Flying Adventure
Next stop France…
Martin Ferid takes a trip to Lydd, in the Garden of England, which is full of history and charm – and only a hop and a skip away from the Continent…
A
s this year comes to a close, thoughts will be turning optimistically to next year and the season ahead. As a launch point to the Continent, Lydd is ideally situated, and it has the benefit of the fuel duty being deducted at source, which easily offsets the £22 landing fee. I guess you could say that for me this is very wishful speaking for 2022 as I recall that Sian and I once dropped into Lydd to refuel around lunchtime and arrived in Switzerland in time for dinner. After two long seasons with precious little overseas touring, I am desperately hoping next year we can get back to something like ‘normal’. Whatever way you look at it, the self-proclaimed London-Ashford Airport remains in the middle of nowhere and is primarily used as a stopping off point, on the way to or from somewhere else. The wacky marketing is naturally aimed at the corporate market and requires imagination on an epic scale, as Lydd is a good 1½ hours away from London by public transport, and is actually far closer to France than London. That said, I’ve always found the reception staff and refuellers friendly and helpful, and Lydd Aero Club, under the directorship of Roy Panniers and Bill Vidal, is always welcoming to all who pass through their doors. Lydd Air
36 | LIGHT AVIATION | December 2021
Above Lydd Airport is on the coast, so relatively easy to spot.
continues to offer its charter service, albeit that the Le Touquet shuttle is on a more ‘on demand’ basis these days. And TG Aviation and the Search and Rescue Helicopter also relocated to Lydd with the closure of Manston. Until recently, most visitors ate at The Biggles Café but it has since closed and the management is actively in search of a new operator. It was always adequate, but more of a cafeteria than a restaurant, with a popular Sunday carvery. I hope that the new incumbent has a vision and a flair for food to create a ‘proper’ restaurant, making it a desirable destination in its own right. French airfields fill their restaurants by providing good food for people to enjoy while watching the aircraft come and go, both inside and on the terraces. Little known is that the airport actually owns the adjacent golf club, making it a good choice, not only for a round of golf but also a pub-style lunch. 01797 320808; www.lyddgolfclub.co.uk. Due to its coastal location, it should be easy to spot, as the green fields of Romney Marsh transition into the blue of the Channel. But, apart from frequently being windy in hazy conditions, the runway can prove to be more than a tad elusive in the reduced visibility. As a tip, locate the Dungeness power station and look for what is locally known as ‘the pepper pot’ that sits near one end of the runway.
