BELFAST (BHD) - 3

[NWSRG]

The left turn-out from 04 is designed to get a departing aircraft away from a potential conflict with an aircraft on a 22 approach. With the noise measures in place at BHD (a high proportion of landings / takeoffs over Belfast Lough), it is used reasonably often...and if you're a passenger in a left side window seat, it's a fun ride! Only experienced it once, in a 146; an immediate drop of the left wing on takeoff, followed by a climbing turn over the top of the Liverpool ferry, and wings levelling out over the 04 threshold! I was so impressed, I asked the same question on here, and got the above answer...

[eastern wiseguy]

The left turn-out from 04 is designed to get a departing aircraft away from a potential conflict with an aircraft on a 22 approach

Partially true. It also bypasses the noise abatement procedure BUT is principally used because they get a buzz out of it .

Cynic moi?

[speedrestriction]

BFS/BHD

Both 04 and 22 being used today. This is done in both calm conditions (like today) or when the wind is straight across. Early in the morning 04 is the preferred runway for departure due to noise abatement and 22 is preferred when the arrivals start coming in for the same reasons. For flights heading to the NW via BLACA (INV, ABZ, GLA, EDI, PIK, NCL) a departure off 04 saves time, track miles and fuel but. When 22 is the runway in use 04 departures are offered provided there is no conflict with inbound 22 traffic

sr

[eastern wiseguy]

When 22 is the runway in use 04 departures are offered provided there is no conflict with inbound 22 traffic

PMSL...

[ek_a340]

thanks

Very helpful responses everyone thanks!

[Maude Charlee]

......BUT is principally used because they get a buzz out of it

Entirely true and guilty as charged.

[NWSRG]

An entirely idle question, as I know it is a routine and often-used procedure, but my curiosity needs to be satisfied!

Why did a BMI A320(?) perform a go-around today at about 12.20pm? Just happened to see the aircraft level off, get the gear up, and start to climb away over the Newtownards Road...

Not in any way expecting a 'disaster narrowly averted' answer...could it be that the 'painter of runway lines' didn't get a whistle from his mates to tell him to shift his butt?

(PS. That is based, however loosely, on fact from another NI airfield!)

[Standard Noise]

You'll have to stop taking the side order of cynicism at lunch, eastern.
BTW, we used to enjoy the 04 LTO deps as much as the pilots, specially with something on a 7 mile final for 22. Most fun you can have with 2 aircraft.

[Tower Ranger]

I guess one reason why it is becoming a less frequent procedure is that morale is so low there that few people give a daffy duck about the 22/04 bias anymore. There is only so much back-stabbing and bullying controllers will take.
The management at Belfast is unique in that it is both unwilling to handle change and unable to learn from its mistakes prefering to carry out mini witch hunts to find someone to blame rather than accept the well known and documented facts. Untill the cancer is dealt with things will not improve.
At a quick count i reckon 12 controllers have left there in the past 11 years surely there must be something to be learnt from that?

[Timed~Out]

TR - so you are still alive in the desert then!!

Im not aware of any mini witch hunts, sure do you not remember how GBBCA is a blame free environment? The staff motivation method continues to be the "technically superb Carrot and Stick system". No carrot but plenty of stick Anyway, the last time I Checked 51% was a bias.

[followthemarshaller]

Sitting in the warm. Good breaks. Excellent salary. No night shift. Single runway. Ten and a bit stands. What else do you want Tower? Maybe 12 controllers left because they wanted the nicer weather elsewhere. No job is a prison, if its that awful we are free to leave at any time.

[wingman863]

Surely you guys know eachother in the "real world" so is it not a bit odd to be having a discussion about how bad/good your job is online?

[Tower Ranger]

I left months ago and i`m sure I won`t be the last, keep up boys!!

[elle may clampit]

I don't have access to to Google earth and therfore can't check the length of the planned runway extension at BHD or if the 600 metres takes them beyond their boundary fence. If it did, would it not then be seriously close to the bird feeding and roosting site that not so long ago the City Airport helped establish. Having said that I don't see why this would be of concern to anyone as it's widely known, and I have witnessed it myself, that on the city end, in the Vitoria Park at certain times of the year processes such as 'oiling and pricking' are used to control bird populations. I don't doubt it's all legal and licenced but to me it's still a very unsavory practice.

[speedrestriction]

EMC, try this.

sr

[ESCNI]

At the risk of them being accused of being NIMBYs, I don't think that the Assembly will be too keen on planes landing there!

Try this one instead (and shuffle over a bit)...

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&h...8,0.06403&z=14

[EI-BUD]

ABP (code) to Goose Bay

THis morning a plane was in and then left for Goose Bay at around 7 I think. I couldnt see it that well from where I was at the time, but it was a private jet but looked like an EMB 135 .

Does anybody know what this flight was for or who was operating it?

EI-BUD

[OltonPete]

CAA Provisional stats February

Had a quick look on this thread and I can't see any comment on the
Feb figures especially the bashing easy have taken on their BFS routes.

Also the Feb BFS figures were only up 3.5%, taking into account an
extra day and two based extra 320's from EI.

easy

LGW - BFS 26433 compared to 29259 in 2007
LUT - BFS 19122 compared to 27227 in 2007
STN - BFS 22108 compared to 27007 in 2007
LPL - BFS 31722 compared to 35365 in 2007
BRS - BFS 15915 compared to 17794 in 2007
NCL - BFS 17192 compared to 18857 in 2007
EDI - BFS 19310 compared to 23941 in 2007
GLA -BFS 17064 compared to 23417 in 2007

Baby

EMA - BFS 10718 compared to 12005 in 2007
MAN - BFS 13963 compared to 14447 in 2007
BHX - BFS 14698 compared to 13948 in 2007

flybe

EDI - BHD 10044 compared to 7053
GLA- BHD 9335 compared to 7104
BHX - BHD 16497 compared to 17920
MAN - BHD 18575 compared to 17689
LGW - BHD 15385 compared to 13102

London

LGW - BHD as above
LGW - See earlier
LHR - BHD 41144 compared to 46204
LHR - BFS 17520 compared to nil (if 3 a day average 101 pax 58%)
LUT - BFS see earlier
LCY - BHD 1359 compared to nil
STN - BHD 26618 compared to 6363 in 2007 (AB to FR)
STN - BFS see earlier

BFS - BCN 8369 compared to 2192 - rough average 102 per flight
BFS - GVA 7884 compared to 5599 - rough average 80 per flight.

I suppose BMI won't be too upset with their figures, flybe encouraged
but easy, my gosh what a hammering.

With the easy figures I have no idea of the number of rotations in
2008 compared to 2007 so they might not be as bad as they look if they have taken seats out of the market.

Flybe show some decent figures with only bhx dropping and that was only 1500 with baby adding 700 on BFS.

Still the choice of EI destinations on the whole defy logic and I doubt
that Amsterdam will be the only casualty.

Pete

[ALLMCC]

Interesting that FR carried more to STN from BHD than Easy did from BFS and an extra weekday rotation is being added by FR from the end of March. OK a lot of FRs seats are cheapies but even so the demand must be there to justify going up to 5X daily on weekdays.

[richardnei]

The Goose Bay flight was being operated by ABS Jets. A/C was an ERJ-135Legacy, Reg OK-GGG.

I think it was calling into bfs for refueling, before onwards across the atlantic.