FINDING THE SITE
From the NORTH or SOUTH take the A350 to Westbury and when in the centre of town take the B3098 road east toward Bratton village. After several hundred yards you will see a white horse sign pointing right, up the NEWTOWN ROAD (which is off of the Bratton Road). Take this road up the hill and at the top turn left at a rough crossroads. Follow the road along the top of the hill and the car park will be in front of you. (If you miss the turning you can carry on the B3098 to Bratton Village and take Castle Road which is first turning on right as you enter the village.)
GPS: set your car gps to NEWTOWN ROAD, WESTBURY, WILTSHIRE
From the EAST take the A360 and then the B3095 to Bratton. On the western edge of the village there is a small road going up the hill called CASTLE ROAD. Follow it up the hilland turn right at the top. The car park is in front of you. (If you miss the turning you can carry on the B3098 to Westbury and take the Newtown Road, which is the first left turn as you enter the town.)
GPS: SET YOUR GPS TO CASTLE ROAD, BRATTON, WILTSHIRE
The hill-top carpark can be accessed from either Westbury or Bratton (see black circles)
THE SITE'S FLYING AREAS
The photo below shows the takeoff and landing areas, the bottom landing field, walkup routes, top car park and where you must not land.
Only make landings in the Emergency Bottom field, the Top carpark field, the side of the Bratton Camp, and the takeoff areas.
1 - WEST RIDGE is west of the horse bowl and it faces NNW. (In the picture above, it is on the right). It can be flown from the horse bowl when the wind is WNW through to NNE. You can fly all the way down to the trees at Beggar's Knowl. The bottom field is always easily reachable from this slope.
TAKEOFF for this ridge is from the horse bowl.
LANDING is at the horse bowl takeoff area. You can also land in the large car park field at the back but watch out for rotor.
DO NOT side-land on this ridge, as it is an SSSI with some really important chav-grass.
Fences are barb-wired.
WARNING: in a hard west or WSW wind beware of rotor along this ridge.
2 - WHITE HORSE BOWL can be flown from West through to NW. Once the wind moves further north than that fly the takeoff side only.
TAKEOFF for the horse bowl is from between the seating on the side opposite to the white horse. Do not take off from Bratton Camp.
LANDING is on or behind the takeoff area, or in the large field behind the car park. Watch out for people, kites or hang-gliders being rigged.
Try not to land below the wire fence that is seen under the horse's feet. Side landings are best done in front of the horse's nose area.
Fences are not barb-wired within the bowl area.
WARNING: Beware of rotor in a hard west or WSW wind along takeoff.
WARNING: Beware of rotor on the horse when the wind is NNW or North.
3 - BRATTON FORT RIDGE is the slope in front of Bratton Fort to the north east of the horse, and it faces North.(In the picture above, it is on the left) It cannot be reached by air from the horse bowl easily and only works when the wind is north to northeast.
TAKEOFF from anywhere on the Bratton Fort top field.
LANDING is on the entire fort area or side-land. You can also land in the large car park field. Watch out for rotor and don't leave the hill below 200' ATO.
DO NOT land in the bottom cropped field. If you are forced to bottom-land go for the strip between that field and the bottom of the hill (do it early).
Fences are barb-wired.
WARNING: Beware of rotor when the wind gets to NE or further east. Rotor can hit suddenly when the wind is NE and veering.
WARNING: Don't try to side land when you have descended more than half way down the ridge. Head for a safe bottom landing.
BOMBING OUT...
- USING THE BOTTOM FIELD - There is only one field we are allowed to bottom land in. It is the very large square field in front of the horse bowl area. We are expected to only land there if we have no other landing choice - i.e. an emergency landing. The Avon Club say, "if you can't stay up you shouldn't take off". When you do need to land there walk to the far corner (marked in the photo) and pack away there, next to the gate (the yellow area in the photo above) If the grass is long then try to walk to the packing away area by going along the fences rather than tramping down the grass crop.
- WALKING UP - go out of the gate and along the road. When you get to the main spur (i.e. you reach a parking bay) walk into the field along a public footpath and toward the spur. You will have two ways up the hill. You may continue straight up the steep hill to the horse's nose, or you can take the main footpath to the right, just as you go into the trees at the bottom of the spur. Go through the large steel gate and follow the gentle, pretty path up through the trees, under the horse and to the takeoff.
However, before you start walking up give other non-flying pilots a chance to come down and pick you up by car. This happens a lot and can save you a long walk.
- PICKING PILOTS UP AFTER THEY BOMB OUT - It is easy to drive down to the gate at the bottom field to pick up pilots who have had the misfortune to have bombed out. You can drive out of the car park either way as the road system is a loop but going east (right) toward Bratton is the best as the stopping area is then on your side of the road.
ALWAYS MAKE SURE THE GATE IS CLOSED BEFORE LEAVING THE BOTTOM FIELD.