RAF BARKSTON HEATH VIEWING GUIDE

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RAF BARKSTON HEATH

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This page last updated on 10th April 2006

[Description] [Attractions] [Viewing] [Other Info]

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

RAF Barkston Heath is located on East of Barkston and the A607, South of Ancaster, about 6 miles North-East of Grantham in Lincolnshire. Barkston Heath is home to the Joint Elementary Flying Training School (JEFTS). JEFTS is an MoD organisation but the aircraft and some of the instructors are civilian - the remainder being a mixture of pilots from the three branches of the forces. Barkston Heath is also a relief landing ground (RLG) for the nearby RAF Cranwell.

The MoD Police would appreciate it if anyone spotting or viewing at Barkston would pop into the guardroom and let them know they are doing so as a courtesy. If not there is a good chance they will send somebody out to investigate, so you can save their time and yours by letting them know what you are doing in advance.

Map

ICAO Telephone Web sites

EGYE 01400 261201 Aerial view

ICAO	Telephone	Web sites
EGYE	01400 261201	Aerial view

Frequencies

Frequency Description Last heard

120.425 Tower

124.200 ATIS

234.400 PAR

275.675 Departures (Cranwell)

280.775 Approach (Cranwell)

281.225 Tower

293.450 ATIS

371.575 Air to air

389.450 Ground

Frequencies
Frequency	Description	Last heard
120.425	Tower
124.200	ATIS
234.400	PAR
275.675	Departures (Cranwell)
280.775	Approach (Cranwell)
281.225	Tower
293.450	ATIS
371.575	Air to air
389.450	Ground

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE

Not a lot! The JEFTS operate black and yellow Slingsby Fireflies, and that's mostly what you'll see here. Though it is a Cranwell RLG, don't expect to see anything other than the occasional overflight from a Cranwell-based aircraft.

Activity is mostly office hours, weekdays and varies greatly in intensity; some people have seen little more than one Firefly bumbling around, but it can get very busy indeed (and this appears to be more usual). Any Fireflies not flying are normally parked up on the apron adjacent to the T2 hangar by the B6403 road.

VIEWING

Assuming you're coming from Cranwell, you come off the A17 onto the B6403 and follow it South through Ancaster. A right-hand turn leads down to the area of the airfield used as a dump (A), where the rather sad remains of a Canberra moulder away. You can see aircraft on the runway from here but it's too far away for good photos, and is of little use for serials of stuff on the main apron. Sometimes aircraft in the circuit bank over your head if you're parked further back along this lane (by the quarry), and you can try walking along the edge of the field here for another angle on the Canberra or to get closer to anything landing.
Dumped Canberra (taken from near point A); author

Firefly on final approach
Firefly landing (taken from point B); author Back to the road and continue South, taking the first left. Just past the entrance to a paintball site is a good place to park (B), and you're now near the final approach path. While the airfield is out of site beyond the trees, this is the safest spot to park for pictures of aircraft on final approach. You can of course walk back up the road and then turn left to walk down towards the airfield itself if you want to be able to see the runway. The trees behind you will mask anything approaching to land on 24, but you can cross the road for a better view. Aircraft taking off from 06 have normally turned away well before they get this far unfortunately, and the best photo you can get of these will require a very large (600mm+) lens. Anything landing on 24 is easy with a 300mm lens though.

Leaving this spot, return to the main road and turn left, continue down the road for a bit past the runway end. You'll see a crash gate on the right (C) and another entrance on the left. There's enough room either side of the crash gate to get away with parking for short periods here to get a photo of anything taxiing out to depart from 24. Anything landing on 24 is visible too, but from here it's a bit distant for good photos. - a 500mm lens may do for nice side-on shots. Fireflies taxiing
Firefly taxiing (taken from point C); author

Fireflies on apron
Fireflies on main apron (taken from point E); author Just a little further down the road there's a similar crash gate (D) but this one's little use for photography. For logging serials it's similarly poor but you may be able to make out a parked Firefly or two from here. However for a clear view of the main apron all you have to do is walk down the verge for a bit and keep looking through the trees. There are a number of places where your view is unobstructed by buildings and you can see the line of aircraft clearly (e.g. E). There's another crash gate further down the road, and anywhere along here to that point has a good view of the apron, best in winter when the foliage is at a minimum.

Back to the car and continue South on the road. Take the first right, and go down this small road, passing the main entrance again on your right. The local wildlife delight in wandering across this road in large packs so take it easy unless you particularly fancy roadkill for tea. You'll soon come to a place where the road curves to the left and there's a patch of grass on the right with a small track the other side of it. Pull in here (F) and you have a good view across to runway 06. Aircraft landing on runway 11 are still rather far away but a 400-500mm lens should get you a good shot.
Firefly landing on runway 11 (taken from point F); author

The track leading West from this spot isn't suitable for motors according to the sign here, but it leads all the way to Barkston village, with a further track going North near the airfield perimeter - this may be worth investigation. Next time I'm at Cranwell I shall take a look and report further, unless somebody fancies having a look and letting me know what they find?

OTHER INFORMATION

The small scale of operations and civilian nature of the aircraft appear to contribute to a lack of any obvious MoD police patrols, but the local police are either very vigilant or very bored, as I saw several patrol cars during a brief visit. When turning in a field entrance one even passed and came back in the opposite direction a few seconds later complete with glaring stares from those onboard. Looks like an area to be very careful about parking, the state of your vehicle and your tax disc and insurance!

Petrol and a few small shops available in Ancaster.

RAF Cranwell is around 15 minutes' drive away, straight up the B6403 and turn left onto the A17.

Contributors: author, Gary Watson, Neil Chavner, Tigger, Nick Challoner, Fighter Control forum.

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