out away from the 'green area' towards the sea as far as is safe, depending on tide and sand conditions, and then park. You may park up to 100 metres either side of the two-tenths distance depending upon beach conditions.
Winter Ainsdale Aero Zone (Shore Road entrance) details
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) until you are 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. Drive out away from the 'green area' towards the sea as far as is safe, depending on tide and sand conditions, and then park.
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.
It is with regret that SMAC has
decided not to apply to renew its licence to fly model aircraft on RAF Woodvale
in 2008. This is due to increased costs coupled with reduced opportunities
to fly on the site because of increased full-sized activity.
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