[defcribed]

What's the long term gain?

[chevvron]

I'm a bit wary of University Vice Chancellors; according to news reports many seem to earn 6 figure salaries starting with '3' and do very little, but that's only news reports and who believes them?

[AlexJR]

2D - that video just makes me realise how very little/nothing a newly qualified VFR pilot knows...

Amazing on a day like that you guys still get to punch out above it.

[Buzzc150]

Thanks Bob, I appreciate your view point and your wish to stick up for them. If the remote tower works and associated closures were an isolated incident I’d be more patient but the truth is the Cranfield operation have been awful for a long long time. They have little or no regard for the GA operators and the airfield/university has been mismanaged for a decade or more. I was based there for a number of years in the mid 2000’s and made many friends within the university, most of whom have left recently in sheer exasperation at the scale of calamity.
As for the plans to woo the biz jets I wish them well but at the moment I don’t see it happening. Aside from having potential parking space, Cranfield offers nothing. I grant you that Luton is becoming full but between Oxford, Farnborough, Biggin and others there is enough capacity. Netjets bought a lease on a plot of land as hedge betting exercise in case Northolt was sold. As it happens they now outsource all maintenance to third parties anyway so the Cranfield plan died a long time ago as far as they are concerned. As an employee of said company, in nearly a dozen years I have never once been to Cranfield in a jet. Considering what a large portion of our business takes place in London I think this says something (hint, in a typical 6 day trip I will go to Farnborough, City, Stansted, Gatwick, Oxford etc several times).
Anyways, as for my personal frustrations, we are relocating the group aircraft to Turweston until the works are complete. Unfortunately our training authorisation is tied to Azure which is based at Cranfield, hence our need to stay for the time being.
I would love to be proved wrong as Cranfield could be great.....it certainly used to be not so long ago.

[Bobcro]

Thanks Buzzc150, it's not a case of sticking up for Cranfield but passing on News and information that I feel that users should know. You need to have to look at Cranfield on Google Earth to see the changes that have already taken place and search for planning applications to see the multi million developments that already have outline planning approval. All of these bring jobs with long term security to many. The University New website has information on the developments.

There has always been a shortage of parking for biz jets but this should be resolved with the new jet centre. Re graded runway etc.

Biggin Hill have extended the use by training organisations for another 2 years but state that Luton are squeezing Bizjets out as they want passengers through their terminal spending money which is a valuable source of income. Biggin want exec jets not circuit basing singles.

The Cranfield Master Plan shows that the Control Tower and Fire station will be demolished. The FS being near the 26 threshold on taxyway C.

I was selling aircraft from Cranfield from 64-67 then 76 until recently and am flying on Thursday and next week as well. Tony and will miss the opportunity of flying FZ at weekends but won't permanently relocate.

The evidence is that the VC and his team see the airfield playing a major part in the future of the University for aircraft and importantly UAV activity in cooperation with Oakley based Blue Bear.

Controllers used to be readily available and spares available at short notice as did FRS staff but regulations have changed as have duty hours and training.

It's not easy to keep a check on things but if you log in to NATS and search NOTAMS for the next month future known closures will be shown.

[PeteSpencer]

Will the new Cranfield virtual tower incorporate some kind of radar feed or are we stuck for all eternity with procedural instrument approaches?

Or will there be another airspace grab to accommodate/protect the legions of expected bizjets from all of us GA weekenders.

Peter

[2Donkeys]

@Bobcro

I think that the difficulty with all that you are telling us, is that fun though it may be for Cranfield to dream of welcoming legions of imaginary biz jets into its new tower and lovely fire station, none of this offers anything to a bloke in a PA28 who wants to go for a quick flight on a Saturday afternoon.

Indeed, we blokes in PA28s are as nothing in Cranfield's imaginary future plans - until of course, the Bizjets fail to bite. Then we will be re-welcomed with low landing fees as before, in the hope of keeping the lights on.

Time will tell, and meanwhile, those of us who need certainty around our flying will vote with our feet - and our teeny tiny wallets.

[Orac]

I didn’t realise the old tower was due to be demolished, didn’t spot it in their planning applications. Anyone fancy an application to get it listed building status if under threat??

[Bobcro]

I doubt if Cranfield Airport has ever made a worthwhile return on its investment from a allowing small GA aircraft to proliferate on the field.

For various reasons, not just cyclic recessions Rogers went bust for £4.5m followed not in any order by Trent, Cabair X 2, International Test Pilots School, Costick, Bonus plus numerous flying clubs and operations of a dubious nature.

The plans for the long term development have always been well publicised by planning applications and exhibitions.

Peter S why ask me questions that you know I cannot answer as I have no more access to privileged information than you? I thought that you enjoyed an NDB Approach.

For the record I did build my own office at Cranfield and after 30+ years they wanted the land back for development. I moved on as some of you have had to do. By working with them progress can be made and they do listen to constructive comments but progress may be slower than when you are dealing with a private company.


End of my comments on this topic.

[James Chan]

the AD is closed how can the ATZ remain active,

This CAA Policy Statement states:

3.4 Hours of ATZ activation will be limited to the notified hours of watch of the air traffic service unit or of the air/ground communication service, as published in the UK AIP

(my underline)

[Dusty_B]

Thanks 2D.
Strange, it doesn’t show in my NOTAM app.

Propably because the NOTAM doesn't come in to effect until 29th October, and therefore is filtered out. Change your 'date of flight' accordingly and it will appear.

[defcribed]

fun though it may be for Cranfield to dream of welcoming legions of imaginary biz jets into its new tower and lovely fire station

I call this BDF: Business Development Fantasy.

You see it everywhere. It's the same as Farnborough randomly predicting an enormous increase in their movements. It's the same as the potential new tenant for our village pub who thinks that just because he's got a plan it will suddenly take £10k a week through the till.

Those with a vision, ambition and enthusiasm have always had rose-tinted glasses. The problem is that these days, those who control the funding seem to have lost the ability to see the gap between fantasy and reality.

[chevvron]

You see it everywhere. It's the same as Farnborough randomly predicting an enormous increase in their movements. It's the same as the potential new tenant for our village pub who thinks that just because he's got a plan it will suddenly take £10k a week through the till.

Oi don't go picking on Farnborough as an example, instead why not the airport formerly known as Finningley; getting vaste swathes of controlled airspace for predicting traffic which has never (unlike Farnborough) happened even after all this time and now they're refusing to relinquish it.

[defcribed]

Wherever you like chevvron, we're not short of examples when it comes to airports!

[diverdriver]

Dear oh dear don't you all realise the purpose of airports is to provide employment for ATC and fire crews?