Leeds Bradford - General Thread

[White Heather]

These flights to Lourdes used to provide the aircraft highlight of the year, usually a wide body.
I remember frequent visits of Air Ops TriStars and Air Atlanta 747's. Sadly a thing of the past unless we get an A330/767 maybe?

We also had, on at least one occasion, a Boeing 747 300 of Corsair doing the Lourdes charter. I have previously posted a photo of it withinthe nostalgia thread. It is a shame that the numbers travelling no longer demand such an aircraft - probably a sign of the 'Catholicism downturn' rather than anything to do with the economy, although somehow I doubt LBA would encourage a 747 to use LBA these days. In those days, there was plenty of room on the apron. Now there isn't and I doubt they could put a 747 nose in on the apron. Certainly my discussions wth one LBA director left me feeling they would view the arrival of a 747 as something of a burden these days . I live in hope of seeing another at LBA, but somehow I doubt it. When was the last one? About 13 years ago I imagine. I seem to remember a couple flying Leeds United fans to Barcelona and leaving LBA on runway 14 in the early hours of the morning - and nothing since.

 

[lbaspotter]

Last jumbo was Boeing 747SP, A6-SMR of the Dubai Air wing which came in on Thursday afternoon in August 2006 to pick up Arger Khan who had been at that years York Ebor festival.

It came as a surprise as know one knew it was due in. I was looky to see it as I was working for the building company that was doing the upstairs landside terminal refurbishment at the time.

 

[Daviator]

I was there for the exodus of Leeds fans to Barcelona when there were 2 Corsair 747's a 200 & 300. The 200 landing was fairly alarming, even though empty touched down very long on 32. The nosewheel touched down at the A2 turn off, and I remember thinking stop, stop! I have a video of this, but it's on a VHS tape, along with an equally alarming take off of an Air Atlanta 747-200 which took Leeds fans to Milan. This used almost every inch of runway 32. I was stood at Multiflight, and was VERY relieved to see it appear very low past the cemetery!
One I didn't video was another Atlanta 747-200 from Lourdes which executed a perfect touchdown, spot on the markings on a VERY wet 14, and had stopped easily by taxiway Delta.
One day I'll get this video on YouTube if I can ever work out how to do it.

 

[Aviador]

You so need to get that on Youtube, pull your finger out!

 

[User0001]

Hi LBAYORKIE. I too saw the new advert. It is obviously designed as a generic advert for Dubai, but as you say it could lend itself to the idea that you fly direct from LBA.

 

[yorkguy]

Virtually the whole of page 9 in today's Yorkshire Post is given over to an interview with John Parkin CEO at LBA. It says absolutely nothing in essence. All the report mentions is that work is about to start on a "premium car park" at the front with a covered walkway

 

[SNOWMAN]

just what we need more bxxxxy car parks
sm1 :bomb:

 

[Gray Ham]

The Yorkshire Post article refers to "the recently introduced route to Dubai, via Amsterdam, with KLM". When was this route NOT available? I travelled this route in 2001 and as far as I know KLM has operated AMS-DXB and AMS-LBA without a break since then so presumably the connection has been available for over a decade. So what's changed to describe this as a new route?

 

[Aviador]

It's known as the "spin doctor" and it's a phenomenon used by managers at most UK airports to cover-up a generally week business.

 

[Gray Ham]

Thanks Aviador for enlightening me. I look forward to travelling later this month on another "new route" with KLM from LBA to CPT!

 

[jason1-11]

No mention by Mr Parkin of the airports inability to land aircraft in winter or the lost routes to Milan, La Rochelle, Olbia, Gerona and Kos.

 

[White Heather]

Inability to land aircraft in winter is an over exaggeration. For the vast majority of the winter, aircraft have landed as normal. Would Manchester come on and say how they were incapable of accepting flights last week due to snow? I don't think so. Would Amsterdam do the same when they too were diverting hundreds of flights due to gale force cross winds? No. I get sick of the negativity sometimes. If John Parkin did an article saying how crap LBA was and how many problems it has, then nobody would use it. He is doing what is right - putting a positive slant on things to encourage people to use LBA. More passengers will lead to more flights and more flights to yet more passengers - and more development as income increases.

If the penny hasn't dropped yet, LBA is not about to spend fortunes on projects unless there is a realistic chance of getting their money back over time. It is called a Business.

As for the car park with covered walkway - you would not believe the grief LBA management have been given over the absence of a covered walkway from car park to terminal. If they are going to provide one, even from a 'Premium Car Park' -which can only be a renaming of something already there - then that is good news. Stop knocking it. John Parkin is not going to come out in the paper and start saying what is in the Masterplan as it has not been signed off yet - and it has to go through consultation first. Imagine the reaction if the first anyone heard about it's content was in the YEP!

