Non-motoring > London needs more runways - St Helena has a spare Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Falkirk Bairn Replies: 17
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New Wed 14 Dec 16 07:40 
 London needs more runways - St Helena has a spare - Falkirk Bairn
UK spends £300m on an airport that is unsable.

Charles Darwin remarked on the windshear 150 years ago BUT undettered the UK taxpayer paid for an airport that cannot be used.

The airport was built as the supply ship needed replacing & air travel opened new tourism markets - alas it looks like a new ship is needed. Anybody want to buy an airport?

tinyurl.com/hm4jp4c
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New Wed 14 Dec 16 08:49 
 London needs more runways - St Helena has a spare - Stuartli
This is actually an old story with the present foreseeable situation first dating back to March, 2005.

It was branded a potential failure at least two years ago but, as always, it's probably yet another case of "lessons will be learned" and no one will get the deserved rap.
Last edited by: Stuartli on Wed 14 Dec 16 at 08:51
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New Wed 14 Dec 16 09:05 
 London needs more runways - St Helena has a spare - Old Navy
I wondered if it was part of the "We still think we rule the world" strategy, but it is only about 800 miles from the RAF base on Ascension Island. Static aircraft carrier that does not need specific non existent aircraft?
Last edited by: Old Navy on Wed 14 Dec 16 at 09:06
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New Wed 14 Dec 16 09:42 
 London needs more runways - St Helena has a spare - Ian (Cape Town)
Much embarrassment. British Airways were supposed to be flying a 737 in already, but said it is impossible...BUT meanwhile they've put an Embraer in with no hassles.

tinyurl.com/judt5dq

Now Air Namibia and some other locally based chaps reckon they can make a go of it.
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New Wed 14 Dec 16 11:37 
 London needs more runways - St Helena has a spare - Old Navy
I wonder how it compares with Madeira, landings there can be entertaining. I assume a lot depends on fuel contingency capacity and alternative airports.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Wed 14 Dec 16 at 11:39
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New Wed 14 Dec 16 11:43 
 London needs more runways - St Helena has a spare - Ian (Cape Town)
Alts at Swakop/Luderitz or in Angola.
My yachting mates tell me the weather can close in very quickly on the island, though.
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New Wed 14 Dec 16 11:50 
 London needs more runways - St Helena has a spare - Ian (Cape Town)
sorry - Walvis, not Luderitz
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New Wed 14 Dec 16 19:54 
 London needs more runways - St Helena has a spare - Stuartli
>>I wonder how it compares with Madeira, landings there can be entertaining. >>

I recall landing at Madeira in a 737 - the pilot was "standing on the brakes" from the moment the wheels touched the runway.

Since then, however, the runway has been extended by around a kilometre, so presumably it's less "entertaining"..:-)
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New Wed 14 Dec 16 11:58 
 London needs more runways - St Helena has a spare - sooty123
I remember reading about this, i think they thought they could overcome the windshear problems and spent quite a bit of time positioning it. Alas they were wrong it seems, the wind is just too bad across the whole island it seems.
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New Wed 14 Dec 16 12:09 
 London needs more runways - St Helena has a spare - Ian (Cape Town)
You can slam a C-130 in, but that's hardly conducive to happy tourists, is it?
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New Wed 14 Dec 16 12:11 
 London needs more runways - St Helena has a spare - sooty123
All depends, some people like that sort of thing. ;)
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New Wed 14 Dec 16 12:20 
 London needs more runways - St Helena has a spare - Ian (Cape Town)
Met a couple of aged Americans of questionable persuasion who took the RMS St Helena upo there few years back. Said it was a blast, and it would be ruined by flying-in tourism.
Local company built the place, and made $$$$ on the deal, apparently.
Still tying to work out the logic, as it is as far from St Helena to Stanley as it is from Ascension...
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New Wed 14 Dec 16 12:40 
 London needs more runways - St Helena has a spare - sooty123
> Still tying to work out the logic, as it is as far from St Helena
>> to Stanley as it is from Ascension...
>>

That's because it wasn't anything to do with the FI, the idea was that St Helena would be able to stand on its own two feet and be better connected to the rest of the world. The airport was supposed to do that.
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New Wed 14 Dec 16 12:51 
 London needs more runways - St Helena has a spare - Old Navy
>> All depends, some people like that sort of thing. ;)
>>

I have experienced a few "positive" RAF landings, I can think of a newspaper and some people that would call them near death experiences. :-)
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New Wed 14 Dec 16 14:27 
 London needs more runways - St Helena has a spare - Bromptonaut
There's an informative but lengthy thread over on pprune covering this. Seems that the 737 operated by Comair (BA franchise based in SA) is less than optimal for job, even in the 'sportier' configuration originally planned.

Other machines are being investigated including the BAe 146/Avro RJ or the Boeing 757. Either could probably do the job with some payload/range restrictions but are long out of production and lack fuel economy etc of more modern types. Aircraft will need to be able to land with a tailwind until further groundwork or other developments improve the windshear or allow pilots to cope with it. It has been suggested that pilots accustomed to places such as Funchal, Sumburgh or Stornoway might cope better than those operating to date.

Although Ascension is part of the schedule AIUI it is not available as an alternate for the regular scheduled service from SA. Although it's UK territory the base is leased to US and Uncle Sam makes the rules.
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New Wed 14 Dec 16 15:23 
 London needs more runways - St Helena has a spare - Ted

I have a good friend who moved to the island when her hubby went to build the airport. She loves the place and the lifestyle. We meet for lunch with other ex-colleagues a couple of times a year when she visits her family here. Last trip was about August, she had to get a boat to Ascension, then a plane to Gib, I think. Took about 5 days to get back to Blighty when the RMS St Helena was operational. I suspect it may get some sort of 'running refit ' now.

Her hubby's firm was going to blow the top off a couple of mountains but that has been ruled out . Thank heavens for email/facebook for keeping in touch.
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New Wed 14 Dec 16 15:39 
 London needs more runways - St Helena has a spare - Dog
>>the RMS St Helena

That liner used to stop orf at Tenerife once upon a time long long ago. I was thinking of using it when we went to live on said volcanic island. Would have meant roughing it though, and the ole woman gets seasick, even on the ferry from Cadiz-Tenerife, so we ended up buying a left-hand drive Citroen AX diseaseal and driving there.
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New Wed 14 Dec 16 18:37 
 London needs more runways - St Helena has a spare - The Melting Snowman
>>Thank heavens for email/facebook for keeping in touch.

Indeed, but only if they are people one wants to keep in touch with...

I have family in New Zealand, sometimes I curse modern communications.
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