New airport at ex RAF Finningley

[SuperOwl]

Hi everyone, hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year.

I was wondering if anybody had heard any recent news or rumours regarding the proposed airport at RAF Finningley? There was quite a lot of press about it around here (South Yorkshire area) and then I've heard nothing. Some of my friends play in a Sunday league football team in Doncaster and their shirt sponsor last season was Finningley Airport. I saw this with my own eyes so know this to be true. Also one of my flying instructors said that the owners of the airfield are spending hundreds of thousands on keeping the runway serviceable with a view to re-opening it.

Another aspect to this is that if the airport does go ahead, surely this will force the owners of Sheffield City to perhaps rethink their policy on Single Engine aircraft and to look towards obtaining permission for Single Engine aircaft to use EGSY. Otherwise I just cannot see Sheffield City airport staying open at all.

Also, with regards to airspace, what would the likely impact be on the GA airfields in the area of Finningley, ie Sandtoft, Netherthorpe and Gamston?

[knobbygb]

I was worried about how any controlled airspace would affect us at Sherburn. Although we're 18 miles north of Finningley, Our 'training area' runs south as far as Doncaster in the west and Sandtoft to the east. Concensus seems to be that we'd probably end up with a smaller usable training area.

Sandtoft is very close to Finningley (about 7 miles) and the main runway points in that direction too. Any Ppruners based there heard anything?

How busy is the place expected to be anyway? Nearby Humberside has several large jet movements each day in the summer, plus commuter, biz jet and jet training flights all year round and copes just fine with no controlled airspace. Perhaps this is how the new Finningley will begin life. Class D could then be introduced when they get busier.

I flew over Finningley this afternoon (great place for an engine failure, I've always thought) and the runway does indeed look to be in good condition.

[EyesToTheSkies]

"Today's Pilot" mag for Feb quotes Airport Manager Simon Nicholls as saying that there are hopes for Sheffield to expand into single engined operations in due course

[bingoboy]

Try fly-doncaster.com

It seems that Peel holdings who I think own Finningley have a pretty good PR dept.

[24Right]

Interestingly, Peel Holdings also have a 50% share in EGSY, but can't close it yet because of legal obligations to keep it open in the short to medium term. However, the adjoining business park is pretty successful, so I imagine they'll want toclose it down and use the valuable real estate occupied by the rather underused runway as soon as they can.

Finningley only has ILS on one runway and I heard it suggested by an old lag at EGSY that Peel might take the now unused ILS from EGSY and install it at Finningley.

Don't know how long before Finningley (if opened) tries for Class D, but I suspect it will be some time. As you say, Humberside manages without it, but I am told they would love to have some Class D and have applied unsuccessfully for it previously. If they get busier with the former BA flights from LBA (Emerald Air are taking some of them over) maybe they'll be able to justify it to the CAA; bad news for the rest of us flying in the area.:(

[foghorn]

From what I understand, there has to be a certain number of IFR movements per year for an airport to get a Class D CTR. Hence why Humberside, Biggin, Farnboro, Manston, Southend etc. don't have one.

So maybe it is possible that Finningley wouldn't have it at the outset.

[matspart3]

The future of Finningley has been discussed at length in a number of other forums...you'll probably find some informed comment by searching.
Southend lost it's Controlled Airspace in 1993, after the passenger numbers fell significantly with the demise of Princess Air and other Scheduled operators. I seem to recall that the case for CAS was dependant, at that time, on the passenger throughput...it's probably the same now. It is likely to be some years before Finningley would obtain CAS, if ever.

[Grob Driver]

Although I’m not directly involved in the project, a number of people from my office have been. The news came through last week that the owners have started putting out tenders for contractors to start construction work. This is despite the fact that the final decision has yet to be made, but they must think their chances are pretty good! Hope so…. It would be a good thing for the area.

[niknak]

The final planning permission to develop Finningly is expected in Feb this year.
Peel expect to develop it as a major airport in the North, theyve already had much interest in the place from long haul operaters of both passenger and freight operators, as well as the likes of Ryanair and EasyJet.
The management at Humberside are crapping themselves 'cos they will lose a lot of their holiday traffic eventualy to Finningly.
Finningly will be available to all - wide bodied jets and C150s, there may come a time when they have to look at GA - but not for some time to come, there's room for everyone.
Controlled airspace may hapen sooner or later, but all will be consulted - even Sherburn!:rolleyes:
the ILS at EGSY has been sold to Carlisle, the future of EGSY is uncertain, but once Finningly opens I think Peel will sell it to the lowest bidder - if the place doesnt subside into the slag heap it's built on first!
There is a web site for all this info, but the Peel PR machine is just as good.