Originally Posted by
POBJOY
Sorry as I am, it come as no surprise that this is happening.
GA and 'clubs' have no clout when it comes to 'business owners' directing their focus on generating income and at the same time being seen to reduce an ongoing nuisance potential.
What surprises me is that the 'users' did not see this coming and stand against it.
I am still confused with what you are saying POBJOY, I do understand the words, but fail to see how a business would consider stopping to sell to half its customers, and think it good business decision making.
We are not "freeloaders", we pay for hangar / properties on the airfield exactly as the jets do, we pay around £15 per touch and go, and around £30 per full stop landing, £50 for an ILS approach if not IMC, in addition to outdoor parking charges which I know for fact are higher than hangar charges in many other airfields. So perhaps yes, we don't pay the £110 - £300 per landing of a light jet, or the £2100+ to land an A319, but we also don't cause as much damage to the runway when landing, we don't aggravate neighbours as much as the jets and we can easily fill the gaps in their (let's be honest...) very few jet movements they have each day! (I gave a figure up there saying that the number of movements was roughly what Gatwick handles in a peak hour, that Biggin handles in a day). It isn't by kicking us out that they'll suddenly have another 100 jet movements a day!
I think if you total up all the properties that are "leased" to light GA (inc maintenance facilities), all the aircraft parking outside, all the movement charges for light GA, and all additional services provided to light GA by the airfield, I would be very surprised if this isn't significant income that they will lose. Regardless of the fact that property (leased) prices will inevitably decrease on the airfield due to the sudden higher supply versus demand from the big jet companies.
I do think its a mistake, but I am saddened by the fact that there really is nowhere else to go for someone who frequently flies IFR/IMC/Night/Winter other than Southend, Lydd, Shoreham (but not right now), Cambridge or Oxford - all of which are quite a distance from Central London - Southend might be the best candidate as they have a train station now!
and the 'nuisance reporting' factor was mainly from people who bought 'new build' properties in the locality and then complained about the aircraft.
I heard that some of these people were highly intelligent, high powered people (whatever that means) and yet they failed to do a little research to realise that the overpriced house they were thinking of purchasing was actually very close to an aerodrome which had been in nigh-on constant use since 1916... I feel as though these people have absolutely no right to complain about it.