LME/LFRM

[L500]

Anyone ever flown in / thought about flying in to Le Mans Arnage Airport for LM24?

Having been driving down for many years and experiencing the painful journey back on a Monday, it occurred to me how nice it would be to fly in and out.

I don’t have private jet hire funds but having investigated a local airport, it’s possible to hire a Cessna 152 which can seat 4/5 for about £1k all in. It’s food for thought. Obviously luggage space would be an issue but we have a decent group of friends who would take my tent!

Just wondered if anyone had done it.

[wsn03]

How are you going to sticker up the plane?

Edited by wsn03 on Saturday 6th July 10:31

[delta0]

There seemed to be quite a few BA jets flying in. I don’t know if you can fly there though. If I was wanting to be really lazy with the trip then I would look at Paris and then a train to Le Mans and the tram down.

[FredericRobinson]

Or Tours, last time I looked there were only a couple flights a week into there from Stansted though

[wsn03]

I did Paris then train a few years ago, couldn't have been easier. I think it was 90 minutes direct from Charles De Gaulle, then tram to the circuit. Trains vary based on time taken

[StevieBee]

delta0 said:

There seemed to be quite a few BA jets flying in. I don’t know if you can fly there though..

I noticed that last year too and did look to see where they fly from but found nothing, not direct at least and not much comes up on a search of their website - only via other airlines and all via CDG.

I"m surprised that LME isn't a more well used airport. The area has the level of population of commerce to warrant an Easy Jet / Ryanair type service...but obviously not.

If you can get together enough people, chartering is an option. A friend's brother did this 10 years or so ago. Went on on a BAE146 flying out of Biggin Hill (I think - wasn't a main airport). Left Friday morning, booked into a site with ready-erected tents and flew back Sunday evening. Around £1.5k each from memory, including the tent.

[L500]

Yes I didn’t know BA flew in. Interested to know more.

[//j17]

I think the BS aircraft are a mix of private charters and storage (the last few years there seem to be a little cluster BA 146s, the ones that used to fly in and out of London City till they were replaced...a few years ago).

[wsn03]

StevieBee said:

I"m surprised that LME isn't a more well used airport. The area has the level of population of commerce to warrant an Easy Jet / Ryanair type service...but obviously not.

.

Looking at the low number of flights to / from the UK to Tours, which is only an hour away from Le Mans, it probably isn't seen as remotely viable. I can't think why many business travellers or tourists would visit the place outside of the races.
Interesting seeing it during Moto 24 - it was completely dead.
I suppose that event is French dominated rather than international on a scale with the car race, so most people come overland. It looked like an abandoned airfield!

[Truckosaurus]

A chap in our group has a small Cessna type plane and has flown it across for the race a couple of times. I believe the biggest issue is getting a take off slot after the race so they leave with a couple of hours of the race still to go.

[wsn03]

Truckosaurus said:

A chap in our group has a small Cessna type plane and has flown it across for the race a couple of times. I believe the biggest issue is getting a take off slot after the race so they leave with a couple of hours of the race still to go.

The finish is one of the best bits of the event...I don't get the leaving early thing. I'd rather be stuck there for hours myself

[Truckosaurus]

wsn03 said:

...I'd rather be stuck there for hours myself

I'd agree, but that sort of defeats the objects of travelling by aeroplane.

[RobbyJ]

I think, and this is very much a guess but weren’t the “BA” planes at LM actually chartered Saab’s belonging to Eastern Airways or Loganair? I assume these were just charters with those airlines and had nothing to do with BA?

I’d thought of looking into this one year, I think with an aircraft like a Pilatus PC12 you could get 8 people with a load of luggage/tents as a pretty cost effective charter to LM. A Cessna 152 is a 2 seater isn’t it with a pretty low MTOW so not great for a trip to LM.

Last year J Kay flew his heli (G-PODD) down to LM and back before and after his gig.

Edited by RobbyJ on Tuesday 9th July 11:55

[wsn03]

Truckosaurus said:

wsn03 said:

...I'd rather be stuck there for hours myself

I'd agree, but that sort of defeats the objects of travelling by aeroplane.

I guess...but then I probably wouldn't do that either :-)

[delta0]

RobbyJ said:

I think, and this is very much a guess but weren’t the “BA” planes at LM actually chartered Saab’s belonging to Eastern Airways or Loganair? I assume these were just charters with those airlines and had nothing to do with BA?

I’d thought of looking into this one year, I think with an aircraft like a Pilatus PC12 you could get 8 people with a load of luggage/tents as a pretty cost effective charter to LM. A Cessna 152 is a 2 seater isn’t it with a pretty low MTOW so not great for a trip to LM.

Last year J Kay flew his heli (G-PODD) down to LM and back before and after his gig.

Edited by RobbyJ on Tuesday 9th July 11:55

They were marked up in BA livery but yes I expect they were chartered.