Coventry
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 3,083
Likes: 253
From: London/Oxford/New York
EGBE. My second home since 1980. 200 airfields have been lost to greedy speculators and developers in the last 40 years. Ok aviation isn't the most eco friendly but these prime flat green spaces have been destroyed and the wildlife havens and amenities they provided have gone forever.
Guest
Joined: Oct 2006
Aviation Qualifications: Spotter
Posts: 471
Likes: 356
From: Scotland
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 402
Likes: 33
From: UK
I used to fly in and out of Coventry on private jets very meany years go (like 25 years). One was to/from Genoa and the other was to Pittsburgh via Newark. It was originally hoped that US Immigration would be done at Pittsburgh allowing the flight to go direct, but Pittsburgh stopped doing international arrivals.
It was quicker and easier to get to Genoa this way as there were no direct flights and changing means it took the entire day to get there - rather than a couple of hours. The little jet ended up being like a bus for some people who went out and back several times a week.
The longer journey to Pittsburgh was set up so the Board could say we had a US HQ and that the board was based there when in fact they still lived in the UK and went when needed. I recall (maybe incorrectly) that the Pittsburgh aircraft was actually ordered by an investor of Planet Hollywood, who cancelled at the last minute and the company picked up the order at short notice. The only thing left on the aircraft that gave away its original owner was a small sign above the door which said " I'll be back"
It was quicker and easier to get to Genoa this way as there were no direct flights and changing means it took the entire day to get there - rather than a couple of hours. The little jet ended up being like a bus for some people who went out and back several times a week.
The longer journey to Pittsburgh was set up so the Board could say we had a US HQ and that the board was based there when in fact they still lived in the UK and went when needed. I recall (maybe incorrectly) that the Pittsburgh aircraft was actually ordered by an investor of Planet Hollywood, who cancelled at the last minute and the company picked up the order at short notice. The only thing left on the aircraft that gave away its original owner was a small sign above the door which said " I'll be back"
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 472
Likes: 36
From: Between the flower pots
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 374
Likes: 12
From: the dark side
The last commercial flight was operated by G-TAJB EC145 carrying the pop group Take That on June 6th as shown in the link below.
Note the slight correction at the end of the article!
Final Coventry flight
Note the slight correction at the end of the article!
Final Coventry flight
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,523
Likes: 41
From: Solihull
Closure
A few memories from CVT
Had a meal in the DC6 Diner one December which was a novelty, landed on runway 23 as a passenger during a trial lesson in 2015, the two most noticeable aspects were how short the flight was at 20 minutes and how cramped the Grob is, young lad piloting it was well over 6ft and could barely see out over his knees
. Then in my younger days getting the train and bus over to CVT and having to walk the last mile or two to get to the airfield. I think I did drive once to see the Thomsonfly operation but haven't been for years.
Always sad to see an airfield go but these last few years it was a shadow of itself.
Pete
Had a meal in the DC6 Diner one December which was a novelty, landed on runway 23 as a passenger during a trial lesson in 2015, the two most noticeable aspects were how short the flight was at 20 minutes and how cramped the Grob is, young lad piloting it was well over 6ft and could barely see out over his knees
. Then in my younger days getting the train and bus over to CVT and having to walk the last mile or two to get to the airfield. I think I did drive once to see the Thomsonfly operation but haven't been for years.Always sad to see an airfield go but these last few years it was a shadow of itself.
Pete
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,659
Likes: 114
From: jersey
I worked as an ATCO at Coventry after retiring from Jersey in 2007. Due to a medical issue, my time there ended in Autumn 2008. I would like to put on record my admiration of the ATC staff at Coventry during that period. A harder working, more professional bunch of people would be impossible to find. For me, the wonders of Class G airspace & the proximity of Birmingham Airport were real eye openers - & made me appreciate the Coventry ATCOs even more. Sorry to see the aerodrome go.
