A Fascinating Insight into Behind-the Scenes at Heathrow Airport
On Thursday 18th September, AFC members and other guests were given a fascinating insight into the behind-the-scenes workings of the World’s second largest airport by their Chief Solutions Officer, Helen Elsby. Her talk was organised by the Alderney Flying Club but open for anyone to attend.
While Helen was not in Alderney to talk about the Island’ runway problems, one of the projects she was responsible for was last year’s £120 million resurfacing of Heathrow’s southern runway and associated taxiways. However, for anyone who missed her talk, there is a timelapse video on the Heathrow website which was made when they resurfaced the southern runway in 2013:
https://www.heathrow.com/company/local-community/noise/news/runway-resurfacing
What was interesting about the resurfacing of Heathrow’s southern runway is the plant and equipment used is similar to what will be needed to rehabilitate Alderney’s only paved runway. The main difference being the sheer scale of the operation!
The second part of Helen Elsby’s talk was equally topical with her giving an overview of the proposed ten-year £48 Billion expansion of Heathrow airport, which would see £21bn spent on a new runway, £12bn spent on a new passenger complex, and £15bn spent on modernising the current airport. For those who are interested, full details of the proposed development of Heathrow Airport can be found on the Heathrow website:
https://www.heathrow.com/company/about-heathrow/expansion
2025 Alderney Fly-in
Blue skies and puffy white clouds greeted Richard Alberg in his Cirrus SR22 as he touched down on Runway 26 and taxied to the Central Parking area. In total, 27 intrepid aviators in their magnificent flying machines made it to Alderney for the 2025 Fly-in. They came from the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, and of course Jersey and Guernsey.
Judging by the feedback that we have received so far, everyone had a great time. But, it was the Chair of the Guernsey Aero Club, Emma Le Bretton, who we feel summed up this year’s Alderney Fly-in:
On behalf of Team Le Breton, I would just like to thank you all for the incredible amount of work and for making us feel so welcome at the Fly In this weekend. As ever, we had a fantastic time, met up with some great friends (both old and new) and really enjoyed spending time in your super Island. Already looking forward to next year!
Emma Le Breton
For the full story go to: Alderney Fly-in 2025
The 2025 Alderney Fly-in was sponsored by
EGJA – Fuel Update
AVGAS 100LL and JET-A1 are still not available at Alderney Airport. However, while there is nothing to report so far, we understand that The States of Alderney are holding discussions with a number of interested parties with a view to restoring supplies of Avgas 100LL and JET-A1 as quickly as possible.
Submitting a General Aviation Report (GAR) Update
It is important to note that separate General Aviation reporting systems are in place for the United Kingdom, the Bailiwick of Guernsey, and the Bailiwick of Jersey, as follows:
Flights to and from the United Kingdom
Owners or agents and captains of GA aircraft making international flights (including within the Common Travel Area (CTA))[footnote 1] are required to report or provide notification of those flights and the persons onboard to Border Force and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). In practice the information provided to Border Force for immigration purposes and shared with HMRC, the police and the National Crime Agency for customs and policing purposes. More information can be found on the Gov.UK website. See:
Submit a General Aviation Report (GAR)
Flights to and from Guernsey & Alderney
The pilots of all private aircraft either entering or leaving the Bailiwick of Guernsey must complete a General Aviation report (GAR) for both their arrival and departure. Currently, it is possible to submit your Master Declaration online or electronically by email. Full details are available on the States of Guernsey website. See:
Declaring passengers and goods – private aircraft
Please note a GAR is not requires for flights between Guernsey and Alderney
Flights to and from Jersey
Jersey Immigration, Jersey Customs and Police Special Branch require the pilots of all private aircraft either entering or leaving the Bailiwick of Jersey to complete a General Aviation report (GAR) for both their arrival and departure. Full details are available on the States of Jersey website. See:
Private aircraft general declaration form for entering and leaving Jersey
Two exclusive offers for GA pilots who enjoy visiting Alderney from…
Alderney’s Unique Boutique Hotel
Blonde Hedgehog ‘Fly-overs’
Blonde Hedgehog ‘Fly-overs’ are an exclusive offer from the Alderney Flying Club for up to twelve GA Pilots and their friends to spend a day on the beautiful Island of Alderney and enjoy a delicious lunch at the Blonde Hedgehog Boutique Hotel. More information
Blonde Hedgehog ‘Stay-overs’
Blonde Hedgehog ‘Stay-overs’ are an exclusive offer from the Alderney Flying Club on behalf of the Blonde Hedgehog, for GA pilots and their partners to fly over to Alderney and spend a night at the unique Blonde Hedgehog Boutique Hotel from just £125 per night in a double room with continental breakfast. More information
About Us
The Alderney Flying Club was founded to promote General Aviation in the Channel Islands with a particular focus on Alderney, the most northerly of the Channel Islands. Our position 8 miles off the Normandy coast makes us an ideal pilots destination either as a stopover or to stay for a few days, or even make your home here. Alderney airfield was the first airfield to be developed in the islands in 1935 and remains the only airfield in the region with three runways, which come in very handy for the GA community flying here because we do have a bit of wind at times. The small size of the island means that the many attractions we offer, from Gannets and puffins to the best preserved small Roman Fort in the UK, are all within easy walking or cycling distance. We also have hire cars and Taxis and our own railway, the later operating weekends and bank holidays throughout the spring and summer.
Our most popular event is the Fly-In which has been held in June annually for around 25 years. At its peak in the 1970’s the Fly-In attracted over a hundred planes. These days, numbers are usually nearer fifty but we still aim to put on a programme that will help visiting pilots and their passengers explore Alderney’s heritage, appreciate its flora and fauna, and enjoy themselves. Read a report on the 2025 Alderney Fly-in here.