Bradwell
| Status | BRADWELL IS NOT A DSC SITE |
| Status Message |
A large area directly in front of Bradwell take of has been burnt and is now black, expect the usual thermal turbulence at take-off to be much more severe.
Due to concerns over coronavirus please avoid parking in the village
Bradwell is not a DSC site for legal reasons, but is included ‘for information only’ since pilots may end up soaring this site (ie. on a downwind XC from Mam Tor NW) and it is therefore important that the safety information regarding this site is included here. The bottom landing field at Bradwell is maintained by the DSC for the safety of pilots crossing this area on XC. Nothing in this guide condones the practice of taking off from Bradwell itself.
Note that there is a ‘landing fine’ in place for using the fields before the official landing field. |
| Wind | W (WSW – NW) |
| Take Off | Nothing in this guide condones the practice of taking off from Bradwell itself. |
| Landing | SK 175 806 720ft / 220m The large undulating field with a footpath through it. Land well away from the houses at the North end, but do move to the North end to pack away. Rotor can be present in stronger winds and wave. NOTE: there is a ‘fine’ (which goes to charity) for landing in the fields before the official landing field – details here |
| Airspace | Daventry CTA at FL65. Gliding operations at DLGC Camphill immediately adjacent – please see the separate notes on avoiding conflict with gliding operations. |
| Hospital | Northern General, Sheffield |
| Site Code | None |
| Location | Hathersage / Hope Valley area |
Characteristics
Bradwell can offer both excellent soaring and huge XC potential – the UK XC record has been set from here on several occasions. In benign conditions it can be a good site for low-airtime pilots, but in stronger conditions the complex aerology of the site can make conditions very demanding. Wave is almost invariably present in stronger winds, and is often out-of-phase, resulting in rough, turbulent conditions. Smooth conditions can very quickly turn rough if the wave phase changes. Flying off the end of the ridge to the North or the South can afford safer landing options.That said, Bradwell can be a good site for first XC attempts, due to easy landings on the moor behind if the thermal is lost, and clear airspace East to the M1.
Safety
If you are stuck on Rebellion Knoll with the wind off to the South West the glide to the bottom landing can be risky if not dangerous. Landing in the large fields to the North is often a safer option. Have a look before you fly In a WSW wind. Also there is a deep gully directly behind the spine-back North end of the ridge and getting blown back here is dangerous.
The area near the top of Duper Lane (marked “caution” on the map) might appear to be a good emergency landing option in certain circumstances (such as when losing a thermal over Shatton Moor). But a number of pilots have found this area to suffer surprisingly strong turbulence, and hang gliders have favoured landing where the footpath meets the road on Abney Moor, about 800m east of Camphill airfield.
Restrictions
Do not fly low over the houses at the end of the landing field on approach (it both annoys the owner, and pilots have been dumped and injured doing this). Do not fly over Camphill Airfield below 2000ft AGL. Do not loiter in the Deadman’s Gully area (this is used as the base leg for the Camphill Airfield approach circuit). Do not loiter on Durham ridge anywhere that may affect the Gliding Club operations. Avoid landing in fields near Abney Village when losing a themal over the back – land on the moor instead.
Special Rules
Failure to reach the official bottom landing and landing in the small intervening fields will result in being “fined” £5. Pay DSC by PayPal or to a Committee member. The fee is passed to the land owner. Please apologise and leave the land by the bottom gate on to the road. Do not give the farmer any hassle, he is a gentleman and has assisted pilots who have crashed in the past.
Please drive slowly through the villages of Great Hucknall and Abney.
Site Officer
Steve Hudson
Parking
Park on the verges of the track after the gate. DO NOT OBSTRUCT farm access to fields from the track, particularly the gate to the field on the right – do not park immediately adjacent to this gate nor opposite it – farm machinery can be big!
For pilots that do not want to drive on what is now a very rough track or are coming from south of the Peaks alternative parking is available near the foot path 800m East of the gliding club on the way to Abney.
Access
Please drive slowly through the villages of Great Hucknall and Abney.
Site Records
Paragliding Open Distance Distance : 253.4km Date : 09/08/2011 Pilot : Richard Carter Notes : Was the first UK 200km open distance XC and the UK national open XC record at the time. Tracklog : xcleague link Hang Gliding No hang-gliding records are currently known for this site