Blackpool Runway extension?
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Planet Earth for a short visit
Posts: 614
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Blackpool Runway extension?
Well I just heard a rumour.......
Pontins has been bought at Blackpool by the Airport owners, now there is the ability to extend the runway to the west.
Apparently a list of new operators exists.
Just a rumour from a bloke in a back street garage.
I hope it's true for so many reasons.
Pontins has been bought at Blackpool by the Airport owners, now there is the ability to extend the runway to the west.
Apparently a list of new operators exists.
Just a rumour from a bloke in a back street garage.
I hope it's true for so many reasons.
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 108
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
While that sounds very interesting I don't beleive for 1 minute that this is true.I could be wrong!
As much as the Blackpool Pontins looks tacky it still provided visitors with a good location for access to the town. I wouldnt have thought this would be the easiest thing to buy out.
I would also imagine the potential in runway length gain to the west from tarmacing over pontins would not be enough to make it viable. I have never got my ruler out to measure it but I think, with the sand dunes being on the end of the runway too this idea would be dead in the water.
My opinion would be to extend eastwards. Pretty much nothing in the way of obstacles in this direction. Just extend and re-plant the lighting hehe. I heard from a contractor last year(or year b4 I cant remember) that this was the plan and the Queensway road would run underneath the runway extention. A far better idea than the west version.
As a matter of interest which operators are on the 'potential' list?
As much as the Blackpool Pontins looks tacky it still provided visitors with a good location for access to the town. I wouldnt have thought this would be the easiest thing to buy out.
I would also imagine the potential in runway length gain to the west from tarmacing over pontins would not be enough to make it viable. I have never got my ruler out to measure it but I think, with the sand dunes being on the end of the runway too this idea would be dead in the water.
My opinion would be to extend eastwards. Pretty much nothing in the way of obstacles in this direction. Just extend and re-plant the lighting hehe. I heard from a contractor last year(or year b4 I cant remember) that this was the plan and the Queensway road would run underneath the runway extention. A far better idea than the west version.
As a matter of interest which operators are on the 'potential' list?
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Manchester
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Blackpool Runway Extension
The rumour that City-Hopper Airports have bought the Blackpool Pontins site is interesting, they have already declared that they are interested in business developments associated with airports, so Pontins might fit in.
If a runway extension is required at Blackpool, the idea of extending the Main Runway westwards seems unlikely, mainly because of the railway line.
In any case, there is no practical limit to how far RWY 28/10 could be extended eastwards.
Once Queensway has been crossed (by a tunnel) there is nothing but miles of market gardens.
There may be special requirements for the runway foundations ( the area is not called "The Moss" for nothing, and when 28/10 was originally built in the early 1950's the contractors (Kierby & Perry Ltd) had to use substantial quantities of steel piling), but compared with most airports, Blackpool has an unlimited potential for runway expansion.
The Pontins site could be an ideal location for a Mega-Casino/Entertainment/Leisure complex to be developed in conjunction with one of the large US Casino Operators.
The site offers immediate access to:-
A Railway
An Airport
If a runway extension is required at Blackpool, the idea of extending the Main Runway westwards seems unlikely, mainly because of the railway line.
In any case, there is no practical limit to how far RWY 28/10 could be extended eastwards.
Once Queensway has been crossed (by a tunnel) there is nothing but miles of market gardens.
There may be special requirements for the runway foundations ( the area is not called "The Moss" for nothing, and when 28/10 was originally built in the early 1950's the contractors (Kierby & Perry Ltd) had to use substantial quantities of steel piling), but compared with most airports, Blackpool has an unlimited potential for runway expansion.
The Pontins site could be an ideal location for a Mega-Casino/Entertainment/Leisure complex to be developed in conjunction with one of the large US Casino Operators.
The site offers immediate access to:-
A Railway
An Airport
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: UK
Age: 48
Posts: 590
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I presume that any extension to the runway would be to the east? Pontins may be useful for visitors, location-wise, but it does look very dated! Redevelopment would be a likely option in line with the general Blackpool regeneration masterplan.
Blackpool Airport
Even as long ago as the late 1970's when I was based at BLK, there were rumours that Pontin's would sell. Apparently, they've never been happy with it as a 'property', and every autumn when it closed, there were serious doubts as to whether it would re-open in the spring. Plus, the happy holidaymakers were always complaining about the movements (we used to do the Sat. night newspaper run in those days).
It would not surprise me at all to learn that they were selling it off, but I doubt if any useful extension could be made to 10/28 as a result, not least because of the railway line, although I imagine that could now be doomed now that this 'study' of the north-west's regional railways is about to take place, and the ghost of Dr Beeching will probably ride again.
The easterly end is more of a candidate, though sinking (and I use the word advisedly!) Queensway beneath it would not be done cheaply or easily, but there's lots of market garden to go at, much of it lying fallow (polite term for overgrown - or should that be setaside?), the last time I passed.
Personally, I hope something does happen. I enjoyed my three years at Blackpool, but Air UK had other ideas!
By the way, didn't a Hansa pay an unexpected visit to Pontin's many years ago?
It would not surprise me at all to learn that they were selling it off, but I doubt if any useful extension could be made to 10/28 as a result, not least because of the railway line, although I imagine that could now be doomed now that this 'study' of the north-west's regional railways is about to take place, and the ghost of Dr Beeching will probably ride again.
The easterly end is more of a candidate, though sinking (and I use the word advisedly!) Queensway beneath it would not be done cheaply or easily, but there's lots of market garden to go at, much of it lying fallow (polite term for overgrown - or should that be setaside?), the last time I passed.
Personally, I hope something does happen. I enjoyed my three years at Blackpool, but Air UK had other ideas!
By the way, didn't a Hansa pay an unexpected visit to Pontin's many years ago?
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Liverpool
Posts: 102
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The pontins site will not form part of a runway extension. Any extension if it was to happen would occur at the eastern end of the runway.
The rumour started because a small strip of land to the west was bought by the airport, pontins is pontins, and any closure is their decision, nothing to do with the airport.
The site for the casino developments in Blackpool is the town centre, not the pontins site.
The rumour started because a small strip of land to the west was bought by the airport, pontins is pontins, and any closure is their decision, nothing to do with the airport.
The site for the casino developments in Blackpool is the town centre, not the pontins site.
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 108
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
When FR first came to BLK they wanted a runway extension for its 738's. They fly into BLK daily now anyway but still they did want the extention.This was over 18months ago. At present it is not exactly what I would call progression.(if read in its original context sometime ago)
Having flown a/c out of BLK in the past a westward extention from what I can remember would not make a great deal of increase in distance for so much hassle ie railway line and main link road from Blackpool to StAnnes.
I'm in agreement with others in that a eastward extention is the way to go but I'm not up on the contents of the surface they may tarmac over but I'm sure if they can build an island for an airport I'm sure those fields wouldn't cause to may problems.
Anymore rumours about from BLK?
Having flown a/c out of BLK in the past a westward extention from what I can remember would not make a great deal of increase in distance for so much hassle ie railway line and main link road from Blackpool to StAnnes.
I'm in agreement with others in that a eastward extention is the way to go but I'm not up on the contents of the surface they may tarmac over but I'm sure if they can build an island for an airport I'm sure those fields wouldn't cause to may problems.
Anymore rumours about from BLK?
