Southend???

[niknak]

What's the future for Southend now that Heavylift have gone tits up?
I know there's a lot of aviation niff naff and trivia there, but it can't be enough to make the place a going concern, and with no room for runway expansion or anything to warrant any form of new investment, it's got to be worth far more as real estate than an airport.
I sincerely hope nothing like that happens, but with the expansion at Stansted approved, things don't look good.

[Voldermort]

Dont know much about Sothend but isn't it just Prime(pax) that has ceased ops rather than HLA???

[boredcounter]

vold

Is that how you see SEN, as a maint base....Hope U r not commercial.

[HZ123]

Is there any chance of a takeover still with ATC as there hangarage at Lasham is nowhere near as good as that at SEN.
Just another general enquiry a few weeks ago they were filming on a 1-11 and noted that two other 1-11's were being worked on ? Finally what work do Flightline undertake and how many a/c have they.Rgds

[robinlance]

Flightline specialise in ACME work with a fleet of BAe146 mixed -200 and -300. Did have contracts with Swissair and Lufthansa but these ceased last year I think. RFS engineering also at Southend part of Flightline group which is privately owned. Web site worth viewing www.flightline.ltd.uk

[Mister Geezer]

I flew into SEN on two occasions a few months ago. For starters there was a few BA 757s in, for what I presume was maintenance and the usual array of Flightline aircraft and I parked next to a Channex F-27 obviously on night freight. I was also surprised to see the amount of G/A traffic that was parked up as well. I got the impression that they were not very busy but by no means very quiet.

MG

[GOBWX]

used to work there before christmas...
and im sure you can work out who by the handle...

big paint shop there, big enough for 757 i beleve
(pls correct me if im wrong)
there is still WAS (world aviation support) and its nice to see that the ol' 1-11's are still there and not all chopped up...

there was talk that the old chuch which sits at the end of the runway was going to get shifted 200m so the runway could be made long enough for a fully loaded 737

but that was somthing that was going to take alot of money....

oh and is the old vulcan still there?????

[Hogg]

Southend was good fun for me when I used work for Flightline few years ago, always fond memories of "Tots"!

The Vulcan was there last time I was.

Pity it wasnt snapped up and extended years ago, good location, great fun in the various bars at the field.

Theres also a Viscount sim there, dunno if its still working tho?

Jacqsy if ure reading this, a big hello and wave from me

[freightdoggy dog]

Deckchairs and Dogsh*t, that is how one Captain I flew with described Southend. I however have fond memories of a certain pub at Friday lunchtimes. Located down at the seafront you could see a bunch of perverts called aircrew enjoying the art of striptease.

[HZ123]

The Vulcan

The Vulcan has had a very good summer, having completed a repaint. It completed four fast taxy runs deploying the braking shoot watched by large crowds. To complete the year the guys completed a dedicated concreted stand for it and its ground equipment. Perhaps if one of them reads this they can furnish us with more information.

[Red Four]

From 'Evening Echo' :

Southend: 'Airport must expand'


Southend Airport should be expanded to three million passengers a year and plans for a major airport at Cliffe scrapped, according to a Government-sponsored development panel.

Thames Gateway South Essex, a Government-backed scheme to rejuvenate the area, said expansion could bring 7,000 new jobs and the reintroduction of flights to Europe's major cities and holiday resorts.

But campaigners fighting to protect St Laurence Church, which would have to be moved to allow the expansion at Southend, are dismayed.

Thames Gateway has responded to the Government's South East Regional Airport Study, which sets out options for airport development, by supporting Southend Airport. It believes Southend should be allowed to expand to the size of London City Airport.

The Gateway's Mary Spence said: "Southend Airport has been identified as a key economic driver."

The airport flies 5,000 to 6,000 passengers a year to Jersey between April and October.

Airport director Roger Campbell said the airport could reintroduce the destinations it served in the 1960s including Amsterdam, Geneva, Strasbourg, Zurich, Rotterdam, Nice and Majorca when 692,000 passengers flew a year.

He said: "This backing has vindicated what we have said all along - that Southend Airport has an important part to play in the area as a regional airport."

But church campaigner Eamon McNichols said: "These proposals are laughable in their one-sidedness.

