Elstree Aerodrome

[Anmer]

I wasn't sure where best to make this post but opted for here.

Yesterday, Friday, I was in London and took my SBS-3 along to do some testing under the approach to Heathrow 27L where my 86 year old mother-in-law lives.  My tests were problematical so I emailed Chris at Kinetic to ask if I could pop in and see him at Elstree on my way home.

"Of course you can and the coffee's on" was his immediate reply.

Last time I was at Elstree was a year ago for the Kinetic open day.  Since then Kinetic has moved into the first big hangar on your right as you approach the aerodrome.  Just look out for the blue one with the "Kinetic" sign.

The weather was pretty bad, heavy rain.  But the welcome was warm and inviting.

I've only met Chris a couple of times but always find him to be one of the easiest going guys I've known - nothing's too much trouble and he's extremely helpful and willing to listen.

The first thing he says after saying Hello is "Coffee?"  And the coffee is fresh and very good.

The new hangar is well laid out with an array of helicopters and other "boys toys".  And Chris has some interesting stories about all the "goodies" as he showed my wife and I around.

As for my SBS-3, it was working perfectly and Chris explained more about the SDRs than I'd gleaned from the User Guide.  He was also keen to get feedback on the Basestation ACARS beta and discuss possible developments.  I stress "possible" as nothing has been firmed up.

Before we knew it, I'd been there 90 minutes and it was time to go.  But at no time did Chris make us feel we had to get on our way.

So, the bottom line is this.

If you are anywhere near Elstree Aerodrome, give Chris a call to see if he has time to show you around the Kinetic setup.  Apart from the "boys toys", Chris' "office" has a fatastic setup of all things "radarspotting" and lots of amateur radio equipment that's beyond my job spec.  If the weather is good, you can sit outside the restaurant and watch the aircraft go by, locally and traffic routing to and from London's airports.

And don't forget, the Kinetic shop has the SBS-3 on sale as well as a whole range of accessories and other kit.  So you can treat yourself to some new kit before you leave.

And to sum it up, my wife, who has no interest in matters aviation, stayed around for the whole 90 minutes.  And in the car afterwards she said how much she enjoyed listening to our discussion and now knows what I do in front of the computer.  She also mentioned how friendly and knowledgeable Chris is and that the coffee was very good.

She got some things right.   

Seriously, it was a very enjoyable and worthwhile visit and if Chris is available, I'd recommend a trip to Elstree and the Kinetic setup.

Thank You Chris, it was very much appreciated.

[corsa]

Thanks for that Mike,

I found that most informative

Regards

Tom

[Brian]

*Waiting for you make a story or video on your "AirNavSystems Office Visit"  When it happens!

[mhm]

*Waiting for you make a story or video on your "AirNavSystems Office Visit"  When it happens!

[Anmer]

*Waiting for you make a story or video on your "AirNavSystems Office Visit"  When it happens!

I can't easily drive to San Diego.