J G 927 Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 An interesting short article on Gatwicks proposed second runway. watch the video! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29917406 Link to post Share on other sites
mutley 4,493 Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Nice countryside but we have plenty more, and we need this runway. Link to post Share on other sites
needles 1,011 Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Lovely green fields being covered in tar. Boohoo hoo. Our green and pleasant land is disappearing under concrete and tar, all for the sake of a holiday. Boo! Link to post Share on other sites
mutley 4,493 Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Second thoughts, move it to Boris Island Link to post Share on other sites
J G 927 Posted November 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 I am for the Gatwick option myself, It seems the most viable. Link to post Share on other sites
Christopher Low 63 Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 A second runway at Gatwick would seem to make more sense than one anywhere else, although it always makes me sad when trees and fields have to be destroyed Link to post Share on other sites
britfrog 180 Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 it makes sense to me especially as there are only 163 houses involved however it wont change anything at Heathrow because that is where the passengers and the airlines want to go. it will only increase gatwicks capacity. The sooner the politicians start working for the majority of the population the better as they pander far too much to the minorities. it is not a case of if heathrow will get another runway just when and the sooner the ministers bite the bullet the better for all concerned Link to post Share on other sites
stu7708 244 Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 I assume Gatwick had 2 runways once upon a time considering there are two runways in default FSX, and the one active now is stilled called 08R/26L.. Why did they remove the second one in the first place if they needed two runways?? (Apologies if that is mentioned in the video, about to head home from work and I don't have the time to watch it since I need to drop of a co-worker at ESSA for his flight home)... Link to post Share on other sites
brett 2,302 Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 I read Nigels comments and I had to think to myself, WTF? I own a home and someone wants to take it for progress that doesn't directly effect me as I was already happy in my home. The greater good? The greater good always seems to make someone else richer and the homeowner poorer. Link to post Share on other sites
Christopher Low 63 Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Mikael, Runway 08L/26R is only used when work has to be done on 08R/26L. They are far too close together to be used at the same time. Gatwick needs a proper second runway, with another terminal and relevant facilities. How it survives with only a single runway is one of the wonders of the modern world Link to post Share on other sites
dodgy-alan 1,587 Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Could be worse, they could try and revive the 1947 Heathrow plans! Link to post Share on other sites
allardjd 1,853 Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Have a look at Chicago-Midway. Completely land-locked by the city. John 1 Link to post Share on other sites
MartinW 0 Posted November 7, 2014 Report Share Posted November 7, 2014 Don't build any new runways. Sorry but I don't buy this "we NEED a new runway". They don't NEED a new runway, they WANT one so they can make more mega bucks. It doesn't matter about the impact on nature, or the multitude of people having their homes taken away and being paid peanuts. It doesn't matter about the increase in pollution, or noise, no sir, just mega bucks. Same thing happened at my local airport. We MUST have a second super long runway they claimed. Nope, they wanted one. In the end they settled for an extension to the existing runway, and all is well. Now they are perfectly happy without their multiple runway airport. Our current economic system doesn't work, it can't work, it's about the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, that formula will inevitably result in unrest. The so called governments don't represent us at all, they exist to further their own agendas, namely get richer, and tell the public what they want to hear so they can get re-elected. The 85 richest people in the world, have as much wealth as half the Earths entire population. That is quite frankly nuts! Link to post Share on other sites
needles 1,011 Posted November 7, 2014 Report Share Posted November 7, 2014 Bravo Martin. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
ddavid 149 Posted November 7, 2014 Report Share Posted November 7, 2014 +1 Martin. Better to spend the money on better public transport. No, belay that - no money in it... Cheers - Dai. Link to post Share on other sites
hifly 925 Posted November 7, 2014 Report Share Posted November 7, 2014 The recently closed Manston airport in Kent might be a reasonable alternative. With a high speed rail spur to link into Ashford/London route it could take some of the pressure off other airports. Just my 1 Link to post Share on other sites
dodgy-alan 1,587 Posted November 7, 2014 Report Share Posted November 7, 2014 That's what I would have thought as well, it has the longest runway in Britain and is/was the major diversion airport for aircraft in trouble. Developed properly, Manston would make a superb new airport. The transport links are there, the space is there, the wherewithall to do it just isn't. Probably been sotopped by the NIMBYs in Dover and Margate. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Christopher Low 63 Posted November 7, 2014 Report Share Posted November 7, 2014 Heathrow has by far the longest runways in Britain. Link to post Share on other sites
