North Weald Car Limits training day

[Felonious Crud]

Another thread has kindly hosted a side-discussion about Car Limits driver training at North Weald airfield, not far from the M25/M11 junction in Essex.

The day can be organised as either at 2 or 4 person day, costing £450 for the two-person or £225 for the four-person day. If you don't want to use your own car they can rent you one. I think they have a Porsche Boxster, a Subaru and something else.

I'm going to do this anyway but it would be more fun if any other SMers fancy joining as well. Target dates will be May, one of 7th 8th or 9th.

Anyone else fancy it?

 

[TimR]

Id be interested, especially if we can keep the costs down with numbers...

I'd like to check out the car hire scenario before committing however - I'll try ringing them tomoz

Oh...any of those days, BTW !

 

[mjheathcote]

Personally, the whole point is doing it in your own car!
They get you to inflate your tyres to max sidewall pressure, to save your outer thread from wearing away. This was the case also at Blyton Park. The exception being lighter cars like the Elise.
You do certainly learn a lot.
Can remember at North Weald being asked to undertake a tight left hand turn, with only one finger pad on the top of the wheel, to avoid you tightly gripping the wheel which does not allow the car to self correct itself.
Also on the same high speed turn suddenly braking hard, on the turn! You would think you would roll the car, burn, and die. However if you keep on braking until you come to a near stop (and not before!!) , the car remains in control.
Truely excellent day, as is the Blyton Park training day.

 

[2b1ask1]

Sounds like a lot of fun torturing the car, sign me up any date Adam please...

 

[rockits]

Funny you should say that as I was looking at doing one of these in the TVR. To build up confidence in the car, find its limits then see what happens when it goes a little wrong and how to deal with it.

I'd be up for that and am sure I could accommodate most dates/times.

 

[JonW]

Yes please - I’d definitely be up for this - and would plan to do it in the Maserati.

 

[TimR]

Personally, the whole point is doing it in your own car!

You probably wouldnt want to do it in my car mate...!

 

[Crofty]

Hi Ad, I would be well up for this, I was talking to Dan about it on the Monaco trip, not sure if this is the exact course he mentioned but he spoke very highly of it. Funnily enough was looking at CAT driver training only yesterday....A little more confidence exploring the limits of the Alfa in relative safety would be most productive.

 

[conaero]

Coupled in with some afters hardcore cider sat on straw bales in a big tent please Crofty!

Oooh-arrrgh

 

[Felonious Crud]

OK, I've confirmed that 7th May (the day after the early May bank holiday) is available for a 4-person training day and have booked and paid for one person.

Those of you that also fancy learning how to pirouette with no style, advancing through the same manoeuvre with style and then, finally, to not pirouetting at all can sign up here -> https://www.carlimits.com/script/viewEvents.php?type=airfieldtraining&month=20190501

I hope we can rustle up another three of us. It should be fun. Crofty. you can bring the cider for a bit of that Somerset courage.

More details here:

09.00am
Your meeting point will be at the Airfield where you will be shown to your instructor. You will need to bring your licence with you on the day. You will then be given a safety briefing by your instructor.

09.30am
Your course will begin. Depending on the day chosen (2 Person or 4 Person Day) you will be taken onto the Airfield individually and given an assessment, after which you will be shown the first exercise. Once all participants have been shown this, you will all drive the High Speed Bend, being introduced to new techniques "one at a time" taking into account your level of ability and confidence. You will use various exercises, including steering exercises and the ‘High Speed Bend’ where you can learn new techniques such as modulated braking, rotational steering, cornering, balancing the car on the throttle, the use of trail braking, trail lifting, understeer, oversteer, lift off oversteer, gear changing, heal and toe, skid control, spin avoidance and control techniques.

1.00pm
Lunch Break (there are food facilities located within the airfield)

2.00pm
Continuation of course where you will learn more techniques and put everything into practise using the "The Circuit".

