I totally agree with ETOPS (the thread starter) that living in Cheshire is a difficult area to own an aircraft.

Having spent eighteen months at Liverpool I am now moving my Archer to Chester for a variety of reasons, however the choices I had within an approximate hours drive of my home took me from Blackpool to East Midlands.

Like ETOPS I don't want to operate off a grass field. I want a full facility airfield with a reasonable chance of finding it in bad weather without 'scud running' in under low stratus.

There is nothing in the area that fits the bill and as stated above, for a catchment area the size of Manchester and the North West it's a national scandal that we have to either be bled dry by greedy operators at the major airports or face hangar rash and water logging at the minors.

seriously? :ok:

Yes. National.

We are decimating our GA facilities in this country and sooner or later there will be nowhere to keep an aircraft other than a farm strip (If you're lucky enough to have one nearby)

The value of GA aircraft will fall as no one will be able to afford the costs of keeping one elsewhere and that will simply mean that a few will survive (at great cost to those privileged enough to afford them) at some major airports.

But maybe there's no risk of that in Northumberland right now so you're OK.

GA facilities for aircraft and pilots die and on the other side they hurray the raise of flying cars for less skilled drivers as innovation, isn't that stupid?

It somehow reminds me of a discussion with some communists on proposed participation on productive property and why they deny stock shares are exactly that ...

Why are there so few paved GA fields in the area - too many small gras airstrips, too little money for private aviation, no wish to fly there?

Have to say BoeingBoy I agree ...

There are at least 1 million people living in the combined south sides of Liverpool and Manchester. Add in the wealthy areas of North Cheshire and the picture begins to look "odd" to say the least. A factor is the terrain to the East and North that limits possibilities there. There is also the density of housing/industrial areas which would also limit the insertion of a new build facility.

Every which way I cut it I keep coming back to Stretton - you could rehabilitate the east section of the runway 26 giving a 1000m strip at a width up to 45m wide with clear approaches both ends. No housing areas affected and a very minor bulge of the low level route would keep you out of the EGCC CTR...

Not going to happen though :hmm:

Northumberland is no better off than Cheshire, but I would suggest that more people think it's a national scandal that we aren't connected to the nation's motorway network rather than the lack of facilities for private aircraft - I was just questioning the sense of proportion :eek:

North of Manchester is not really any better until you get to Blackpool, Barton is OK in the Summer, but as pointed out, a bit short and gets boggy in the winter.

Samlesbury. Another wasted airfield.

There are several disused airfields around, they have one thing in common - nobody has bothered to get organised and ask the owners for permission to use them.

How do you know no one has asked?

https://www.insidermedia.com/insider...ld-green-light


Council approve plans to develop former airfield site into underground garage (From Warrington Guardian)

The design of this garage will be straight out of the James Bond design studio allowing the chap pictured to sit in a high backed leather chair admiring his collection of sports cars whilst stroking an unfeasibly fluffy white cat..........