Woodford - A Sad Day
 

A sad sad day, the announcement that BAE Systems are to cut 1100 jobs and close the Woddford facility.

It will be an end of an era Woodford closing, a site of significance in British aviation history.

Thoughts to all those concerned and of memories of some great times. :(

If true what can I say.
Xmas parties when a child.
Super air displays.
Some very strange golfing shelters .
A very sad day.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8256404.stm has fuller details.

We don't build aircraft anymore so why the surprise? The Nimrod MR4 was a rebuild of the 1970s Nimrod MR2, a moronic decision for so many reasons, symptomatic of the mad procurement decisions made by the MOD.
Since Typhoon is being cut back, there will be no more aircraft built in the UK ever again. Good thing we're dependent on Financial Services now. Oh wait....

We got what we voted for, it's a bit late to moan now.

Around 12 years ago BAe had a fantastic opportunity to open up Woodford to GA, the existing charter + GA activity at Manchester and to be a FBO for other executive and charter operators who would have otherwise have gone to Manchester.
Unfortunately, despite the enthusiastic support of the ATC Management, BAe decided that they didn't need to make the aerodrome available to anyone but a minimal number of their own aircraft and also decided to kick out the small numbe of GA operators already there.

I was involved in the planning of the above on behalf of the FBO, we'd even gone as far as negotiating with NATS as to airspace management for increased movements in and out of Woodford. Had it all come off, I am positive that said FBO would now be making BAe an offer for the airfield.
Clearly there would have tremendous scope for use of some of the existing facilities for industrial use, the rest would have been for the GA and Executive Airfield as it would have been.

Such a shame such intransigence prevails.

Of course, the Stock Market loves the news and the shares have risen.

whats the odds on peel holdings buying woodford :confused:

Woodford: Birmingham (North) for a certain EI-registered airline!

Sould not joke I suppose, I am a Stockport-born lad with lots of relatives who have worked there for Avro, BAE etc. A sad piece of news, but lets hope it remains as an airfield. Alas, defence spending will probably be hammered by whichever Government is in power, so is there any long term hope for Woodford.

Probably housing or maybe industrial estate attached to to the one already at Adlington, but there is an awful lot of land and I could see the residents of
Woodford, Poynton and Prestbury not being very impressed

Ian B

Theres not a hope in hell of a airfield remaining, that land is worth a fortune ,no doubt about it it will go for housing development.

In its final years, Hatfield was being used by quite a number of executive aircraft there was an FBO, still did not stop the airfield succumbing to industrial and residential development.

I know of someone who has been battling with the local planners to get a small extension on his house with no joy. His house backs onto the airfield. The basis for their refusal is that would not be in keeping with the rural view !

If they can refuse such a small addition to a house, I think its highly unlikely that the land will have wholesale development on it, unless their are some slippery palms out there:rolleyes:

The MOD spent many millions resurfacing the 7500 ft runway recently just for the Nimrod contract. It really is a superb asset to the region and closure of the runway should be resisted at all costs. OK it has its problems, the fact that the airfield is only licensed for factory use, the proximity of Poynton and high ground to the east doesnt help. But surely it would make a superb servicing base, along the lines of Southend or Lasham.

I would love to see the likes of Peel holdings come along and buy the place. Woodford is right on the doorstep of the "Cheshire triangle" with one of the highest concentrations of millionaires in the country and only 20-30 mins from Manchester City centre so would be well placed to support an FBO

Given the local area the chance of a housing estate is slim to none, most houses around this aread are worth £400000 +, having a huge housing estate plonked next to them will simply de-value the area. One of the houses on moss lane applied to the powers that be to knock down and start from scratch a new house...big no no.

I also have a friend on Jenny lane that wanted to build a games room in his own back garden...nope said the powers that be.

For the above reasons i cant see the council letting Bovis or Barrett build 2-3 hundred houses on the site.

To the vast majority of those at Woodford I offer my sympathies, been there, done that.

They do say what goes around comes around.

I remember when BAe 146 production started to move north to Woodford, quite a lot of the Mancs that worked there couldn't give a stuff about their fellow workers at Hatfield. Some of the outworkers at Hatfield who you considered as mates, changed overnight when the announcement was made about the production line moving. I hope some of the gloaters are still there, now they know what it feels like.

Evanelpus.....What a fantastic and information filled post.

:ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh:

Man of Man

Thank you for your kind comment.

Would it not make sense for Manchester Airport Group to consider purchase of the site?

Whilst things are difficult right now, traffic ex-MAN WILL grow again and there will come a time when MAN will once again wish to reduce GA traffic in order to fill up the place with larger commercial jets, in addition to which the most logical place for a future new (low cost?) terminal would almost certainly be slap bang on top of where the maintenance area currently is.

Can't help feeling that the possible chance to pick up the Woodford site cheap now, which might give them an option of an alternative site to which to offer to move their resident GA, maintenance providers etc etc might make sense??

What GA aircraft? most moved away years ago and what is left is about 5 or 6 singles
plus the bizjet operation which doesn`t exactly cause any problems but does increase income to MAG

Ian B

Ok, by "GA" I was really referring to the bizjet stuff - sorry I wasn't clear!

Any idea on what's going to happen to the BAe Customer training center inside woodford? :confused: