What's your point tho WWW?
Merely to point out the case for the defence. Flying school owners are never ever ever popular - name one - but there were positive aspects to the reign of TB.
Cost of living for you was especially low...
Yep i was living at home. Plenty of guys lived in the caravan park for £35 a week... try that in the SE England.
I've yet to meet a Flying Instructor who didn't want an airline job, so the fact that they couldn't wait to move on is perhaps a bit of a "tabloid" headline for a general fact.
Exactly. The CFI had been there for several years. The reason most left was for the next rung on the ladder. Some were fired for not being up to scratch.
At this point, yep, there have been job losses. That's bad for everyone concerned.
Very bad. Think of poor Caroline and Adam.
But you have to remember what the aims of the Airport were when it was first built.
The sole aim was for CT to get their aeroplane as close to Newtown as possible. The rest of the public money was just an exercise in grabbing available development funds.
It was there to enhance Mid-Wales' business capabilities and encourage companies to move in. In this regard I remember two ocassions when the Mid Wales Development chartered a BM Dash-7 to fly from BHX to Welshpool with potential investors - that was an entertaining day, and I still have the White Copy of the Loadsheet saying Welshpool to Birmingham as proof!! These aims were never reached because of the lack of agreement between the owner and the operator.
And just which business, apart from CT who are already happy with the airport, owns a company aircraft? None. Perhaps there might be one I don't know about but I'd be suprised if they needed more than 800m and an ILS. Welshpool will NEVER EVER be a viable business airport. Powys is one of the least industrialised, poorest and lightly populated in the country. The LAST thing it needs is a business airport. Putting a dual carriageway to Shrewsbury would be a far better deal. Halfpenny green struggles and thats on the edge of the Nations 2nd city...
I seem to remember that Pool refused to use the Control Tower after that was built unless they got an additional 7 year contract. Yep, it got that petty.
Yes it did. A lot of pettines on all sides. Which was sad.
I don't usually disagree with you, but the comment about sniping was a little bit off. I know who you're thinking about, but the majority of the "commentators" have been entirely justified in their comments.
I wasn't actually thinking about anyone in particular. Its fine by me if we have slightly differing views about this one. Thats allowed. Thats healthy. I acknowledge truths in your view as you do mine.
In the future though, I'd be surprised if this move doesn't yield more jobs for both the airport and, perhaps more importantly in an area of pretty substantial unemployment, more resultant jobs in the local economy.
As I say. I just can't see which business is going to use the place for what purpose. I HOPE it does and I am wrong. Nothing more would I like for Welshpool airport to become a major airfield. I could move home and buy half the High Street for the price of a 2 bedroom flat here!
And that comment about Pool developing the airport into a "thriving facility for the community" is a little bit of poetic licence surely when a vast proportion of the area's PPL holders were driving to Sleap or Shobdon. That's not a great advert is it?!?
60 students a year went through Welshpool. The vast majority rented a room when there and ate out during their course whilst visiting the pub. Lots of people gave "trial lessons" to loved ones - I must have flown half of Montgomeryshire on those! If you fancied a PPL then the cheapest school in the UK was on your doorstep. They had a fleet of 13 singles - and they did very little training at weekends. This meant that you could hire an aircraft on a whim at weekends with no notice even in high summer. That was good. On nice days locals would actually come in to have a cup of tea, slice of cake and sit outside watching the aircraft take off and land. I don't know any locals who went to Shobdon, a few did go to Sleap. I don't really know why.
Anyway, ho hum, as they say....
Yeah, well I wish Bob all the best I really do. I count him as a friend. He was the first person who ever took me airborne. He is a Thoroughly Nice Chap. I do not wish to slag off the changes. I merely seek to mourn the passing of what was a remarkably successful school which people laughed at when it opened.
WWW