Newquay Airport Closed From Sunday

[Older and Wider]

Interesting developments at Ex St Mawgan now Newquay International.
All Flights cancelled for 3 weeks according to the beeb.
BBC NEWS | England | Cornwall | Air traffic delay stops flights (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7750133.stm)

[Foxy Loxy]

Yep, saw that earlier.

Is it H&S Exec, or CAA? I'm a little bit confused over that report from the Beeb! How involved are the CAA with what we know and loathe about H&S?

I'm due to start working there in the New Year, so I hope this is resolved asap :)

[west lakes]

From the airport website

Newquay Cornwall Airport Flights to Cease Temporarily

We were informed around 4.30pm today (26.11.08), that the RAF is unable to continue to operate the airfield at St Mawgan beyond the original transition date of 1 December.

26 November 2008
Given that the Airport will not be licensed until 19 December, we are effectively closed for commercial flights with flights resuming on 20 December 2008. However, the terminal building will remain open and in operation for check-in.
Flights up to and including 30 November will operate as normal. We will fully advise passengers as soon as we can of the alternative arrangements that will be in operation.
We will be setting up a hotline for passengers to ring for information regarding their flights as soon as possible. We will issue further press releases with more information as it is available.
We are speaking urgently to our airlines about this announcement and will work closely with them to put in place contingency measures which will minimise the disruption and inconvenience to passengers.
"We are very sorry for the inconvenience this temporary cancellation of flights from the Airport will cause to those who have booked flights during this period", said Andrew Mitchell, Economic Portfolio Holder for Cornwall County Council. He continued, "We are clearly very disappointed that the RAF has not been able to continue to operate the airfield beyond the 1st December. We would like to place on record our sincere appreciation for the cooperation we have received from the RAF throughout this project."


Newquay Cornwall Airport - Newquay Cornwall Airport Flights to Cease Temporarily (http://www.newquaycornwallairport.com/index.cfm?articleid=46905)


Looks as though they have the 19th as a definite date for the license to commence

[Foxy Loxy]

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj242/Foxy_Loxy/fingerscrossed.gifhttp://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj242/Foxy_Loxy/fingerscrossed.gifhttp://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj242/Foxy_Loxy/fingerscrossed.gif

[Standard Noise]

Another reason why public bodies shouldn't be involved in airports.

[Spitoon]

Is it H&S Exec, or CAA? I'm a little bit confused over that report from the Beeb! How involved are the CAA with what we know and loathe about H&S?Foxy, what makes you ask about HSE, there doesn't sem to be anything to suggest their involvement in the current report on the BBC site?

You're right, it's a rather confused report but it sounds like they havent got approval/certification for ATC. Even without your personal interest, it would be interesting to know what's going on.

[Airline Tycoon]

I heard the airfield was closing due to the lack of Diet Coke!!

[GT3]

I heard the airfield was closing due to the lack of Diet Coke!!

:D:D:D:D:D

[rogervisual]

It was always going to be a difficult to try to transfer from Military use one day and civillian the the next. They did not have the luxury of closing for a couple of years like Donny. That said they really struggled to get the ATCO's they wanted with the salary and terms and conditions they were offering and i heard at least four people pulled out of the original people who were going.

[walesjr]

FAREWELL RAF St. Mawgan Air Traffic Control.

On a lighter note, just to wish Bignose, DK, Aspers, DT and all the other drunks a fab night on Saturday. Wish I could be there but The lovely D isists on going to Berlin and doing some crimbo shopping.

Good luck to all those leaving for pastures new and even better luck for those being employed at Newquay ATC. The local council seem to be an outstanding forward looking employer!!!!

[Foxy Loxy]

Foxy, what makes you ask about HSE, there doesn't sem to be anything to suggest their involvement in the current report on the BBC site?

You're right, Spitoon - I had read an earlier report elsewhere which did mention H&S. I get confused easily sometimes :rolleyes:

[Raven30]

I get confused easily sometimes Foxy, you'll soon be in good company!!

Nothing like a bit of juicy gossip to stoke the Prune fires! Have a read of Daniel Oakworths post in the thread running in the Military Aircrew forum. The most sensible post so far on this subject amongst the usual supposition and hearsay.

Newquay may thrive, it may fail, but according to the doom merchants it hasn't got a chance! I prefer to look on the positive side and I hope the former prevails.


Raven

[Spitoon]

I had read an earlier report elsewhere which did mention H&SFoxy, I guessed it must be something like that but I asked because I know the HSE and CAA talk to each other (http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=17&pagetype=68&gid=1046) and I always wondered how this might work.

[Foxy Loxy]

Thank you Raven, I have done so. Accordingto the info I have, danieloakworth is the closest to the truth so far.

I have NO doubt whatsoever that Newquay will succeed as an airport. There is so much motivation and drive to do so there. Tis but a temporary hitch IMO.

Spitoon, ta for the link. I'll look it later when I'm not still half asleep....

[055166k]

Will Approach Radar be limited to 40 miles? I have seen some proposed provisional procedures that specify 60 miles, but SRG had no knowledge of an exemption when I spoke to them this morning to seek clarification in the event that my own licence might be affected by co-ordination interaction with an illegal practice.
A 60 mile limit would set a precedent for current well-established and well-equipped approach units that are currently limited to 40 miles. There may also be problems with R/T channel DOC, as was/is the case with Exeter.
I'm trying to be helpful by the way! Some Military practice and procedures may be inappropriate in a civil environment.

[west lakes]

HSE??

