Originally Posted by
stewyb
Agreed that AGS are doing all they can to improve the airport and this will finally come to fruition shortly. Mistakes have been made by previous owners and one of those was not adding a northern taxiway. Even now (before an extra 164m) you have long backtracks for 20 departure and BA arrivals on 02 are having to turn back on 37m width of runway to then exit at the mid point. Things would be so much easier if a small piece of tarmac was laid down. Been told this is part of phase 2 developments although will most likely never be done!
Backtracks on 20 were, in my working days, a pain in the a**e. Agree the extra 164 metres will aggravate the condition.
Remember one of my more memorable backtracks, early on a Saturday morning with a Spanair MD83 about to turn on to the ILS, KLM UK ATR 72 at Hold B when I offered a line-up “MD83 at nine miles can you give me an expeditious backtrack (which they were normally very good at) and immediate take-off?” with a reply “Affirm”.
Decided to go for it, with an impressive backtrack resulting, cleared for immediate take-off, but then lined up and sat there, and sat there. No alternative but to cancel take-off and instruct the MD83 to “go around”. This resulted in a somewhat high decibel response which apparently didn’t go down well with Eastleigh residents that early on a Saturday morning.
That evening’s Southern Echo headline “Seconds from disaster”!
I kept my job, without criticism, although that KLM UK crew were temporarily off my Xmas card list! Appeared that the “cabin securred” call was awaited.