4.00pm
Course Finishes

 

[JonW]

OK, I've confirmed that 7th May (the day after the early May bank holiday) is available for a 4-person training day and have booked and paid for one person.

Those of you that also fancy learning how to pirouette with no style, advancing through the same manoeuvre with style and then, finally, to not pirouetting at all can sign up here -> https://www.carlimits.com/script/viewEvents.php?type=airfieldtraining&month=20190501

I hope we can rustle up another three of us. It should be fun. Crofty. you can bring the cider for a bit of that Somerset courage.

More details here:

09.00am
Your meeting point will be at the Airfield where you will be shown to your instructor. You will need to bring your licence with you on the day. You will then be given a safety briefing by your instructor.

09.30am
Your course will begin. Depending on the day chosen (2 Person or 4 Person Day) you will be taken onto the Airfield individually and given an assessment, after which you will be shown the first exercise. Once all participants have been shown this, you will all drive the High Speed Bend, being introduced to new techniques "one at a time" taking into account your level of ability and confidence. You will use various exercises, including steering exercises and the ‘High Speed Bend’ where you can learn new techniques such as modulated braking, rotational steering, cornering, balancing the car on the throttle, the use of trail braking, trail lifting, understeer, oversteer, lift off oversteer, gear changing, heal and toe, skid control, spin avoidance and control techniques.

1.00pm
Lunch Break (there are food facilities located within the airfield)

2.00pm
Continuation of course where you will learn more techniques and put everything into practise using the "The Circuit".

4.00pm
Course Finishes

Are you proposing that each of us to book and pay directly with the venue...? I have provisionally booked as well, but dont want to steal a space if there are others who said they wanted to do it before me...

 

[Felonious Crud]

Are you proposing that each of us to book and pay directly with the venue...? I have provisionally booked as well, but dont want to steal a space if there are others who said they wanted to do it before me...

Excellent! I look forward to meeting you, Jon.

Yes, sorry, I wasn't clear - everyone needs to make their own booking because the online system only lets you book one at a time. I'm sure I could have paid £900 for all four people by phone, but forum experience suggests that liability for third party purchases is a pain in the bum. So I just stuck with confirming availability.

 

[TimR]

Are you proposing that each of us to book and pay directly with the venue...? I have provisionally booked as well, but dont want to steal a space if there are others who said they wanted to do it before me...

Im actually happy enough to hear the advice of "drive your own car" to put this idea on hold for now...
So fill yer boots, I say !

 

[JonW]

Excellent! I look forward to meeting you, Jon.

Yes, sorry, I wasn't clear - everyone needs to make their own booking because the online system only lets you book one at a time. I'm sure I could have paid £900 for all four people by phone, but forum experience suggests that liability for third party purchases is a pain in the bum. So I just stuck with confirming availability.

Likewise Adam - will be nice to put a face to a name. I have now paid for my booking and am confirmed...

Im actually happy enough to hear the advice of "drive your own car" to put this idea on hold for now...
So fill yer boots, I say !

Thank Tim - have now done so.

 

[2b1ask1]

Booked & paid

 

[Felonious Crud]

Excellent! Three out of four, so just one space left.

 

[rockits]

Thanks Adam for organising. Booked & paid

 

[rockits]

Nice mix of cars.....I'll be bringing the old school odd ball to tame Or not!

 

[Felonious Crud]

Superb, Dean, good news! Though I suspect driver ability rather than the cars might be the biggest determinant of a triumphant day. A bit like Sabine Schmidt turning in a perfectly respectable 'ring lap in a Transit van.

Still, if I can improve my driving just a tiny bit I can easily imagine it making a tremendous difference. Right now I have a 205mph car which should be an absolute hoot to hustle along but with this imbecile driving it I know for a fact that I'm not getting the enjoyment (nor the right amount of safety) out of it.

 

[JonW]

Fantastic - really looking forward to this, and meeting the three of you, and agree 100% with Adam that it’s going to come down to driver ability (or lack thereof)...