Rant Over. Sorry.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Have to say having a covered area from the drop off zone, would be the greatest addition to the airport for us.
Those of us who have walking difficulties have no ability to run or walk faster in bad weather and must just let the elements do their worst.
It is not funny arriving at the airport to start your holiday soaking wet, umbrella's in high wind are useless and it is not easy to push a wheel chair whilst holding one.
To have an area where you can take the wheel chair and luggage out the car and be under cover would be wonderful, the nearest drop off point for me is too far from the building. On my latest walking test did 24 metres before I heart rate reached maximum, I then have to pause for 5 minutes to recover, great in pouring rain.
From the drop off to the building at the moment usually involves at least one stop, two or more in windy conditions.
Congratulations to the airport management if a covered way is brought in, it should be headline news.

 

[lbaspotter]

I don't know if anyone else reads the Dried Fruit forum but there is one almighty argument ongoing on there at the moment. It would seem one man a has an crusade against Leeds/Bradford and thinks RAF Church Fenton will eventually become Yorkshire's International Airport. I'm certain that the said person in question (No names mentioned) is an ex member of this forum...

 

[SNOWMAN]

hi all
I wonder why Doncaster airport are planning on a terminal extension when they only use half of the currant terminal,???
sm1 :dunno: :dunno:

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I don't know if anyone else reads the Dried Fruit forum but there is one almighty argument ongoing on there at the moment. It would seem one man a has an crusade against Leeds/Bradford and thinks RAF Church Fenton will eventually become Yorkshire's International Airport. I'm certain that the said person in question (No names mentioned) is an ex member of this forum...

I read the DP thread for a while but it became repetitive and the proponent for Church Fenton seemed to be going around in circles at times and unnecessarily over complicated his points, probably because he was getting so much stick from those who said his argument was ill thought out and unrealistic. I've since given up on following this thread.

It seemed to me what he was really trying to say was that if the country was starting with a blank piece of paper Church Fenton would be a better bet than LBA for an airport site. That argument applies to many airports around the country whose location is the result of a quirk of local history, whether taking over a redundant military airfield or a pre-war civic airport site.

 

[lbaspotter]

hi all
I wonder why Doncaster airport are planning on a terminal extension when they only use half of the currant terminal,???
sm1 :dunno: :dunno:

Going off topic, but felt the need to reply!
I've just looked at the plans. It looks like the extension is basically add on (Like LBA) that's been built so to make an enlarged arrivals corridor. Have been told there isn't enough room inside the arrivals area at certain times when busy.

See source: http://planning.doncaster.gov.uk/on...ils.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=NHX2SCFX05N00

 

[jason1-11]

There was a certain amount of sarcasm in my email based on frustration as we all only want the best for the greater Leeds area. We have the biggest leakage of any regional airport and have fantastic air services available from Manchester so what’s likely to change in the medium term without large investment : nothing.

The comment about “ inability to land aircraft” is aimed at the large number of days when Leeds is in LVP and the levels are below “CAT 2 minima” which unfortunately has been often this winter. As a passenger, someone who work in the industry and an enthusiast, it frustrates me that Jet2 757’s or a brand new Emb 190 can’t land whilst regional airports like Newcastle and Bristol continue to go from strength to strength.

The airport is an underperforming asset because the necessary modifications (Terminal / Runway etc) can’t be done at a price that will bring a return to the investor so in the meantime the region will continue to use Manchester as it has done for many years and will for intents and purposes continue to be: Yorkshires premier airport unfortunately.

Heathrow out.

 

[SNOWMAN]

hi lbaspotter
thanks for the info re Donny I thought they did not need a terminal ext,the corridor seams wide enough to me but the customs area could leave some of the pax outside so they must be extending the holding area.
hope you are keeping well
regards
sm1 :drinks: :drinks:

 

[lbaspotter]

Just out of interest I've just noticed that Jet2 currently have 19x aircraft based at Leeds/Bradford. So along the remaining other based aircraft last night we had 26 night stoppers.

Jet2
5x Boeing 757-200's = G-LSAD, G-LSAE, G-LSAG, G-LSAK, G-LSAN
5x Boeing 737-800's = G-GDFC, G-GDFF, G-GDFW, G-GDFZ, G-JZHA
9x Boeing 737-300's = G-CELB, G-CELD, G-CELE, G-CELG, G-CELJ, G-CELK, G-GDFB, G-GDFL, G-GDFT
Eastern Airways
1x Embraer 135 = G-CGMC
1x BAe Jetstream 41 = G-MAJK
KLM City Hopper
1x Embraer 190 =
Ryanair
3x Boeing 737-800's = EI-DWF, EI-EBL, EI-EKM
Monarch
1x Airbus A320-200 = G-OZBX

Seriously it begs the following question (not taking in to account that a couple of the Jet2 fleet will most likely be over at multiflight) Just where is everything else been parked on a night time?