Ideally sited airport
I USED to be a pilot with South West Aviation, of Exeter Airport, in the early 70s, flying a great deal from Roborough and would like to congratulate The Herald on the coverage and presentation of the case for Plymouth airport (particularly that there is no site anything like as good as this to be had and we must not lose the chance). Most scenarios have been covered.
However, although my experiences are long ago, some things do not change and may be worth recounting even though we were quite primitive in those days – very little in the way of electronic navigation aids, grass runways and paraffin 'goose-neck' lamps to mark the runway edges.
The siting of the airfield was just right for taking serious burns cases from Derriford up to Filton for Frenchay Burns Hospital and people with broken necks to RAF Halton for Stoke Mandeville Spinal Hospital. It was very convenient for business passengers from Estover to Beauvais north of Paris and many more could be quoted.
When we operated the Short Skyliner service to London Heathrow we were the most regular airline for arrivals at LHR at that time, the regularity equalling that for BEA's departures! British Rail complained that our fare for the single journey was undercutting their first class fare of six guineas at the time. The problem was that we needed to average eight passengers per flight in our 15 seats available and our average was just six. BEA did our ground handling for us and a regular passenger to East Midlands (Castle Donnington) never missed his British Midland connection with a 20-minute scheduled transfer time from 9.20am until 9.40am. Passengers carried their own bags and so there was never a mislaid bag. But in our context this just shows how SouthWest, the Airport Authority, British European Airways and the Baggage Handlers and their unions could all co-operate and work together splendidly. It is a situation worth repeating. Long may the airport continue.
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BERNARD HOLLAND
Plympton
Comments
by blogtodi
Friday, September 14 2012, 1:34PM
“Of course it's not viable...otherwise we wouldn't be discussing it, would we?”
by Rick_OShay
Friday, September 14 2012, 1:04PM
“Quote:
"The problem was that we needed to average eight passengers per flight in our 15 seats available and our average was just six."
So the airport was not viable way back then?
Plus ca change.
Rick O'Shay
Zog”
by Nevman
Friday, September 14 2012, 12:09PM
“If you'd seen the number of website items relating to the airport and Sutton Harbour Holdings which have had commenting disabled by their friend the editor, Mr Holland, you might want to temper your praise of the Herald's coverage somewhat.
Some churlish opponents of closure, of course, feel that quality coverage might also include some kind if investigation into the secretive deal in which Sutton Harbour Holdings was gifted a 150-year lease in a dubious transaction which nobody - apparently not even the leader of the council - is allowed to look at. (This may or may not be connected with the fact that a contract which fails to provide consideration to both parties is not legally binding.)
Instead, what we got was a sinister editorial inviting us all to shut up and worship SHH because they stand to make a pot of money at our expense.”