Departure
95%
vs 95%
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Newtownards Aerodrome (EGAD) is a long-established local airfield on the shore of Strangford Lough, some 8.5 nautical miles east of Belfast, and home to the Ulster Flying Club. It offers light aircraft, helicopter and microlight flying from three tarmac runways, with a history stretching back to 1934 and a spell of intensive RAF use during and after the Second World War. For the visiting VFR pilot it is a compact, friendly field but one that requires proper preparation, since prior permission is required and the airfield sits close to Belfast's controlled airspace.
Newtownards Aerodrome lies in Newtownards, County Down, on the shore of Strangford Lough, about 8.5 nautical miles east of Belfast. It is operated by the Ulster Flying Club, Northern Ireland's largest flying school, and also hosts helicopter operations by HeliPower, microlight flying with NI Microlights, an Airbus simulator training facility run by AlphaTech, and a model flying club. The field's long aviation pedigree, wartime RAF associations and busy modern flying-club scene make it an engaging destination for the sim pilot exploring Northern Ireland.
Newtownards sits close to Belfast's airspace, and inbound traffic can expect to be in contact with Belfast Approach on 130.850 MHz before joining; it is the pilot's responsibility to ensure clearance is obtained where required for the Aldergrove zone. The aerodrome is not a Designated Airport under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, so advance notification to the police authority responsible for the airport is required for flights to or from Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands unless this has already been arranged.
Newtownards has three paired hard runways, all lit. Runway 03/21 is the longest, at 2,851 ft in the 03 direction and 2,836 ft in the 21 direction. Runway 15/33 offers 1,821 ft landing from 15 and 1,840 ft from 33. Runway 08/26 is the shortest, at 1,619 ft from 08 and 1,779 ft from 26. There is no ILS at the field. Field elevation is 7 ft.
The airfield operates an Air/Ground service under the callsign Newtownards A/G on 128.305 MHz. This frequency replaced the previous 128.300 MHz on 25 October 2018 when the airfield moved to an 8.33 kHz channel spacing. There are no published instrument approaches or navaids at the field.
Visiting aircraft inbound to Newtownards typically first make contact with Belfast Approach on 130.850 MHz before proceeding to the airfield's own A/G frequency. Prior permission is required for all visiting aircraft, and pilots should also be aware of the airfield's status as a non-Designated Airport, which brings an additional notification requirement for certain international flights. PAPI lights have been added to runway 21/03 and lighting fitted to runway 15/33, allowing night flying and operations in poorer visibility.
Newtownards Airfield opened in August 1934 and, until Sydenham airfield at Belfast Harbour opened in March 1938, was served by scheduled UK internal passenger and mail flights. During and after the Second World War the site, known as RAF Newtownards, hosted a succession of RAF units, including anti-aircraft co-operation flights, army co-operation and gunnery flights, signals and wireless wings, gliding schools, and a Volunteer Gliding School that remained until 2016. The Ulster Flying Club, founded in 1961, has managed the airfield's facilities since and grew into Northern Ireland's largest flying school; its clubhouse, destroyed by fire in 2004, was rebuilt and reopened in 2005. The field has seen serious incidents in more recent years, including a fatal crash in April 2018 and another fatal accident involving an Aeroprakt A32 Vixxen in July 2022, the subsequent Air Accidents Investigation Branch report (May 2023) raising concerns about safety culture and procedures at the airfield.
Newtownards remains an active general aviation centre. The Ulster Flying Club provides leisure flying and PPL training from a fleet that has included Cessna 172s, a Cessna 152, an Ikarus C42 and a CZAW SportCruiser. HeliPower offers helicopter charter, sightseeing and PPL(H) training using Robinson R22/R44 and Bell Jet Ranger helicopters, while NI Microlights runs an independent microlight school offering NPPL training, trial flights, flight tests, sales and maintenance on the Thruster T600 Sprint and P&M GT450. AlphaTech operates a fixed-base Airbus A320 simulator for professional and simulator-pilot training, and the Ards Model Flying Club, formed in 2019, flies radio-controlled models from the western side of the airfield. The site has an onsite restaurant. Prior permission is required for all visiting aircraft.
