Hi Paul, and welcome to GADC.
If you haven’t already, take a look at the Map of Members. This is a relatively new feature so not everyone is on there, and I’m sure there are far more members in your neck of the woods that will come and say Hi.
(Don’t forget to add yourself to that map : Members’ Location Map - A Guide)
Also, if you’ve not seen it, check out our map of locations where other members have flown that you may find useful:
You’ll find there’ll be plenty of helpful advice, and probably others with specific local knowledge to help with some of your questions.