Newcastle Upon Tyne Aero Club
Good Morning Members:
Well, another week has gone by without any announcement from the RMT.
It was always a known fact that any proposal would have to be accepted by the airport authorities and I feel extremely uneasy about this. HST did quote in early postings that Parkin and his merry bunch of loyal bureaucrats would do thier utmost to rid the field of general aviation, whatever they say in the press or otherwise - that man Parkin wants GA out, is Parkin really so untouchable & fire proof?
Martin Ballinger has made no attempt to hide the fact that flight training/private hire is not part of his long term strategy, he wants to turn the Aero Club into an excecutive "doss house" for Newcastle United "footballers" - I use the word footballers extremely loosely of course, and the odd "minor celebrity" who alights from N66SG/N125GW which keeps the airports coffers lined with rent from a grade I or (or II) listed building that the airport authorities wish they could raise to the ground.
I never doubted in my mind that this whole thing was going to be easy, but did anybody (other than HST) think that it was a simple case of putting together a plan that included £200K+ and then pick up the keys from the RMT 2 days later, or as we have seen recently, some ridiculous charity option?
John Parkin's "property manager" & "publicity mouth piece" - Graeme Mason revels in dishing out the orders that he receives from his boss, and anything that remotely hinders GA at EGNT will no doubt make him feel a little more important. I will never forget the TV interview with Graeme Mason and BBC local news, he stood there quoting that "no insentives" or "other deals" were offered or enjoyed by Easy Jet OR Ryanair that were not available to other airlines...
The departure of Parkin (to Lester B. Pearson Airport, Toronto) cannot come quick enough but who do you get to replace him?
EZY enjoy free training details at EGNT, with 30-40 free circuits (visual or otherwise) per session being the norm, what did the Aero Club pay, nearly £8 for a touch & go? Put it this way, if EZY was billed per session then it would amount to well over £20,000, and if anybody wants to quote me otherwise about EZY's "freebie" training details then make sure your evidence is concrete, I am a close friend of EZY's director of flight operations and it's "jaw dropping" what EGNT actually do offer EZY.
Deep down I doubt whether any proposal will ever get off the ground now, this "bids to the airport" lark is nothing more than a formality for the RMT who really care little of the clubs future, and in the meantime the ex chairman who operates Northumbria Helicopters continues to thrive business wise at the demise of the Aero Club, and who could blame him?
Sorry to sound so pessimistic but I woke up with very sobering thoughts this morning and I have just taken a large reality check.
Thank you
B
Last edited by noiseabatement; 15th Jan 2005 at 14:20.