Blackpool Airport
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: An ATC centre this side of the moon.
A very sad day indeed. The book link below is well worth a read.....from an era where Blackpool airport was a very friendly place to visit. John Kilburn was one of the people that fuelled my interest in ATC and from which subsequently became my career....now, and after 42 years in the job I still enjoy every day I spend at work and to be honest I have Johnny to thank for that.Let's hope soon Blackpool will once again Be a top place to visit like it was in the late 60's early 70's. 
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2012
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From: blackpool
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,977
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From: Glens o' Angus by way of LA
Hard to believe a city of 150 thousand can't support or doesn't justify a mixed GA and CAT airport, I used to spent time up in rural Alaska in the 90's and was impressed how shyitey wee fishing towns used to have at least 1 scheduled service of a 737 several times a week, I doubt if they were subsidized.
Shame really.
Edit to add, just bought that john kilburn book of Amazon, looking forward to what looks likes like an interesting read.
Shame really.
Edit to add, just bought that john kilburn book of Amazon, looking forward to what looks likes like an interesting read.
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 10,804
Likes: 1
And why on earth do they need that when there are loads of GA airfields with significatly more movements than blackpool who can survive without slots and an AG radio. Sherburn for example.
Looks like they haven't got rid of all the idiots on closure.
Maybe they are scared that things would work better without ATC. Lets face it the only time I have met another aircraft going the oppersite way on down wind was at blackpool. Luckily I was at tp circuit height of 1500 and the other aircraft was at sep 1000ft. All done under the control of some stupid bint. Apparently it wasn't the first time she had done it, or the last.
Looks like they haven't got rid of all the idiots on closure.
Maybe they are scared that things would work better without ATC. Lets face it the only time I have met another aircraft going the oppersite way on down wind was at blackpool. Luckily I was at tp circuit height of 1500 and the other aircraft was at sep 1000ft. All done under the control of some stupid bint. Apparently it wasn't the first time she had done it, or the last.
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 3,325
Likes: 2
From: UK
There are no small GA airfields from Sleap northwards, west of the pennines. There's Manchester (not GA friendly), Liverpool (heading the same way), Barton (short, rough grass, closed often in winter), and that's IT!
Never mind benfitsville Blackpool, how come the massive Manchester / Liverpool connurbations (both vibrant cities) and everything in between has only one short, grass, muddy GA airfield? There seem to be plenty east of the pennines, and loads in the SE of course!
Never mind benfitsville Blackpool, how come the massive Manchester / Liverpool connurbations (both vibrant cities) and everything in between has only one short, grass, muddy GA airfield? There seem to be plenty east of the pennines, and loads in the SE of course!
Joined: Aug 2005
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From: Glens o' Angus by way of LA
Never mind benfitsville Blackpool, how come the massive Manchester / Liverpool connurbations (both vibrant cities) and everything in between has only one short, grass, muddy GA airfield? There seem to be plenty east of the pennines, and loads in the SE of course!
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,040
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From: Home
Piper boy, how true, we make it so difficult in UK. Many airfields in for example US and Aus operate GA and CAT on what we call Safetycom with no problems at all. No PPR and VFR/IFR with GPS/ILS.
How many years will the CAA Gold Plating process take, to get to this type of operation?
How many years will the CAA Gold Plating process take, to get to this type of operation?
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 3,325
Likes: 2
From: UK
Is it possible that a lot of the current GA airfields from the Southeast all the way up the east coast as far as Aberdeen were former RAF fields hurriedly built in the early 40,s because they were "Hitler facing" rendering any potential airfields sites in the west less desirable from an operational and geographical standpoint, particularly in the Northwest?
I suspect the massive growth of Manchester Airport and its all-enveloping control zone explains some of that, but not all.
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,191
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From: lancs.UK
I've remarked on this before,but living near Rochdale and Oldham, the Manchester-side of the M62, we are in the Manchester Control zone.
Anyone wanting to fly,other than from their own field, is faced with a 45-minute trek Westwards to Barton. It's probably easier to get to Crosland Moor, which i'm led to believe has it's own challenges. there are 2 rotary fliers i know of, locally and Ihave seen a Flexwing about....but otherwise, nowt between here and Blackpool. GA is being slowly throttled to death.
Anyone wanting to fly,other than from their own field, is faced with a 45-minute trek Westwards to Barton. It's probably easier to get to Crosland Moor, which i'm led to believe has it's own challenges. there are 2 rotary fliers i know of, locally and Ihave seen a Flexwing about....but otherwise, nowt between here and Blackpool. GA is being slowly throttled to death.
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 551
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From: England
Originally Posted by tomtytom
8 slots a day a hour each? 48hrs PPR gotta hope this really is just temporary measures!!!
Joined: Apr 1999
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 2,640
Likes: 300
From: In front of a computer
There's Manchester (not GA friendly), Liverpool (heading the same way), Barton (short, rough grass, closed often in winter), and that's IT!
Just been driving along the closed runway at Woodford. It's in essentially pristine condition and all the facilities are still in place apart from the damaged ILS LOC aerial. It should be about to open as the North's premier Business and GA airfield (if I had my way) but instead will be completely dug up and covered in housing etc...
Even the small northeast section that might have been saved ( at around 900m length) will now be bisected by the Poynton relief road to be built within two years.
There really is no hope
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 107
Likes: 25
From: NW England
B1913/14*(RAC)
N53°46.00 W003°02.00 3nm
Friday, 17 Oct 2014 00:00 to Saturday, 17 Jan 2015 23:59*
Elevation: SFC - 2100
FOR THE PURPOSES OF RULE 45 OF THE RULES OF THE AIR REGULATIONS 2007 THE BLACKPOOL ATZ, A CIRCLE OF 2.5NM RADIUS CENTRED ON 534618N 0030143W SFC/2100FT AMSL, IS INDEFINITELY SUSPENDED
N53°46.00 W003°02.00 3nm
Friday, 17 Oct 2014 00:00 to Saturday, 17 Jan 2015 23:59*
Elevation: SFC - 2100
FOR THE PURPOSES OF RULE 45 OF THE RULES OF THE AIR REGULATIONS 2007 THE BLACKPOOL ATZ, A CIRCLE OF 2.5NM RADIUS CENTRED ON 534618N 0030143W SFC/2100FT AMSL, IS INDEFINITELY SUSPENDED
Joined: Apr 1999
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 2,640
Likes: 300
From: In front of a computer
The airfield operators are blaming the CAA for this ridiculous restriction.
They now operate a private Unlicensed aerodrome - the CAA are not involved.
Maybe somebody is hiding behind this as an excuse for their own problems?
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,827
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From: Sometimes north, sometimes south
The main issue will I suspect be the integration of the remaining commercial air transport traffic (Bond Offshore Helicopters) with any private GA traffic. Are they still providing full ATC or has that been withdrawn? And if it has, are they operating on A/G Radio only?
I can't think of any other places where commercial passenger helicopter traffic is operating from an unlicensed field where there are other uncontrolled movements taking place.
NS
I can't think of any other places where commercial passenger helicopter traffic is operating from an unlicensed field where there are other uncontrolled movements taking place.
NS
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,115
Likes: 4
From: Yorkshire
One movement per hour with 48 hours notice
MJ
