Loss of airfields

Some bright news from across the Channel for a change.

Postby Jean Bart » Fri Nov 14, 2014 13:32

Hi guys,

I’m the airport manager and I’m not surprised by what I’m reading here. The French CAA has almost left the place
and found it necessary to deploy parachutes and umbrella during the transition. However we’re more that opened
and let me tell you something, we are there to kick some a… We hired an english speaking FISO, we maitain the ILS,
we will cancel all these notams that are just transition notams, we have still customs and I opened a special duty free
wine store for you pilots who like fine wine and champagne. So we’re not dead, it’s just the beginning of a rebirth.
Regarding practical matters, please try to speak french on radio (two or three words to learn), don’t forget to send custom
reports. IFR by night is difficult but was difficult even before ATC closure but if you wanna come by night ifr, the rule is to
come over the airfield vmc, by day IFR training always possible but with higher minimas (circling minimas). PCL works so
you can depart by night. And I give my word, by february or march we’ll have ATS service again (me and two of my collegues)
and everything will be back in order (and bye bye ludicrous notams)
If you have practical questions, just leave me a PM or public post and we will probably refresh the airport website
regarding your concerns.

Louis Bleriot was a Calais inhabitant and made the first flight to cross the channel so don’t worry guys, we won’t let bad things
happen to our airport.

The Airport Manager

Moggy

Re #4: Don’t quite understand the relevance of your post. By 1935, the airfield had been in existence for twenty years – originally as an Aircraft Acceptance Park for the Royal Flying Corps. Aircraft had been built at Filton since 1910.

… Given the part it played in the development of aviation in this country, there might be a future for Filton as an aviation themed museum on the lines of Duxford but, it would necessarily have to be supported by the taxpayer. I can imagine the popularity of that..

Something like this might work http://www.bristolaero.org/ 😉

Assuming that your campaign – with which I have every sympathy – is successful in preventing Filton from being concreted over, how do you intend to make the airfield productive and pay its way ?

There is no use to which it could be put that comes even close to rivalling the monumental pot of gold that is otherwise known as planning consent for residential and commercial development.

That is the problem. Aviation cannot provide the answer. Too little demand chasing too much supply. Given the part it played in the development of aviation in this country, there might be a future for Filton as an aviation themed museum on the lines of Duxford but, it would necessarily have to be supported by the taxpayer. I can imagine the popularity of that.

One solution might be to sell it off for the said purpose of large scale re-development but with the caveat that the prime contractor has to plan for a mixed scheme to provide an adequate hard runway with a modest amount of hangarage and office space for light aviation purposes.