RAF Little Rissington
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Farcical isn't it, you have a wonderful airfield like Little Rissington a stones throw from London, nearby road and rail access, but you have the likes of Boris championing banging a new airport in the Thames estuary that as so many good reasons against it as to be plainly daft to proceed.
Avoid imitations
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A stone's throw? It's about 120 km in a straight line! 
...Little Rissington a stones throw from London, nearby road and rail access...
1. It sits on a hill.
2. It has short RWs which cannot be lengthened.
3. Rail access is very limited - just Kingham station on the Cotswold line via. a narrow lane.
4. Road access is poor - A40 is a nightmare west of Oxford and A361 / A429 are cross-country single carriageway roads.
5. Neither M5 nor M40 are readily accessible.
6. They'd never get planning permission.
Are you sure you weren't thinking about Upper Heyford? Close to 2 main railway lines and only 4 miles from M40 Junction 10.
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They'd never get planning permission.
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Historically, Blackbushe was the alternate airport for London. Until Stanstead came along. The London Airport expansion plans are fraught with lots of vote losing ideas and the most practical one is to concentrate on Gatwick rather then Heathrow as there is more room to grow in Sussex. However whichever way you look, it is a loose-loose scenario short term. Luton has no room for growth I believe although the population to fill additional jobs is there. Farnborough has nicely tucked away the bizjet corner of the market, and East Midlands is a cargo hub shared to some extent with Manchester.
The optimum if unaffordable solution would be to think long term and build a brand new complex in the Shires linked to the high-speed rail and motorway complex north of the M25 based on an undeveloped but extant airfield such as Bassingbourne that has flat farmland surrounding it and developing towns and cities within commutable distance.
The optimum if unaffordable solution would be to think long term and build a brand new complex in the Shires linked to the high-speed rail and motorway complex north of the M25 based on an undeveloped but extant airfield such as Bassingbourne that has flat farmland surrounding it and developing towns and cities within commutable distance.
Wot Beagle says. Nice pubs though.
The problem is that any solution that involves a new site has to be instead of Heathrow rather than in addition to Heathrow. Otherwise the ATC enviroment bcomes akin to having a knife fight in a telephone box.
YS
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I could never understand why Upper Heyford was not developed as an Airport. You would even be able to go bowling whilst awaiting your jet 
Little Rissy: I concur, great pubs where you can even leave your child behind and they don't mind!
Little Rissy: I concur, great pubs where you can even leave your child behind and they don't mind!
Uncle Pete
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I wnt for a ride in a Mosquito from Little Rissington when I was in the Air Scouts back in the early/mid sixties before we got all H&S conscious. Brilliant!!
I never understand why there are calls to expand the awful travelling experience which is Heathrow....
Notwithstanding its location and congestion, the main issue is access. It is impossible to reach by mainline train, the 'Heathrow Express' only serves Paddington and is absurdly expensive - whereas Frankfurt, Munich and Köln have their own stations on the main DB network. It's about 20% of the cost to reach the centre of Frnakfurt by train compared to London.
The alternative, which again only serves London, is the underground system - a noisy, cramped and deafening experience compared with continental equivalents.
Access by car is no better. Once you're off the M4 or M25, it's a drive to a car park a long way from the terminals (I admit I don't know if it's as bad at T5 as I never travel ba), where the cost is pretty steep. Not too bad inbound, but when you've trudged through T1 to wait in the cold and rain for the car park bus to turn up, then crawl its way around the inner airport congestion, you know you're back in the UK.... If you follow the signposts leaving Thiefrow, you are taken along the A4 through Slough to the M4 - the route to the M25 is a well-known secret, it seems.
Gatwick is at least on mainline rail - and you don't have to go via. London. Stansted has a fast rail service, as does the increasingly busy Saarfen'.
Whereas Birmingham has excellent connections with both the main rail network and motorway system. You can either walk from the long term car park or wait for a bus - and parking is much cheaper than at Heathrow. The central airport area is compact, yet works well - although the security queues can be an utter shambles at times.
Arrival delays at Heathrow are quite common, but rare at Birmingham. So, all-in-all, from anywhere west of Oxford, Birmingham is a much better choice than the hell of Heathrow. About 13 years ago, I used to fly from Stansted to Frankfurt with buzz on a regular basis and could easily do the whole journey by public transport - it was reliable and good value. But the coach service from Oxford deteriorated and Stansted itself became busier, so when buzz folded, it was back to Lufthansa from LHR - until I discovered Birmingham. A couple of years ago, I made the mistake of travelling with Germanwings from Stansted, never again! The crowds were so bad on return that it wasn't even possible to leave the monorail platform.... Rather than risk 'ordeal by M10/M25/M40', I drove back cross-country - at least that aspect was pleasant!
