SE England - new mega-airport required soon!!
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SE England - new mega-airport required soon!!
It was depressing to read yesterday's Times article about how Paris CDG "is" going to overtake LHR as Europe's main hub within the next few years. CDG is about to open a fourth runway next month and a sixth terminal by 2003. Even other major European airports such as Frankfurt and Amsterdam Schipol are expanding at a pace. As if that wasn't bad news enough, reading the preliminary reports about Terminal 5 and all the potential restrictions that are likely to be imposed on it should it be built made me wonder why I bother being British!
Why is Britain (I refuse to use the word "Great") so short-sighted and insular in its outlook towards future progress and prosperity? Time and time again good, even great ideas and inventions have been spawned in this country only to be squandered by those hell-bent on maintaining British mediocrity or governments or corporations unwilling to support projects in the long- term. When my father used to work for Bristol Aircraft in the 1950s there were so many good designs and developments that never got off the drawing-board or were short-lived, he sometimes wondered why he bothered at all.
I am totally sick of hearing or reading about Britain's decline!!
If LHR or LGW cannot be properly expanded then expand Stansted or build another bloody major airport but for gawd's sake do something quickly. This culture of stagnation and procrastination and over-concern about offending the sensibilities of the fickle-minded electorate is taking this country to the knacker's yard.
Will the government of the day please pull its finger out, grasp the political nettle and do something about long-term development of air travel in Britain. And while there, it can sort out public transport, education, health and a whole host of other dilapidations as well!
Yours frustrated,
Xwind
[This message has been edited by Crosswind Limits (edited 02 June 2001).]
Why is Britain (I refuse to use the word "Great") so short-sighted and insular in its outlook towards future progress and prosperity? Time and time again good, even great ideas and inventions have been spawned in this country only to be squandered by those hell-bent on maintaining British mediocrity or governments or corporations unwilling to support projects in the long- term. When my father used to work for Bristol Aircraft in the 1950s there were so many good designs and developments that never got off the drawing-board or were short-lived, he sometimes wondered why he bothered at all.
I am totally sick of hearing or reading about Britain's decline!!
If LHR or LGW cannot be properly expanded then expand Stansted or build another bloody major airport but for gawd's sake do something quickly. This culture of stagnation and procrastination and over-concern about offending the sensibilities of the fickle-minded electorate is taking this country to the knacker's yard.
Will the government of the day please pull its finger out, grasp the political nettle and do something about long-term development of air travel in Britain. And while there, it can sort out public transport, education, health and a whole host of other dilapidations as well!
Yours frustrated,
Xwind
[This message has been edited by Crosswind Limits (edited 02 June 2001).]
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Am i mistaken or was i dreaming when I was an f/o on the 3rd aircraft to take off from the new runway at paris last year?? Admittedly I have had a change of fleet and havent flown into to CDG this year. Did they shut 27L or something?
But yes as a nation we need to pull ourselves together and balance up the national needs with the needs of local protestors and not take years to do it!
But yes as a nation we need to pull ourselves together and balance up the national needs with the needs of local protestors and not take years to do it!
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We all know that new runways are desperately needed, the only new runway to be built in UK in 40 years is the new one at Manchester, and that doesnt give MCT true simultaneous runway ops. I have recently read a report that says southern UK will need at least 5 new international sized runways within next 10 years!!!!!!!!! Dream on. We wont even get one. The only new runway on the cards is at STN, and that is only an auxiliary runway like the spare taxiway at LGW and will in no way increase capacity. it is only needed to allow resurfacing of the original. Even more tragic is the fact that BAA owns all the farmland to the East of STN and is in a position to immediately build another true parallel runway on its own land if only they could get past the decades of public enquiries that would be needed. Still, at present STN is showing all the signs of maxing out on parking stands so even if the will & funds were there (and Swampy and his evil spawn were not) it would be 10 years of purgatory before the congestion was eased. Usual British problem - too little, too late.
Tragically I fear the bunny huggers and nimbys will prevent all attempts to increase out air capacity (look at how successful theyve been over T4 at LHR which has nothing to do with allowing more aircraft movements). Sadly these imbeciles will prevent our taking a full part in aerial transport in years & decades to come, and by their selfishness and ignorance will allow the prosperity and jobs go to sen sible folks like the French.
I dont suppose these dolts will refrain from complaining bitterly at the delays and spiralling costs whenever they go on holiday, or will have the intelligence/moral honesty to accept that theit redundancy/delays/expensive hols/damaged national economy is purely a selfishly inflicted injury.
GRRRRRRRRR!
Rant over!
Tragically I fear the bunny huggers and nimbys will prevent all attempts to increase out air capacity (look at how successful theyve been over T4 at LHR which has nothing to do with allowing more aircraft movements). Sadly these imbeciles will prevent our taking a full part in aerial transport in years & decades to come, and by their selfishness and ignorance will allow the prosperity and jobs go to sen sible folks like the French.
I dont suppose these dolts will refrain from complaining bitterly at the delays and spiralling costs whenever they go on holiday, or will have the intelligence/moral honesty to accept that theit redundancy/delays/expensive hols/damaged national economy is purely a selfishly inflicted injury.
GRRRRRRRRR!
Rant over!
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Quite so!
If I was in the position of the simpering idiot in No. 10 I'd make sure Swampy and his sponging mates stayed grubby earning their benefit fraud by buildibg all those new runways, and serve em right too. Work would be a new experience to them, the idle louts.
