Originally Posted by
ShyTorque
Other reasons.
They shut the heliport……and built a Tesco supermarket on it.
The original site was more valuable to the owners as a retail outlet (Sainsbury) and it was suggested that a Heliport could go down the road to St Erth (not a popular suggestion to the locals). The original location was nearer the coast and only overflew the British Rail yard (which was not unhelpful in poor weather as they had a blaze of lighting which showed up from miles away) PZ also had an NDB and a sea level elevation. The new heliport is only a couple of hundred yards away but the area has had increased development with consequent implications for an approach profile. However the basic facts are that PZ is open usually when Lands End is clamped, and therefore able to offer a more reliable service. There is no doubt that the S61 service really did open up the Scillies as far as an 'air service', but it probably never really covered the actual costs. The ability to carry our rapid turnarounds due to EB having a 'through hull' luggage option was a considerable benefit. I remember a consultants report regarding 'any air service' highlighted that it was unlikely that they were truly sustainable for the future and would prove to costly to maintain. The problem was that having got use to a flying bus that was both reliable and affordable for the users, the reality of 'paying what it really cost' for the locals was a real spoiler.
Sloane were rather hit by covid, but the ability to make a small helicopter both pay its way and provide a regular service (with no back up) is more than challenging for anything other than a semi 'first class' Tresco transport facility where the cost MAY not be that important. A fortune has been spent on Lands End (St Just) including GPS approaches, however the FOG is not impressed by that, and continues to close the airfield when it suits.