To begin with, I agree with those who comment on when was there not a requirement (in living memory) to use the active runway, other than with a clearance. Should the rest of the arrival/departure procedures follow these illogical statements, then heaven help us. Mention has been made that one result may well be less operators on the GAAP airports, that, might I suggest, would suit the airport owners down to a tee. Yippee, rub hands together, more land and facilities to rip (money gouge) more lucrative tenants off with!!
Personally, trying to land at night in higher performance aircraft, especially at YSBK, with the circuits full of training aircraft, is well nigh impossible. If you in a Metro, you get -"Sight and follow a Tecnam or (or similar) on mid down wind. You are at the required alt, 500 feet higher, (at which the lights of the preceeding aircraft are well and truly lost in the city lights, you have your aircraft back to Vref on early down wind, and you still cannot fit into the circuit. The tower used to require the preceeding a/c to extend the downwind leg, or similar, to fix the situation. Even at 105 kts, I am still catching the preceeding aircraft as if they were standing still. Are some of the training aircraft doing downwind legs full flap, and 65 kts or summat??
Even better, there used to be a ban on circuit aircraft during the times of bank runners dep and arr.
