Monday, November 11, 2013

Pilots

Holy joysticks! You pop off oop north for a few days to film a couple of pilots for Dave (Wags Or Nags? and Celebrity Cake Mix), and what do you find when you get back? 100s of comments about the flippin' airport, that's what!

Oh well, the news today that Boris Island is going to be built just off the north Kent coast means there shouldn't be any more debate about the future of Manston. It hasn't got one!

That said, I expect the sight of a plan to build a six-runway lump on their doorstep will be giving the good people of Whitstable and Herne Bay a few sleepless nights. They'd better move to Ramsgate toute de suite before property prices plummet, it's going to sooooo quiet here in the Millionaires' Playground!

Click here for full story on BBC News website.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

It would be quite noisy for Margate too.

But they are only plans and completely different from all the other ones.

A very reasonable £47Bn and no doubt thousands of jobs- so why are KCC opposed to Boris London airport but funding Manston?

Or are they just random idiots.

Anonymous said...

No doubt Carter and Gale will come out with the flights go straight out to sea line. Probably a reason for an extra Parkway.

Night flights are in there already.

When will the Master Craftsman of the Electrical Supply Industry speak up?

Anonymous said...

Clive daredn't say anything about the pollution and fines at Manston now.

Anonymous said...

ECR methinks Thanet will be noisier than ever with this proposed airport.

Keep it all at heathrow/gatwick/stansted

Richard Eastcliff said...

You may not be wrong there, 6.30pm!

Anonymous said...

I heard the interview with John Hairnet(?) on Radio Kent this morning. He was grilling one of the people putting forward the plans for Boris Island, and his major concern was to try to elicit a guarantee that the people of North Kent wouldn't be able to hear the airport. That's funny. When it was Manston in the news, I seem to recall him arguing that we'd all get used to the noise. I wonder where he lives.

Anonymous said...

Manston on the water supply always gets ignored why is that?

1 o'clock Rob said...

Just to clarify that it ISN'T going to be built as ECR says.

Also any jobs at the airport have to be offset by the loss of jobs at all the current airports circling London, Heathrow would close according to the report and it doesn't take a multi-millionaire living in Ramsgate to realise that Gatwick, Standstead and Luton would also be downgraded to some degree... then factor into that the arguement that the island will be built in an area that has significant wildlife and therefore partially protected and just a little way from a bomb-laden second world war liberty boat that could blow up at any given moment.

Anonymous said...

You're probably right Rob but it could happen. after all which fool would build Manston on the water supply or opposite Ostend the biggest cargo airport in Europe?

Anonymous said...

The idea of Buchanan and O'Donnel grunting away as per the other ECR post is as startling and unpleasant as night flights!

Anonymous said...

Peter's plumpers are better than those two.

Anonymous said...

It would be interesting to know the exact numbers from KLM flights. There cant be many people flying into manston on the 7am planes?

Anonymous said...

I don't think anyone thought of the water supply as a priority back when Manston was built in war times .. and I doubt Ostend was a major cargo airport at that time either .. what a silly thing to say .

1 o'clock Rob said...

@ Anon 8:21pm, History not a strong suit?

Manston has been in existence since 1915/16 when it was an addition to the Naval Air Station in Westgate.

The aquifer and it's proximity to Ostende were never considered as nobody gave a crap about either back then, little give a crap about them today.

As for KLM flight stats they are very easy to find as the lovely people at the CAA post them for every airport monthly... September saw over 3200 passengers flying in and out of Manston via KLM.

When considering viability of an airport numbers of passengers, PAX or self-loading freight as some would call them should not be taken in account as airlines fly routes, position aircraft for a multitude of reasons other than to move someone from A to B.

Anonymous said...

10:26 you're confusing olden days with now. The recent plans for Manston cargo were when Ostend was and is the largest cargo depot in Europe. Foolish? And the water supply well you tell me if its sensible to put an airport on it or keep it open or even expand it?

Rob too seems rather offhand with the water supply and can't detail the 7am flights as requested.

Presumably Infratil (or TDC) just give a figure to the CAA without it being monitored?

His last paragraph was incomprehensible.

Anonymous said...

10:26 of course the water supply was a priority in the war. Pointless defeating the Nazis to die of thirst or contamination? Some fool seems to have forgotten the water supply and even the Victorian pumping station.

Anonymous said...

Roger Gale International Cancer Airport more like!

Anonymous said...

There are no 7am in to Manston planes ...

Anonymous said...

You are a total ignoramus Garbled trundling out one completely unsubstantiated nonsense after another whilst pretending you are concerned about the environment. Face facts, for your poor wife has to work hard down her restaurant whilst you sit around on your PC, getting fatter from lack of activity, whilst pretending to be some high flying business director.

Look at the directorships for they comprise an advertising company with no contact address or phone number, a school building charity that has never built a school in its seven year life and a restaurant that your wife runs. You are just a brain dead joke who cannot even discuss your proposals without insulting people.

It is indeed time for change, Timothy, time for you to sod off to your beloved Thailand, if they will have you, and leave us Ramsgate folk in peace.

Anonymous said...

His wife is fat too!

Richard Eastcliff said...

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. This is like being back in kindergarten. Calling each other names? Bullying the fat kid? If you can't think of a reasoned response, make a personal attack?

I'm all for freedom of speech, but mudslinging does not constitute debate. You should all be ashamed of yourselves.

That goes for Tim and his endless cancer mantra too. Saying the same thing over and over again does not constitute an argument, old bean. It's what four year olds do when they can't get their own way.

So you can all go and sit on the naughty step and have a think about it. If you just want to shout insults at each other, then start your own blogs and do it there.

Unknown said...

Well said, Richard, although I am afraid Timmy boy rather gets up people's noses and provokes such responses. On the other hand, insulting his long suffering wife is a bit inexcusable.

Anyway, it will soon be into pre-election stuff with 18 months of political propaganda to look forward to as the faithful rally to the colours. Is Red Will a better prospect than the lovely Blue Laura or will UKIP trump them both?

Anonymous said...

When are the 7am KLM flights then? Have they stopped or are they earlier?

Anonymous said...

The first flight is outbound, not inbound. The first inbound is around 9am.

Anonymous said...

So there is a 7am outbound not 6:30am?

And the first inbound is 9am not 10:30 as before?

Then there's a 20:30 inbound?

How many passengers are on these?

Anonymous said...

Your approx timings are correct. The CAA publish passenger figures by the month. I suggest you check there on the official site as you'll no doubt not believe what figures I write here.
However, verify for yourself, from their data, the September figure was 3,821 scheduled pax.

Anonymous said...

I rather have several planes in/out of manston then thousands in/out from boris island

Anonymous said...

Thankfully, this isn't a choice we have to make. It may be either, both or neither. Boris Island may or may not happen; if Boris grasps the nettle and seizes leadership of the Tory party, they will be elected and Boris Island will get the go ahead. My guess is that he will use the appalling drubbing which the main parties will suffer in the EU elections to make his move.

As for Manston, I'm afraid that it is a basket case. Owner after owner has lost millions and we now know that it will play no part in meeting the projected increase in capacity for the South-East. I give it another 12 months.