If I was in the position of the simpering idiot in No. 10 I'd make sure Swampy and his sponging mates stayed grubby earning their benefit fraud by buildibg all those new runways, and serve em right too. Work would be a new experience to them, the idle louts.
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Hey Crosswind Limits
The "Great" in Great Britain has nothing to do with Greatness as in importance but referres to size as in "Brittany" as oposed to "Grande Brittany" the name given to what is now the United Kingdom by the Romans. And no, I don't call Britain great either. ;-))
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Every man has his price and the incorruptible man the highest price of all.
The "Great" in Great Britain has nothing to do with Greatness as in importance but referres to size as in "Brittany" as oposed to "Grande Brittany" the name given to what is now the United Kingdom by the Romans. And no, I don't call Britain great either. ;-))
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Every man has his price and the incorruptible man the highest price of all.
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Actually AOG YYZ does have something to boast about - a new runway to be opened on the east side of YYZ.
That having been said, it's high time Westminster (and let's be honest, Blair inherited this clusterf...) either realises it needs to build a new airport in the Southeast or be overflown to the Euro mainland gateways.
I say this as an anorak who spent many half-terms on the roof of the Queen's Building, jotting numbers in my I-Spy books!
Get yer finger out indeed!
dd
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I do believe FRA is the next airport after LHR, shame the UK might be missing another opportunity to lead the pack. Later, it will be difficult to catch up if they still want to be take part in the race. Thouhgt, wished, the uk was more on the ball 
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If you can't save the engine...save the airframe
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If you can't save the engine...save the airframe
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Re: the title of this thread.
It may well be needed but it's not going to happen. Do Cublington, Nuthampstead and Maplin ring a bell ? Land demands have not declined in the intervening 30 years. There will be no green field airport in the SE, or anywhere else in England for that matter.
No additional 'real' runways at LHR, LGW, STN or LTN either (well maybe LTN). Which leaves development of other existing airports/bases, some of which were mentioned but all of them are too far away from London to be viable. With a HSR link, Lydd would be a possibility were it not for the inevitable devastation of surrounding wetlands.
I'm pro-aviation and not particularly anti-British but facts have to be faced, however unpalatable. CDG, AMS and possibly FRA will eclipse LHR within the next ten years. Get over it.
It may well be needed but it's not going to happen. Do Cublington, Nuthampstead and Maplin ring a bell ? Land demands have not declined in the intervening 30 years. There will be no green field airport in the SE, or anywhere else in England for that matter.
No additional 'real' runways at LHR, LGW, STN or LTN either (well maybe LTN). Which leaves development of other existing airports/bases, some of which were mentioned but all of them are too far away from London to be viable. With a HSR link, Lydd would be a possibility were it not for the inevitable devastation of surrounding wetlands.
I'm pro-aviation and not particularly anti-British but facts have to be faced, however unpalatable. CDG, AMS and possibly FRA will eclipse LHR within the next ten years. Get over it.
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I’m afraid that it’s time to dust off those plans for Maplin (Thames Estuary) again. It’s the only place that would provide the space and airspace required for a major terminal. It’s also just about the only place close to London that isn’t in a conservative constituency, won’t destroy the only habitat for the lesser spotted yellow mushroom eating butterfly shagger, and impossible to be tunnelled under by Swampy. Also no shortage of Essex girls for future series of Airpork/Airswine.
Start building it ten years ago.
Start building it ten years ago.
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Once upon a time UK was the last bit of land (OK, apart from Shannon) on the way to N.America, and aircraft had ranges that would just get them across the Atlantic on a tank-full.
So everybody from 'mainland Europe" had to fly to UK to jump off for US.
Now that ain't the case - no more "captive market"
Tony - if Joe Public puts you back in power next week, get your @ss into gear
as for the Euro - how about renaming it the N.Atlantic Peso. You really wanna join that
So everybody from 'mainland Europe" had to fly to UK to jump off for US.
Now that ain't the case - no more "captive market"
Tony - if Joe Public puts you back in power next week, get your @ss into gear
as for the Euro - how about renaming it the N.Atlantic Peso. You really wanna join that
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'More operations needed at Heathrow' is a bit like the 'red car effect' (you know - manufacturers make red cars because people buy them, people buy red cars because that's what the manufacturers make!)
There is an assumption that the London/Essex SE England area must have all the runways, because that's where people wish to travel from. But is that really the case? For example, why do airports such as Bristol have such appalling road/rail links? Why have all the ex-USAFE aerodromes in East Anglia been allowed to deteriorate?
What is needed FIRST is investment and expansion of existing airports away from London, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Manchesterr BEFORE anyone starts trying to build green field airports. However, personally I think that Alconbury would be a reasonable site for a future airport. But would the interests of Conington, Sibson etc be protected? The only other real choice would be Foulness.....
There is an assumption that the London/Essex SE England area must have all the runways, because that's where people wish to travel from. But is that really the case? For example, why do airports such as Bristol have such appalling road/rail links? Why have all the ex-USAFE aerodromes in East Anglia been allowed to deteriorate?
What is needed FIRST is investment and expansion of existing airports away from London, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Manchesterr BEFORE anyone starts trying to build green field airports. However, personally I think that Alconbury would be a reasonable site for a future airport. But would the interests of Conington, Sibson etc be protected? The only other real choice would be Foulness.....