"It does not make sense for Thames Gateway on one hand to support the expansion for Southend Airport and its unsubstantiated benefits but oppose the proposed Cliffe development because of the accepted adverse environmental impact."


Published Thursday, December 5, 2002

Brought to you by the Evening Echo

http://www.business-in-essex.co.uk/e...USINESS10.html

[pip-pip]

SEN

There are plans for an extension, but they need to move a Church first????? Apparently the plans on how to do this have been put in and are awaiting an approval from the Church body involved.
At the moment it is mainly used for freight (Streamline / Emerald)and GA / Biz-Jet work, FlyNow Charter Ltd have set up with a singtle PA34 but hope to put together a fleet of C-208b's as soon as the approval for SEIMC comes through early next year.
Incoming freight for Ford Auto Parts is still a good earner for the airport, mainly operated by V. Cheap Spannish Metroliner operators.
There is also plans to stick a station on the Train line that runs behind the flying schools.

[HZ123]

SEN

There are indeed plans to move the church and these have been around for the best part of 2 years and it would appear that little is happening. As a regular visitor to SEN it clearly lacks many things:-the first observation is lack of parking space as highlighted when BA put the 6 (757s) a/c there in the summer. It also needs taxiway widenning as much of the space is very tight.

The terminal needs some refurbishment as does much of the office space at Viscount House. To the unqualified it needs an injection of cash and it may be that a financial commitment will need to be made before others will start to look at the airport as a realistic alternative.

Otherwise it will continue as a flying club with extras. I wonder if the likes of BAA were interested or TBI if that would cause some serious interest. Lets hope that it does get some investment.

[707]

Why can't they extend the cross runway and create a parking space for all the scrap and parking/cargo/passenger aircraft to park and then they might have Dhl or Tnt go there or a schedualed flight with British European and they would need to extend the cross runway just a bit like out from the bondaries of the airport and over the road and move the road back further.

[Red Four]

From 'Evening Echo'

http://www.thisissouthend.co.uk/esse...ews/NEWS0.html

Southend: Airport church may go
Controversial plans to completely demolish historic St Laurence Church to make way for an expansion of Southend Airport have been revealed.
Make-or-break proposals have been lodged with Southend Council to demolish the 11th Century church to allow the expansion of the airport.
Bosses claim the "essential changes" are needed to meet safety regulations, although hoisting the building on rollers and moving it 100m as originally suggested has still not been ruled out.
If the church is demolished, a new one could be built either near the existing building or somewhere else in the parish.
An airport spokesman said: "The location of the church causes a breach of CAA safety regulations but airport owners are committed to moving the church intact or giving the parish an alternative building."
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott could have the final say.
Published Wednesday, January 8, 2003

and
http://www.business-in-essex.co.uk/e...BUSINESS1.html
Southend: Sir Teddy's fears for airport future
Southend Airport will close unless it gets approval for its latest plans, claims Rochford and Southend East Tory MP Sir Teddy Taylor.
He said he was a strong supporter of the airport and believed the proposals were the best alternative.
He added: "The airport is only given a licence to operate by the Civil Aviation Authority on a yearly basis, provided some plans to meet latest safety requirements are in place.
"Otherwise, it will be forced to close, even with the existing limited operations.
"I want to emphasise from what I have been told it is plain the airport wants to move the church if it is possible. This relocation is absolutely vital to the survival of the airport in Southend. If it is not done and the airport fails to meet the new safety requirements, it is not going to survive.
"There is no argument about the situation. Now it is for the council and the community to make up their minds on the issue. The airport has an important role in the town and I believe we have to encourage it."
Sir Teddy said he appreciated the great deal of concern which existed about the church. He said: "As a member of the church, I do not believe buildings are sacrosanct but I understand the concerns of members of the congregation."
Published Wednesday, January 8, 2003

[Jes]

sacrosanct

\Sac"ro*sanct\, a. [L. sucrosanctus.] Sacred; inviolable. [R.] --Dr. H. More.


Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.


sacrosanct

adj : must be kept sacred [syn: inviolable, inviolate]


Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University


Good old Teddy - he doesn't believe a church building is sacred!!