Blackpool airport just lost another business user!
 

Flew into EGNH today, as we have done many times in the past, to pick up a TVR engineer. Intention was to remain RR as we were on a tight schedule and had to be 'down sarth' for a meeting. Private trip. Co-pilot held the controls whilst I donned the dayglo vest and traipsed off to the security hut to escort the pax.
In so doing I entered a world of officialdom rarely seen on such a scale for such a facility.
Suffice to say, we will not be using Blackpool for such 'services' again.
I had pre-noted everything that I could think of but no-one outside of the tower seemed to know what was going on.
Despite their web-site claims, they are not encouraging people who have to be somewhere else rather than watching a clerk cross-check the reg and type you've already given them against a list of aircraft types.
Thank heavens for a sense of humour!

20 minutes to pick up one pax is not encouraging business users.

D

How about 30 mins to get a refuel at Liverpool this morning on the main apron. Had booked it the night before and reconfirmed 5 minutes before I arrived at the pre-arranged time of 0645. Had to go to the refuel office to give the staff a gentle nudge in the direction of the chopper. Finally got airborne at 0719; 19 minutes late! Thanks Esso.

When will airport staff realise that the whole point of aviation is to get from a to b quickly?

I think it should be compulsory for all airport handling staff to visit Nothampton Sywell for a lesson in how an airport should be run!

No wonder I'm going bald.

JJ

PS. Edited to say thank you and give credit to the refuellers at Filton who were there to meet me when I arraived, as pre-arranged.

EESDL


Interesting post , doesn't surprise me though , heard lots of complaints about the way this airport is being run these days
since the recent sale. Lots of gripes from GA and business
operators from what I'm hearing.

Did you arrange handling by a local agent ? Would it have been
possible to pick up your pax by using a facility run by a local Airport based heli operator to pick up your pax ......or did you not have any choice.

No wonder corporate stuff appears to boycott the main apron
and use the seperate corporate facility (privately run) on the
other part of the airfield.

You will go a long way to beat Sheffield for mismanagement.....

The airport is about to be sold by the Council to Peel Holdings for the princely sum of ONE POUND (yes £1) which leaves the council owed £25 million... give or take...

and guess whos been operating it for the council all this time and ran up the debt..?? thats right PEEL.....

And whats the order of business once they own it... FLOG two thirds of the airfield and build business and residential....

Well done Sheffield Council.... and very Shrewd, Peel Holdings...

Peel Holdings also own Manchester Barton and they have recently started charging the Police landing fees (even through they don't land on the airfield).

South Yorkshire Police should probably expect to be doing the same thing soon.

FNW.

We flew into Manchester Barton for fuel recently with a 206 and 350 on a charter. They must have the slowest fuel pump in the country for Avtur. It took over an hour to fuel these two and it was not due to the poor guy on the hose who was very sorry about it. The delivery rate was simply little more than a drip. He told us he had been complaining for some time but apparantly those with the cheque book were not interested in paying out to improve the equipment.

We have since crossed the field off of our list of places to fuel on jobs as we do not have that long to waste when working!

Jellycopter
You're just too tall for your hair!!

Tristarlover
Pray tell me who this private company is that could prove beneficial in future - if I'm too heavy to get out of alternative site!!

That will make some very hard working people very sad indeed.

I can only recommend using one of the other companies on the field to facilitate you and circumvent the security hut.

Sadly we can not look after you, though it would be in theory an absolute doddle for us. But I think the powers that be would call it not being core buisness.

morris1

Sheffield has never been owned by the council - the land is leased from a company that has the option to buy the lease for £1 after 10 years.

This time scale has now been reduced but the £1 value does not take into account the huge losses suffered by the Airport over the past 7 years.

However, notwithstanding those losses still good business for BOTH companies that jointly own the Airport (Peel only moved in 2002)

But the mis-management is legendary amongst the operators there.

Ah well - will all be a dim and distant memory once the bulldozers move in shortly!!!

We gave up using the main apron at Liverpool a long time ago due to the long wait for fuel. Try wandering along the taxiway to the Kilo ramp and see the nice people at LAS for your fuel. Top bunch of guys, who are there to meet you with the bowser as you taxi in. Can't do a rotors run refuel, but are quick and turn us round in 10-15 mins.

Magbreak,

I usually use LAS but their bowser is u/s so it's off to the main apron if you need jet fuel.

I had no choice but to visit the main apron again this evening and the experience was totally different to yesterday. Despite it being a busy period for airliner movements, Ithe bowser arrived within about 4 minutes of parking and I was airborne again within 1/4 of an hour. Top show tonight Esso! Thank you.

JJ

flying s re sandtoft
called in the other day for fuel

i was told to join overhead at 2000 feet i explained i was in a helicopter but that did not matter

i also asked the radio opp guy when i was on the ground and he confirmed it
when any training is taking place all aircraft must join with a standard overhead join at 2000ft

that one is off my list.

steve

Banjo Wrote:

Banjo,

Firstly apologies about the speed of the fuel delivery. Secondly, yes, the management aware aware of the fuel speed problem. The issue is a complicated one. The airfield is now run by a new management company who are at present actively looking into options for a new fuel contract, within which are looking into things like replacement pumps, mobile bowsers etc, all aimed at improving the service to customers and increasing the flexibility of what we can offer. There is certainly no hesitation in spending, providing that it can be afforded within defined planned budgets. Whilst I cannot offer a short term solution, all I can say is watch this space.

OHJ is a standard join at many GA fields, and the odds are it was in the approach sheet anyhow. Where's the problem - that you didn't read Pooleys, called up close to the field and were forced to climb when you didn't expect it?

G

Raher like cricket, when you are in till you are out, a helicopter finds it strange to climb in order to descend ....


h-r:)

I said this above, and arguably was a little critical of MD600 driver.

I've now been re-united with my current Pooleys, and am going to retract what I've said and explain why.

Sandtoft does not publish in Pooleys, AFE or (so far as I can tell) anywhere else a mandatory OHJ. What is stated in both however is that the airfield radio is A/G only. It also does not state any requirement for mandatory PPR.

So, whilst it might be good practice, nobody is requiring you to phone and get a briefing, nor are they publishing a particular join. Also, in instructing you to make a particular join, the A/G operator was seriously exceeding what they are allowed to do. So I take it all back.


That said, I've been in and out of Sandtoft quite a few times, and rather like the place - they do a mean pie and chips! I'm inclined to think that you found them on an off day. If you have an hour to spare there sometime, get somebody to show you the graveyard with the rotting Lancaster and B-25 over the other side of the runway from the hangars.

(Incidentally, many Spamcan drivers asked to make an OHJ have to climb for it too!).

G

Gengis
i go to sandtoft quite often but this was either new or i did not know about before
glad to see you read your pooleys now . i could say now i read mine but i didnt
steve

Ah well, there's a lesson for both of us.

Particularly because if somebody starts exceeding their authority and instructing you to do things they aren't allowed to, you can use all 2 lbf of it to beat some sense into them.

G

Navy and Puma don't go together...

Lynx? Or RAF Puma?

;)

(edited to remove the rest of the post as the moderators obviously don't like to show all of the occurence only the bit that suits them. Me thinks they must be buddies with the other bloke!!)


(Edited to remove the rest of the tirade against MD600. :rolleyes:

Heliport
Moderator)


Happy landings!!:rolleyes: :mad: :mad: :mad: :ok: