An effin big chopper, and BTN on TV.....
Called in a Barton today, and saw that we had an unusual visitor - the Navy's latest helicopter, the Merlin. It is effin big! 3 turbine engines, and four massive rotor blades each as big as a wing from a big sailplane - bigger at the tips where they form a sort of 'spade' shape. What a beast, but not yet cleared for landing on grass, so it had to put down on the apron - after clearing everything else well away first, of course (and closing all hangar doors)! It came in to do a Navy publicity thing, usually done at Old Trafford cricket ground - but no grass landing capability meant it came to us instead.
Also, Barton was on local TV at lunchtime and again tonight, featuring the lovely red Chippy, SL, among others. The reason? The original terminal building at Barton is the oldest in the world, and has been 'listed' (the tower, also the first in the world, is already listed). Hopefully it will help in the fight to keep Barton open as a working airfield.
SSD