Southend Airport - big plans for bigger planes?
Discussion
I had a day in and around Essex yesterday, and stopped by Southend Airport. Mainly to revisit the ATC hut/etc (where 'get your bleedin hair cut' eventually killed off all of my RAF aspirations). I used to visit and watch the old BAF transport planes (Argosy?) lumbering into and out of the air. There was a small museum on the far side of the airport. Only thing I remember from that was the Javelin - it seemed HUGE.
Anyhow... it's changed a fair bit, and seems to be going up in the world again
First surprise - it's owned by Stobart (all flags were at half mast). Huge big control tower. Fancy new train station. Plans for a runway extension (what for and where to, anyone know?), and what looks like a new passenger terminal going up. Googling reveals some 2012 Olympics related info.
Not much happening on the airfield itself. Saw what looked like an HS125 take off, but the only movements were light aircraft after that. A few oddball jets near the passenger terminal ('Republic of Gambia Airways' something or other). Seemed to be a few ageing jets there for maintenance on the far side of the field. And the Vulcan still sits there looking mean and moody; you can now take tea and biscuits nearby.
Seems that the 'London Southend' (sic) branding is working. Saw that there are cheap flights in Summer - to Jersey and Ireland. Might actually be quite useful for me.
Unfortunately, the Vampire airframe that was tucked around the back of the workshop units when I was in the ATC... was gone. When we misbehaved, we were sent out to "check it's still there".
Anyhow... it's changed a fair bit, and seems to be going up in the world again
First surprise - it's owned by Stobart (all flags were at half mast). Huge big control tower. Fancy new train station. Plans for a runway extension (what for and where to, anyone know?), and what looks like a new passenger terminal going up. Googling reveals some 2012 Olympics related info.
Not much happening on the airfield itself. Saw what looked like an HS125 take off, but the only movements were light aircraft after that. A few oddball jets near the passenger terminal ('Republic of Gambia Airways' something or other). Seemed to be a few ageing jets there for maintenance on the far side of the field. And the Vulcan still sits there looking mean and moody; you can now take tea and biscuits nearby.
Seems that the 'London Southend' (sic) branding is working. Saw that there are cheap flights in Summer - to Jersey and Ireland. Might actually be quite useful for me.
Unfortunately, the Vampire airframe that was tucked around the back of the workshop units when I was in the ATC... was gone. When we misbehaved, we were sent out to "check it's still there".
They have been trying to get the runway extended at Sarfend since the mid '60s, my Grandfather worked for Channel Airways and they ended up having to move most of their jet ops to a new centre at Stansted which costs them hugely and probably was one of the major factors in them going bust in '73.
BAF flew Carvairs and Friendships from Southend in the '70s/early '80s, I used to get sat in the viewing enclosure with a bottle of coke and bag of crisps whilst my Dad and Grandad had a pint in the airport bar of a Sunday lunchtime
BAF flew Carvairs and Friendships from Southend in the '70s/early '80s, I used to get sat in the viewing enclosure with a bottle of coke and bag of crisps whilst my Dad and Grandad had a pint in the airport bar of a Sunday lunchtime
The runway extension has been hampered for the last few years due to the proposal to move a church to satisfy CAA. Said church had next to no attendees and all of a sudden became the most popular church in the area.
Government enquiry and church ends up staying with a workaround agreed by the CAA involving just the removal and rebuilding elsewhere of the car park wall. Huggers are now up in arms over the poor wall.
In fairness Stobarts have given it the kick it needed but multi million expansion plans versus half a dozen huggies from friends of the earth.
Aer Arann doing Galway or Waterford return for £30 all in including the car parking seems like a good reason to organise a piss up though.
http://www.aerarann.com/
Government enquiry and church ends up staying with a workaround agreed by the CAA involving just the removal and rebuilding elsewhere of the car park wall. Huggers are now up in arms over the poor wall.
In fairness Stobarts have given it the kick it needed but multi million expansion plans versus half a dozen huggies from friends of the earth.
Aer Arann doing Galway or Waterford return for £30 all in including the car parking seems like a good reason to organise a piss up though.
http://www.aerarann.com/
Thanks for the background. Southend really needs another employer, especially as people get dumped out of HMRC over the next few years.
I remeber the airport being pretty busy in the '70s, with those Carvairs (thanks for the correction about the Argosy) and other medium-sized prop airliners. Mostly passenger flights to the near continent? I was also one of those kids: flask of tea and a pack of egg sandwiches, watching them come and go from the observation deck. Jets were a fairly rare sight, though.
The old control tower is still there, and looks like a WW2 relic compared to the new one. And I presume they built the new one confident of getting the permission for the runway extension. Presumably the Southend to London rolling stock has also been upgraded to cater to 2012 Olympic visitor tastes.
Will definitely try a flight + holiday out of Southend. I'm in Suffolk and it's probably more convenient overall than Stansted. Wonder if they make you turn up 3hrs before your flight to Eire? Because there's not 3 hours worth of stuff to do - nor duty-free tat to buy - at Southend yet.
I remeber the airport being pretty busy in the '70s, with those Carvairs (thanks for the correction about the Argosy) and other medium-sized prop airliners. Mostly passenger flights to the near continent? I was also one of those kids: flask of tea and a pack of egg sandwiches, watching them come and go from the observation deck. Jets were a fairly rare sight, though.
The old control tower is still there, and looks like a WW2 relic compared to the new one. And I presume they built the new one confident of getting the permission for the runway extension. Presumably the Southend to London rolling stock has also been upgraded to cater to 2012 Olympic visitor tastes.
Will definitely try a flight + holiday out of Southend. I'm in Suffolk and it's probably more convenient overall than Stansted. Wonder if they make you turn up 3hrs before your flight to Eire? Because there's not 3 hours worth of stuff to do - nor duty-free tat to buy - at Southend yet.
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