Flying from Exeter Airport

Saturday, May 27th, 2022 at Exeter Airport.

Exeter Airport is my nearest airfield. On this short flight, I shall point out the Ex estuary, the Chiefs Rugby Club home ground, Exeter Cathedral, and some of the other prominent features of the area. It is a clear, sunny day so you can see vast swathes of Devon and some of Dorset.

Come along for the vista.

The Airport

Exeter Airport is situated on land acquired by Exeter Corporation by compulsory purchase. It was leased and operated by Straight Corporation which also set up the Exeter Aero Club. The airfield officially opened on 31 May 1937 and operated from a "tented" terminal before the permanent buildings were complete.

Jersey Airways immediately started a summer service of eight flights per week to and from Jersey in de Havilland DH.84 Dragons.

There was also a Flying Club formed, and within two years it had a membership of almost 300. Of these, 57 pilots who learnt to fly at Exeter served as pilots during WW2.

The airport had always been intended for use by the military in the event of war, and on 3rd September 1939, it was taken over by the Air Ministry. Three asphalt runways were laid and new hangers constructed.

RAF Exeter became officially operational on 6th July 1940 and soon 87 and 213 Hurricane squadrons were flying out of Exeter to protect the Channel ports.

Exeter Airport was handed over to the Ministry of Civil Aviation in January 1946, while the RAF finally left in October 1946, although 84 Gliding School continued to train ATC Cadets for many more years.

In 1972, a consortium of Devon County Council, Exeter City Council and Torbay Council purchased the airport from the government and in 1974, local government reorganisation saw Devon County Council take full responsibility, with the airport managed under contract by Exeter Airport Ltd.

Devon County Council sold Exeter International Airport in 2007 for £60 million to Regional and City Airports (Exeter) Ltd.

Get a detailed Superspud upgrade for the airport at Exeter, here.

Local Landmarks

As soon as you get in the air, you notice the traffic on the A30, heading in and out of Exeter.

As you head West towards the city, you see the river Ex estuary, a few miles to the South. Just South of where the A30 crosses the M5 is the Chiefs Rugby Club home ground. Follow the river and see if you can spot the Exeter Quay, now a leisure area full of restaurants and craft shops.

Look north to pick out Exeter Cathedral, in the city centre.

Looking East on a clear day, you can see ridges stretching into Dorset, almost like sets of waves marching in towards a surfing beach.

To the West, see the high ground rising up to the Dartmoor national park. With keen eyes, you may be able to spot the tops of the Dartmoor tors.

Turning back towards the airport, it is hard not to notice the vast warehouse that is a Liddle distribution centre.

The Aircraft

For a modern airport, I wanted to fly something a little more substantial than my usual choices and settled on the Beechcraft Baron G58, supplied in the Premium and Delux editions.

The Baron was introduced in 1961 as the Beechcraft 55 Baron, which combined the fuselage of the Bonanza, the empennage of the Debonair, and the tail control surfaces of the T-34 Mentor. This first model was powered by two six-cylinder IO-470-L engines, with 260 HP each.

Introduced in 2005, the G58 is the only Baron still in production today.

Performance

• Maximum Cruise Speed    202 knots  (374 km/h)
• Maximum Range    1,480 nm (2,741 km)
• Takeoff Distance    2,345 feet (715 m) - Ground Roll: 1,373 feet (418 m)
• Landing Distance    2,490 feet (759 m) - Ground Roll: 1,440 feet (439 m)
• Service Ceiling    20,688 feet (6,306 m)
• Maximum Climb Rate    1,700 fpm (518 m/pm)
• Maximum Limit Speed    223 knots (413 k/mh)
• Stall Speed    73 knots (135 k/mh)

Do you have narrated YouTube videos of simulator flights from Cornwall airfields? Send me a link or post it in the comments. I'll add those I like to this site.