However, the big guns will always press for further expansion of Heathrow - although 'Boris Island' would be the 21st Century solution. The ridiculous HS2 scheme being forced upon the UK might have a 'Heathrow spur' and will no doubt be used as an excuse NOT to proceed with Boris' scheme though.
I still think that Upper Heyford deserves further assessment though!
Notwithstanding its location and congestion, the main issue is access. It is impossible to reach by mainline train, the 'Heathrow Express' only serves Paddington and is absurdly expensive - whereas Frankfurt, Munich and Köln have their own stations on the main DB network. It's about 20% of the cost to reach the centre of Frnakfurt by train compared to London.
The alternative, which again only serves London, is the underground system - a noisy, cramped and deafening experience compared with continental equivalents.
Access by car is no better. Once you're off the M4 or M25, it's a drive to a car park a long way from the terminals (I admit I don't know if it's as bad at T5 as I never travel ba), where the cost is pretty steep. Not too bad inbound, but when you've trudged through T1 to wait in the cold and rain for the car park bus to turn up, then crawl its way around the inner airport congestion, you know you're back in the UK.... If you follow the signposts leaving Thiefrow, you are taken along the A4 through Slough to the M4 - the route to the M25 is a well-known secret, it seems.
Gatwick is at least on mainline rail - and you don't have to go via. London. Stansted has a fast rail service, as does the increasingly busy Saarfen'.
Whereas Birmingham has excellent connections with both the main rail network and motorway system. You can either walk from the long term car park or wait for a bus - and parking is much cheaper than at Heathrow. The central airport area is compact, yet works well - although the security queues can be an utter shambles at times.
Arrival delays at Heathrow are quite common, but rare at Birmingham. So, all-in-all, from anywhere west of Oxford, Birmingham is a much better choice than the hell of Heathrow. About 13 years ago, I used to fly from Stansted to Frankfurt with buzz on a regular basis and could easily do the whole journey by public transport - it was reliable and good value. But the coach service from Oxford deteriorated and Stansted itself became busier, so when buzz folded, it was back to Lufthansa from LHR - until I discovered Birmingham. A couple of years ago, I made the mistake of travelling with Germanwings from Stansted, never again! The crowds were so bad on return that it wasn't even possible to leave the monorail platform.... Rather than risk 'ordeal by M10/M25/M40', I drove back cross-country - at least that aspect was pleasant!
However, the big guns will always press for further expansion of Heathrow - although 'Boris Island' would be the 21st Century solution. The ridiculous HS2 scheme being forced upon the UK might have a 'Heathrow spur' and will no doubt be used as an excuse NOT to proceed with Boris' scheme though.
I still think that Upper Heyford deserves further assessment though!
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BEags
Take the Paddington stopper from Reading/Slough and alight at Hayes and Harlington.
The 140 bus from there serves T1/2/3.
You may have to mingle with the great un-washed, but it's the best I can offer you
It is impossible to reach by mainline train
The 140 bus from there serves T1/2/3.
You may have to mingle with the great un-washed, but it's the best I can offer you
Which rather makes my point, does it not? It'd be easier to take the Reading Rail/Air bus link - assuming the M4 isn't choc-a-bloc.
A solution won't be achieved for another 8 years - at a cost of £500M: BBC News - £500m Heathrow link to cut times on Great Western line
A solution won't be achieved for another 8 years - at a cost of £500M: BBC News - £500m Heathrow link to cut times on Great Western line
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BEagle
Upper Heyford?? You clearly have not been near the place recently as it is an Industrial Site and Housing Estates.
The residents of Steeple Aston will not thank you for that suggestion either.
What about Greenham Common or Manston or Wing ?( I seem to recall years ago that was suggested as I remember seeing placards protesting )
Upper Heyford?? You clearly have not been near the place recently as it is an Industrial Site and Housing Estates.
The residents of Steeple Aston will not thank you for that suggestion either.
What about Greenham Common or Manston or Wing ?( I seem to recall years ago that was suggested as I remember seeing placards protesting )
Last edited by millerscourt; 12th May 2013 at 13:04.