The original BBC report did make mention of "Health & Safety" issues. that sentence looks, now, to have been deleted.
I suspect it was an attempt to keep the reasons non-technical as H & S can be used to cover a multitude of reasons. More than likely the CAA wanted a few i's dotted and t's crossed

[Spitoon]

Will Approach Radar be limited to 40 miles? I have seen some proposed provisional procedures that specify 60 miles, but SRG had no knowledge of an exemption when I spoke to them this morning to seek clarification in the event that my own licence might be affected by co-ordination interaction with an illegal practice.
What exemption would be needed?

[rogervisual]

0166k, where have you been , it has been operating as a RAF airfield for years providing a ATC service under military rules. The RAF controllers pull this weekend and it will open as a civil airport(all being well) in 3 weeks with civil ATCO's using civil procedures. Why would they use any military procedures. Any exemptions they did get would obviously need to be approved by SRG.

[niknak]

What exemption would be needed?

I am pretty sure that an exemption isn't required.

All the Unit management have to do is produce a written explanation and a safety case for extending the 40nm limit and SRG will consider it accordingly.

This sort of thing usually is associated with providing a LARS service, something Newquay are a long way away from being able to do.
Even if they didn't want LARS, providing a radar service beyond 40nm in a Class G airspace environment, has a significant impact upon single radar atco workload, as I suspect Newquay management have only budgeted for.

When it comes to ATC manning, it would appear that the management are trying to do it on a shoestring budget and that those daft enough to accept the terms and conditions offered will soon get fed up of working maximum hours for minimum time off and relatively crap pay.

[055166k]

In the course of my operational duties as a sector controller I liaise with a significant number of approach radar units at a range of airports, most of which tell me that although they can see the traffic they will not provide a service outside 40 miles.
In seeking to afford the radar controllers at Newquay some protection and workload alleviation, could I ask why on earth would they want to work outside 40 miles and exactly what service with what restrictions might apply. I see that area every day on my screen, and there is no way I would want to.
The R/T point stems from the Exeter experience. Great people down there, and always willing to help the sector guys. Traffic in/out of EGHH/HI routeing via DAWLY/BHD used to be handed over to Exeter following co-ordination. The plan worked well until it was pointed out that the DOC for the Exeter frequencies was/is 40miles/10,000ft for one freq. and 35 miles/10,000ft for the other.....and that traffic was not to be transfered outside those parameters. This is despite Exeter having one of the best Radars in the area.

[Lurking123]

Don't you have a unit standards/ops organisation to sort all this out? I wonder what they would think about your direct call to SRG regarding your precious license.

[NorthSouth]

Standard Noise:Another reason why public bodies shouldn't be involved in airports.What, you mean like the CAA and the MoD?
NS

[Dunregulatin]

Ref the 40/60 nm thing - they don't need exemptions, they need an approval. The 40 nm limitation on Approach radar disappeared years ago with units required to nominate their own area of operations and justify it - together with providing the usual safety assurances, naturally.

The reason many units stick to around 40nm is that it matches the DOC of the frequencies they already have. They could only go further if they were able extend the DOC which would, probably, entail having new frequencies (if they are available) and hence incur a cost for little operational benefit.

Spitoon dropped the hint but nobody noticed!

[Spitoon]

Mmmm, I've never been much good at dropping hints.

[BEagle]

Several years ago, we often used to suffer interference at Brize from civvies calling St Mawgan well outside its DOC. The approach frequency at St. Mawgan was the same as the tower frequency at Brize..... Fortunately they were able to re-assign a different tower frequency.

[055166k]

Good point. I first took an interest in this when I was the controller at Benbecula, which had a single TWR/APP frequency. Traffic from the German bases would call for the weather as far south as Newcastle; the same freq was used by Heathrow App. Another relevant factor is the practice of aircraft calling for weather on the TWR freq when still a long way out, and well outside the TWR Freq DOC. A notable case was a few years ago .....since resolved.......aircraft inbound to Hahn.

[360BakTrak]

Gloucester still gets break through on tower from aircraft inbound to Dundee that call waaaay out. Pian in the ar$e!

[rogervisual]

Just been announced that Newquay is opening on Saturday.

[BDiONU]

Must be reopening as FlyMaybe have announced 3 flights a day from Gatwick from mid February.

BD

[Sir George Cayley]

Yes, Newquay gained their much hoped for tick in the box last Friday.

I understand they will opeerate to Cat l only for the time being but at least they're open for business with no Mil holding them back.

The futures bright, the futures the colour of Cornish Ice Cream!


Sir George Cayley

[Foxy Loxy]

the futures the colour of Cornish Ice Cream!

Everything looks good there. Just a glitch, despite RYR's hysterics. Join me there for a pint some time! (When I'm off duty, obviously...)

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj242/Foxy_Loxy/tributeglass.jpg

[Pie Man]

with no Mil holding them back

I think you will find 'the Mil' were very flexible allowing work to continue while still operating - the prefered solution would have been to close the airfield while the work was done, after all Mil operations ceased on 31 July.

If 'the Mil' were holding them back why were the council so desperate for the RAF to stay on 1 December!!

Pie

[Bennyclub]

Not every airline pulled out in a huff when things went awry at the handover date. Perhaps those airlines of a cheap Gaelic persuasion have the region's prosperity less at heart.......

Spare a thought too for all the Air Traffickers who have had to manage their way out of militarydom and in to civvydom. A job well done albeit apparently in the face of political muddle and contractual let downs.

Despite the naysayers, those who know the area understand there is scope for the airport to be a success and how important it will be to Cornwall. Let us hope the professionals can now be left to run it!

God speed 'one and all'.