All the Goodwood Flying School aircraft may be flown out of hours, however, this is subject to confirmation by the Flying School on the day for any aircraft that is usually hangared. This will be permitted only if the forecast weather overnight is suitable for the aircraft to be left outside.

Not everyone will have flown out of hours before, especially if you are recently qualified, so what are the procedures? There is nothing difficult, just a few important differences to remember. 

Authorisation

You must arrive before the Flying School closes to be authorised for your flight as normal. Take the tech log with you so that you can complete it on your return. The authorisation sheet will remain in the Flying School. You will also need to complete an Out of Hours form before your flight. When you do this, take the time to read and understand the rules for flying outside of published operating hours. Finally, check the NOTAMs for the Aerodrome and local flying area.

Fuel 

The fuel pumps close 15 minutes before the aerodrome does, so if you are flying after this time you will need to plan your fuel requirements ahead and let the Flying School know as early as possible. We will arrange for the aircraft to be fuelled by the previous pilot so it is ready for you.

Runway selection and altimeter settings 

Air Traffic closes at the same time as the Aerodrome, so there will be nobody in the Control Tower for you to talk to after this time. You may, therefore, need to make your own decisions about runways and pressure settings. As a starting point, look at the live weather feed. This provides the wind direction to give an idea of the appropriate runway and also gives the current QNH and QFE.

Once you are out in the aircraft or returning to land, join overhead and look at the windsock to choose your runway, remember it may have changed since you took off! When the wind is calm, runway 32 is always preferred if available. Until runway 14-32 is returned to service in early summer though, Runway 06 will be the preferred runway to use. Please remember that practice forced landings, aerobatics and training circuits (touch and go’s or stop and go’s) are not permitted outside normal operating hours…and if the runway you are using has a published noise routeing (NPR), make sure that you fly it correctly.

The airfield elevation is 109 ft, so you can determine QNH before departure by simply setting this altitude on the altimeter. When returning to land, remember 109 ft equates to roughly 4 hPa, so reducing your pressure setting by this amount will give you an approximation of QFE. For example, if you departed with QNH 1025, set 1021 for QFE when you rejoin. 

RT phraseology

There is no point calling ‘Goodwood Information’, as they will have gone home! However, you do still need to talk on the radio for the benefit of anyone else who is flying. Make blind calls to ‘Goodwood Traffic’ and say what you are doing as you would normally, just don’t expect a response. You will need to call when you are taxying, taking off, re-joining and in the circuit, as usual, giving your position and intentions.

Remember to include the runway in your calls, in case someone else has chosen a different one! Some aircraft may need to use the longer runway, accepting a crosswind when you will have chosen the into wind runway, so it is important to be clear which runway you are aiming for in order to avoid conflict.

Time limits

Out of hours flying is permitted up until sunset, or 2100 local, whichever is earlier. Make sure you check the sunset time before departure and land by this time.

Post-flight

Park in the usual area and secure the aircraft as you normally would after the last flight of the day - control lock fitted, pitot cover on, windscreen cleaned and cockpit left tidy for the next person, aircraft tied down if possible. Complete the tech log carefully and lock it in the aircraft. Leave the aircraft keys in the box provided outside the Flying School.  

Your final task is to notify Air Traffic of your take-off if this was after they closed, and/or landing times and which runway these were on, as well as points of departure or destination if these were not Goodwood. All movements have to be recorded so it is important to remember this! The easiest way is to e-mail this information to the Tower at control.tower@goodwood.com and flying.school@goodwood.com. Alternatively, post a note through the letterbox at the base of the Tower, or telephone them before 10:00 local the next day on 01243 755061.

Please do not hesitate to ask the Ops Team or an Instructor if you are unsure of anything. Please note: This information is specifically for pilots hiring Goodwood Flying School aircraft. Visitors must sign an Out of Hours Indemnity for each movement, please contact Air Traffic on 01243 755061 to make arrangements. Home-based customers can obtain an annual Out of Hours Indemnity alongside their hangarage agreement.

Enjoy your out of hours flying!