J G 927 Posted November 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 Gatwick traffic levels are limited by the single runway as landing and taking off aircraft have to be carefully managed to share the runway. A second runway would enable a much higher turnover of aircraft and improve safety margins. I live half way between Heathrow and Gatwick (1/2 hour from each by car), close to Farnborough (10 mins) and Fareoaks airports (15 mins), so the skys are very busy. I would love to see a second runway to help reduce the number of aircraft in holding patterns above me. Link to post Share on other sites
dodgy-alan 1,587 Posted November 8, 2014 Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 Heathrow has by far the longest runways in Britain. But Heathrow wasn't a diversionary airport. Manston was always the go-to diversionary. Heathrows are longer but Manston was certainly big enough. Only recently BA were test flying their A380s from there. Sadly the airfiled closed earlier this year. In my mind a great rescource has neen wasted. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Christopher Low 63 Posted November 8, 2014 Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 I wonder if any other relatively large airports in Britain will be closed in the near future? Manston, Blackpool and Filton are history, and I suspect that EGNV Durham Tees Valley is probably on shaky ground. Link to post Share on other sites
mike H 456 Posted November 8, 2014 Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 Heathrow has by far the longest runways in Britain. But Heathrow wasn't a diversionary airport. Manston was always the go-to diversionary. Heathrows are longer but Manston was certainly big enough. Only recently BA were test flying their A380s from there. Sadly the airfiled closed earlier this year. In my mind a great rescource has neen wasted. Alan us locals who live, worked and love Manston have not given up on her just yet. If I remember Manston was also one of the emergency runways for the Space Shuttle. As the runway is so wide, during WW2 it was split into three separate runways so it could handle multi landings at the same time. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
hifly 925 Posted November 8, 2014 Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 Yes Mike, you must miss the activity at Manston now it's closed. With Pfizer and Manston going from the East Kent area which is already an economic backwater it must be a blow to the region. I'm sure the locals wouldn't mind some aircraft noise if it helped the local economy and upgrading connections to London would certainly be cheaper than Boris Island. It might also have less environmental impact than those closer to London. As to the argument as to whether we need another airport/runway, one only has to look at Flightradar24 to see the amount of airline traffic coming into the UK compared to continental hubs. The UK appears to receive the most intercontinental traffic. Improved transport infrastructure brings benefits to both the local and national economy. If the UK cannot provide the capacity for growth in aviation then someone else will and reap the benefits. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
ddavid 149 Posted November 9, 2014 Report Share Posted November 9, 2014 With more than twice the number of holiday passengers to business passengers, the need for another runway is clearly to boost tourism. We have an unusual situation: visitors fly to the UK as residents fly away for their holiday(s). Ask yourself if this situation is sustainable. Cheap flights depend almost wholly on subsidized (and un-taxed) fuel. We're not going to achieve our climate change targets by carrying on in this fashion, are we? But, maybe the good of our grand-children doesn't enter into the equation. I don't fly. O.K., you may say I'm taking the high moral ground, but at least I'm voting with my feet! Cheers - Dai. Link to post Share on other sites
britfrog 180 Posted November 10, 2014 Report Share Posted November 10, 2014 Interestingly Manston is still listed as a MEDA (Master emergency diversion airfield) as was Greenham Common , thiey were declared the places to land an aircraft in the case of a hijack, as they were not easily overlooked and there were army barrachs close by. I do hope common sense plays a part and Manston is re-opened. However I could be wrong, but I believe Fairford was the only UK airport apponted to take a shuttle as it had specialy trained fire and rescue crews who would know how to receive a damaged shuttle. Dai, I admire your stance, however whilst I am the first to say it scares me when I see how many aircraft are in the skies and how many are on order, as long as governemnts avoid tackling the question of pollution and just pay lip service to the greens there is little or no hope for our children. When companies can justify making a "Hybrid " car and declare it is a low carbon car, yet the batteries are made from chemicals mined in south america , taken to japan for processing , then sent to another country to make them into batteries that are shipped back to Japan before being sent around the world, this is insanity! how can manufacturers justify cutting cloth for clothing in Estonia, then sending it to Hungary to be stiched into something resembling a garment which is then sent to Turkey to have zips installed and then trucked to the UK for sale? look at the packaging that you get from supermarkets, are the government trying to stop that? I think when you look at the big picture aircraft as Mr o Leary says , are a small part of a far bigger problem. Link to post Share on other sites
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