When you fly light aircraft around the UK, you start to notice things most people never see.

From altitude — and even from space — there’s an unusually straight line cutting across eastern England. It doesn’t follow a road, it doesn’t follow a river, and at first glance it doesn’t make much sense at all.

I’ve flown over it countless times, always wondering what it was and why it’s there. From the air it looks deliberate, engineered… but on the ground, it almost disappears.

In this video, I take a closer look at one of the most fascinating features in the English landscape — exploring it from the cockpit, on the ground, and through its history — and uncover why it’s still quietly shaping the land today.

I fly a 2011 Pipersport — also known as the PS28 in Europe or the SportCruiser in the USA, where it’s classed as an LSA. In the UK it’s a Part 21 aircraft, so it requires a full licence. It’s a fantastic little machine: affordable to run, fun to fly, cruising at around 100–105 knots, and with superb short-field performance. You’ll see me dropping into farm strips, backcountry fields, short runways — sometimes even international airports — always trying to learn something new along the way and brining you along with me for the ride.

I fly both VFR and IFR, including visual and instrument approaches. But please remember: my videos are for entertainment only. I’m not an instructor, and nothing you see here should be used for real-world aviation. Airfields can change or even close, so always check the latest information before flying yourself.

If you enjoy my videos, please give them a thumbs up, drop me a comment (I love reading them), and share with anyone who might be interested. And of course, hit Subscribe and tap the bell so YouTube lets you know when the next video is up.

Making these videos is an honour for me and I get to share my passion with you and so appreciate your precious time in watching them.

If you’re interested, some of my video content is available as stock footage — just email me through the About section. And if you’d like to support the channel, you can use the buy me a coffee link below. No pressure — I’m just glad you’re here watching. And if you ever spot me at an airfield, please come and say hi — chances are, I’ll end up buying you the coffee!

👉 https://www.buymeacoffee.com/shortfield

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