Camphill is a great place for expeditions
What we offer:
• Stunning scenery
• Full-time summer instructor available for site checks
• Full-time summer winch operator
• Accommodation: single and twin bedrooms, or bring your tourer, or tent
• On-site catering & licensed bar
• Triple screen flight simulator with photo-realistic local scenery
• Well equipped modern workshop, for the unexpected.
And finally, Ridge, Wave and Thermal soaring from one amazing site.
The Camphill Pilots Manual
All you need to know
The Pilots Manual is written for the Camphill pilot, covering all aspects of our operation and flying from our site. Many sections will be useful to the visiting pilot.
Don’t worry, you will not be expected to have fully digested the entire contents of the manual – a check flight or two will hopefully be enough to get you started, and to see you issued with a Blue Card.
Amendment relating to check flights.
The Blue Flying Card
Our Blue Flying Card
At Camphill we operate a Flying Card system for solo pilots. It is a system for monitoring pilot progression, with varying colours awarded as certain skills and experience are achieved. A pilot’s “card” can then be matched to conditions prevailing on the day, or at the time, ensuring that pilots fly within appropriately safe conditions.
Visitors do not have these cards, so we operate a Blue Card system for them. This allows a visiting pilot’s skills and experience to be assessed and matched to the Camphill system. Visiting pilots will retain this card for future visits, and can progress through the levels over time.
Negotiating the hairpin with a trailer
There is a well known hairpin bend on the road up from Great Hucklow. It is there to trap the unprepared. Members and visitors negotiate it regularly, quite happily, saving themselves around 15 minutes of driving if travelling to or from the West. It’s easy if you know how.
The alternative route, and applicable to those arriving from the East, is to come up from Hathersage or thereabouts, via Abney. This is an easy, and rather attractive route.
Local tasks
A little local competiton – or a helping hand?
Our Blake-Robertshaw (BR) tasks make a perfect itinery for learning about flying in and around the Peak District. Aimed at developing our solo pilots, here’s a set of forty plus tasks, ranging from BR01, 13km around the Three Masts (all visible from the Launch Point), to a couple of Gold or Diamond goal tasks which will easily fill a summer’s afternoon. The early tasks are all within gliding range, unless they aren’t. (You’ll know what we mean if the wave is playing with us). These tasks provide fantastic views of the local area, and allow visitors to build confidence in flying locally, within touch of the airfield and local landable fields. Task BR06 (41km) is a favourite, especially in a thermic SW’ly, taking you to Ladybower Reservoir with views up the Derwent valley and dams, along Froggats Edge to Chatsworth House, before flying over Bakewell and on to Tideswell for a view of “the Cathedral of the north”, then turning for a downwind dash to our hill.
The Task List provides details of each task. We have maps for each at the Launch Point (too many to reproduce here). Task BR06 is reproduced here as an illustration.
The BR TPs have almost all been photographed by an intrepid explorer, and are provided here with tips on finding them. The exceptions are the three masts, all of which can be seen from the Launch Point.
Local fields for landing out
Good News! The Peak District has landable fields…
An obvious concern when visiting another site is the availablity of suitable fields for an out landing. Given that the Peak District is known for its hills and stone walls, it is good news to know that many decent, tried and tested fields are available locally.
Camphill is a hill top site. A major advantage of this is that you can see it from a long way off. And even better, if it becomes apparent you’re not going to make it home, you sudddenly have an extra three, four or five hundred feet to play with. Better still, we have used that height to find some fields for you.
The local field landing document describes fields we have used to land out safely. It’s worth looking at this in conjunction with Google Earth, and fixing some options in your mind.
Reciprocal membership
Agreements are in place for many clubs
If you are visiting Camphill as a member of another club, check the reciprocal arrangements for a potential cost-free membership for the duration of your stay. We have agreed generous terms with clubs from all around the country. Hopefully your club is on the list!
Charges for visiting pilots
A winch launch at Camphill costs just £12. Temporary membership is free-of-charge for visiting pilots from Clubs with a reciprocal membership arrangement – and a daily membership charge of £6.50 per day applies to all other visiting pilots. Visiting pilots bringing their own aircraft pay £8.50 per day for trailer parking.
| Launches (including SLMG & TMG) | Weekend / Bank Holiday / Winter |
£12.00 |
|
ditto |
Summer weekday |
£12.00 |
| Flying Time
(per minute) |
Motor Glider
(rate subject to review) |
£1.50 |
|
ditto |
Puchacz JRJ, KHW, dual or solo
Puchacz FXO dual Puchacz FXO solo |
48p 48p 41p |
|
ditto |
K13 dual |
48p |
|
ditto |
K13 solo |
41p |
|
ditto |
K18 |
41p |
|
ditto |
K8 |
28p |
|
ditto |
T21 dual or solo |
48p |
| Discount for Under 21’s & Under 26 in FTE | Launches and Flying Time |
25% |
| Flying Start | Credit to Flying Account |
£200.00 |
| Simulator | (per minute) |
£0.20 |
| Aircraft hire | 1 or 2-seater |
2 hours time |
| ditto | 1 or 2-seater |
2 hours per day |
Soaring Bradwell Edge
Hang gliders and paragliders can also take advantage of Bradwell Edge, which is accessible to members of the public.
However, hang gliders and paragliders should be aware that gliders will be flying in the vicinty of Bradwell Edge, especially when they take off and land at Camphill.
Find out more about the flight paths and launch locations here.
Top notch facilities
It’s all here waiting for you!
Being a hill-top site, with almost a century of experience, we have developed our facilities to be amongst the best, most hospitable and warmest you’ll find.
John and Sylvia provide excellent catering at pub beating prices. A hearty breakfast, midday sandwiches and a two-course dinner (we’re not posh, but we’ll fill you up), will set you up for the next day’s flying.
The accommodation has been refurbished recently, and combines gritstone farmhouse ruggedness with all mod cons, including heat, electric lights and bedding. You’ll be warm and dry at night, whatever the weather.
The bar is steeped in history, but if it’s booze you’re after, John ensures it is always well stocked, with a guest beer or two to keep it interesting. The courtyard is a natural suntrap for a gentle evening wind-down.
Our workshop is modern, large, and well equipped. Being the warmest place on the airfield, it makes a good resting place between jobs too.
On the airfield, the bus provides shelter, food and drinks, and access to the internet if you need it.
The simulator has a dedicated room in the club house, adjacent to the briefing room. It is built around a two-seater cockpit, with a three screen display, using Condor for realistic gliding simulation. As a visitor you may it useful to practise some local flying, or some of those BR tasks. It is an excellent training tool, especially if the weather isn’t co-operating.
