Suggest you take a drive. The land is very flat as your rightly point out, however it is not totally flat, and does undulate slightly. The road which runs to the south of the runway descends from the A638 to A614. Immediately to the west of the threshold is rapidly rising ground which necessitates a threshold displacement.

Noting to do with keeping the aircraft an extra 100-200ft above the residents of bawtry ....

why didn't the RAF need the runway displacement,i remember them using rw 02 alot

Just trawling after reading the other Finningly thread, just wondering from all the replys why this displaced threshold is now needed, if the vulcans didnt, anyone know?

my thoughts excactly,the RAF didn't need it and some big aircraft have in the past used rw02,
but i have heard they are extending both ends of the runway

What date to Thomsonfly start ops from Finningley? Do they expect the airport to be ready on time?

they are in front with work at finningley,i think its march time they begin flights

nice to see you on here gareth. met you sunday morning. have you been on finairweb. it is back on line now and busy. there is a great thirst for info

first flight 16th.march lez

hehe i wasn't far off terry :P

O no, I've been spotted! :)

The reason for the runway displacment as I have said is that civil and military operating stardard are different, and civil is more stringent on these things.

Beleive me or not, the runway threshold will be displaced at the southern end of the strip.

The runway is also not been extended as such, merely a starter strip that was to be decommissioned is now to be resurfaced to allow it form part of the strip.

mining subsidence
 

Just for info. There is certainly no mining subsidence under the airport. A pillar was left in. I worked on the coal face at Armthorpe Colliery (markham main) and got as close as anyone to the airport,albeit 1/2 mile down. The other colliery working near the airport was Rossington,and the same statutory requirement existed for them (leave a pillar).

Don\'t worry about it Gareth. I will say no more lol

When are Thomsonfly flights going on sale? Havent they already announced the routes, or was that just rumours over what routes they will operate?

Flights will go on sale in December,

At the press announcement in April, they issued a list of routes that were under consideration, however these are subject to slots and then being able to schedule everything into the available capacity.

Following the IATA slot conference in November , they will know more and hence release the final schedule and the seats for sale in December.

Rgds

GJK

Hi Terry, this is the first time I've seen you on here, well done on all your efforts regarding the FLY campaign. I hope, like me, you're not going anywhere near DFS or any other Kirkham-linked businesses!

finningley
 

Thanx fly.be. You gotta be joking about DFS. Plenty of other shops for Doncaster folk.

Just out of interest to all you aviation buffs,Ld.Kirkham,owner of DFS,tried to stop the development at Finningley. I would recommend Sofa king or anyone else for that matter. He knows my name and can sue if he wants.

Okay, so far announced we have

Thomson
Thomsonfly
Thomas Cook Airlines
Pegasus
Balkan
Excel Airways
Air Malta

Rumoured are

Easyjet
Ryanair
American
Continental

Can anyone add anything firm to the list?.

Terry,

Glad to hear about your efforts re: Finningley, and well done for a successful campaign.

I like your quote: "I am in favour of environmentally sustainable development and resent the fact that pressure groups pretend they have a monopoly of what is sustainable, or right."

I think that is very true! We must do all we can to expose nimbys for what they are, and not to pretend that they have any interest in the wider enviromental debate - I don't recall DFS being innovators in this field (compared for example to Ikea).

Having devoted a great deal of effort challenging the nimby attitudes here in Coventry, I too have had enough of the simplistic "planes bad, staying at home good" arguments these people like to espouse (however much they themselves all too often are very regular fliers - where does Kirkham go on his holidays?).

Looking forward to hearing of a successful start up at Finningley next year - looks like a nice airport from what I've seen so far.

JA

finningley
 

Hi jabird,just out of interest,Kirkham has his own plane and helicopter. He has a place just 1/2 mile from me "Cantley Hall",where he entertains royalty from time to time. We know when he is entertaining,as he has massive firework displays (not very environmentally friendly). This occurs without warning,and despite the fact that there are several riding stables very close by.

Can't understand why folk use his business,as he funded objection by Fiends of the Earth (no spelling error there). This cost us local taxpayers close to one million pounds.




There is more,but another time eh.

Hello holidaymax, you can definitely add Portland Holidays to the list.

Terry,

Thanks to the likes of CAECA, we're going to have the same problem here - although aren't enquiries paid for by national government?

Perhaps the enquiry will be more welcome here, as Warwick District rejected the terminal application - at the end of the day, it does mean having the application dealt with by a professional planning inspector, rather than a bunch of amateurs on a planning committee.

I don't have a problem with genuine enviromental concerns - there is plenty of room for a legitimate debate on flying and the environment, but this should be lead by people with a broad understanding of the whole subject, not by the selfish nimby lobby.

From what you suggest, Kirkham sounds like one of the worst hypocrites out there. He is perhaps joined by:

Carol Barbone - of Stop Stansted Expansion, who commutes fortnightly to France.
Jamie Oliver - who buys a house near Stansted, and then complains about the 2nd runway plans (and how do all those fresh ingredients you advertise for Sainsbury's get to the shelves, Jamie?).
Archie Muir - spokesperson for CAECA, (also a regular flier from "proper" airports like Heathrow), who buys a house built within the last 2 years on greenbelt land, and then complains about Coventry's expansion plans.

Are there any greater worthies of the title of "biggest nimby hypocite" - perhaps every airport has one?

How about the population of Scotland lane at LBA. The estate was built in the 1960s when LBA was operating EIN BAC1-11s and 732s from it's then 5400ft runway and then complained in the 1980s when the runway extension was applied for. LACAN was set up on the estate despite it being built well after the Airport. Perhaps they didn't notice the approach lighting stansions in their back gardens! :ok:

finningley
 

Certainly had plenty to do with Carol Barbone on the Stansted forum. I went on there about 2 years ago. People like her have some kind of closed mind. Anyway they binned the forum about 2 weeks ago. There were some people on there with a genuine grouse,and I could talk with them,but Carol was one of a bunch who were totally unreasonable,and were unable to compete with what I thought was a rational argument. The trouble is some of the locals who may have genuine concerns,get taken over by Fiends of the Earth and their ilk,who feed them propaganda.

The National Airport Watch,which is fighting all aviation expansion,was formed out of the Finningley campaign,with some very unholy alliances. I know many of them. We also have some people from the CPRE(campaign for the protection of rural England).

There is a lot more,but another time.

Just for information,I am NOT an aviation buff,and am NOT a campaigner for expansion everywhere. Each situation is different. As far as Finningley is concerned my only motivation was jobs for following generations,and regeneration of our area,badly hit by loss of coal mines,and much more.