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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: chrisgixer on 13 November 2013, 12:18:53

Title: Heathrow to close?
Post by: chrisgixer on 13 November 2013, 12:18:53
Possibly.     ...in favour of Boris Island.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/new-london-airport--boris-island-plans-britannia-thames-estuary-sheppey-heathrow-154224491.html
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: aaronjb on 13 November 2013, 12:23:22
I'll eat my hat if that ever happens..
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Lizzie_Zoom on 13 November 2013, 12:24:17
I like the idea of a brand new airport designed completely for the 21st century, but one in the Thames Estuary, off the coast of Kent, seems to me to be too far off from being central to our nation. ;) 
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Rog on 13 November 2013, 12:27:06
Willy Walsh and the entire board of directors of BAA just pooed their pants  ;D
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: chrisgixer on 13 November 2013, 12:30:48
Willy Walsh and the entire board of directors of BAA just pooed their pants  ;D

In that case, well worth 65billion. ;D

Although I presume BAA will just move location to the new site.

I do wonder though, if they've remembered the remembered the reasons why the Thames barrier was built, and any access would be a security nightmare.
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: zirk on 13 November 2013, 12:37:57
Cant see them killing off Heathrow TBH, although if they did take a leaf out of Hong Kongs floating Airport wouldn't be a bad thing IMO, its dome wonders for Hong Kong as a busy Asian Hub now.  ;)
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: chrisgixer on 13 November 2013, 12:41:08
If looking for a "solution" to Heathrow, an off shore island is the only possible outcome IMO. Nobody will want it built anywhere near their own backyard, and anywhere with space will have conservation issues.
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Rog on 13 November 2013, 13:10:00
If looking for a "solution" to Heathrow, an off shore island is the only possible outcome IMO. Nobody will want it built anywhere near their own backyard, and anywhere with space will have conservation issues.

Actually, no. There is another option . . . .

 . . . totally flatten Reading and the surrounding area and simply relocate Heathrow a few miles along the M4  :y
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: chrisgixer on 13 November 2013, 13:11:53
If looking for a "solution" to Heathrow, an off shore island is the only possible outcome IMO. Nobody will want it built anywhere near their own backyard, and anywhere with space will have conservation issues.

Actually, no. There is another option . . . .

 . . . totally flatten Reading and the surrounding area and simply relocate Heathrow a few miles along the M4  :y

No problem with the first part, but the residents of Reading may not be so keen on the second part. ;)
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 13 November 2013, 13:39:18
Cant see them killing off Heathrow TBH, although if they did take a leaf out of Hong Kongs floating Airport wouldn't be a bad thing IMO, its dome wonders for Hong Kong as a busy Asian Hub now.  ;)

What's more it was mostly British companies that designed and built Hong Kong's airport at Chek Lap Kok.  :y
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: 05omegav6 on 13 November 2013, 13:51:18
Indeed it was Sir Tig :y

Lizzie, although far from the centre of the land, Lundun is the economic centre ::)

And apart from the current Heathrow site, the thames estuary is the next nearest piece of flat space that doesn't already containan airport :y
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: cleggy on 13 November 2013, 13:58:02
I'll eat my hat if that ever happens..

Me too  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Varche on 13 November 2013, 14:41:28
far far better use of money than that white elephant HS2.

I have always agreed with Boris that an island airport is more sensible than endless extra runways at heathrow and continued misery for residents nearby.

Heathrow could continue but for daytime flights only. What Britain and the South East need is more capacity for long haul flights to China, Brazil and India so we don't lose out to other European countries.

My only concern would be increased possibility of bird strikes but that isn't beyond the wit of man to solve. 
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Nickbat on 13 November 2013, 14:47:51
No chance!  ;D ;D

I like the way they go on about how many jobs it will create, yet fail to mention how many jobs would be lost if Heathrow closed — not just direct airport workers, but many others such as hotel staff, whose jobs are reliant on Heathrow.

No, at the end of the day, Heathrow will stay.
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Kieran on 13 November 2013, 14:56:10
Never happen.

The enviormental impact will be huge. New transport infrastructure will be needed and lets not forget Heathrows biggest customer BA-which  has just built a brand new terminal. Also lets not forget the hundreds of bird strikes that occur within the UK every year which will only increase if Boris Island is built. The loss of jobs around the Heathrow area will be a big problem as well as the new planning of ATC routes.

Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: 05omegav6 on 13 November 2013, 18:25:45
Utter tosh ::)

Modern airports are fully automated, require no maintenance or service staff, and of course people go to airports to fly, not sleep in hotels :P

It will take a decade to build, will require all of Heathrows staff plus a couple or three thousand more andbird strikes will become irrelevant given all the birds will have long buggered off when they start building it ;D

As for navigation, the approach and departure headings will be near identical to Southend and London City. Fog might be more of an issue, although Heathrow does sit on the Thames flood plain, so birds and fog aren't exactly news ::)
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: MR MISTER on 13 November 2013, 18:28:02
I thought it said 'Heathrow too close". I was going to advise moving....to...say...Azerbaijan.
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: the alarming man on 13 November 2013, 18:34:19
tbh Boris island cannot work...for one over the past year that area as been fog bound for 254 of those 365 days, and secondly why the hell would you land a plane next to the biggest LNG terminal in Europe which they have just spent millions on making it bigger. Bloody suicidal :D ;D  Don't get me wrong some thing as to happen but there is already an airport already built in minister which as the longest runway in England as Hercules used to land there makes more sense to adapt that
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: 05omegav6 on 13 November 2013, 18:41:02
The fuel farm at Heathrow is between the runways, with a mains feed from Fawley :y what could possiby go wrong...

Me thinks people worry too much ;D
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Nickbat on 13 November 2013, 20:28:14
Modern airports are fully automated, require no maintenance or service staff, and of course people go to airports to fly, not sleep in hotels :P

For a minute, I thought you being serious!  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Rods2 on 13 November 2013, 21:50:38
All they will then need to do is build all around it for the 100,000 staff that directly support Heathrow operations and for the other 900,000 that support those staff, but aren't directly connected with it. They can then start the lobbying with complaints over noise.  ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

The estimated cost will be at least four times that, if previous Government projects are anything to go by and it will have been build by 2836, by which time the rest of the world will have been moving about for several centuries using intercontinental hypersonic maglev systems.  ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

I really don't think they have considered the infrastructure implications for all of the support staff having to migrate and by putting it well away from a population centre, there will be considerable extra time and distance to travel from London and the southeast compared to Heathrow.

A model of it has on display for sometime along the A30 in Camberley.

Here is a picture of it........























(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/CamberleyConcreteElephant.JPG)
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Varche on 13 November 2013, 22:30:35
Of course it might all be reverse psychology.

Something like we need more flights (that is a given) . Propose a hideously expensive, impractical alternative then capitulate and be seen to be saving 50 billion . Knock down a few hundred houses and build two more runways etc to triple the current size of Heathrow. Everyone is happy except for a few householders and local residents. the householders with knocked down properties will get above market rates so they will be happy. Could be worse, they could live in Spain and be compensated what they paid for the house.

The Chinese would have had two more runways operational and running at 75% by now.
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: 05omegav6 on 13 November 2013, 22:57:58
You might have a point there Varche :-\

Losing a couple of hundred homes and diverting the A4 is a very small price to pay in the scheme of things...

Given that Heathrow has been an operational airfield since 1929, I would politely suggest that 99% of the people living within 2 miles of the airport have moved there after 1929, and that 80% of those people have either worked at the airport or know someone who has. Stands to reason that anyone moving to a property near an airfield should expect aircraft and associated noise ::)

Gatwick is allowed a second operational runway in 2019, and you can be sure it will be started within the next 3 years ready to open the minute the restriction expires ::)
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: iansoutham on 14 November 2013, 16:22:52
If looking for a "solution" to Heathrow, an off shore island is the only possible outcome IMO. Nobody will want it built anywhere near their own backyard, and anywhere with space will have conservation issues.

Actually, no. There is another option . . . .

 . . . totally flatten Reading and the surrounding area and simply relocate Heathrow a few miles along the M4  :y

No problem with the first part, but the residents of Reading may not be so keen on the second part. ;)

So flatten Reading as well then if they want to complain and use that area for the airport staff living facilities and long stay car park. Second problem solved  :y
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: PhilRich on 14 November 2013, 17:16:01
Have they forgotten the SS Richard Montgomery, I can't see too many takers for that clearance job! ::)
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 14 November 2013, 17:52:05
Of course it might all be reverse psychology.

Something like we need more flights (that is a given) . Propose a hideously expensive, impractical alternative then capitulate and be seen to be saving 50 billion . Knock down a few hundred houses and build two more runways etc to triple the current size of Heathrow. Everyone is happy except for a few householders and local residents. the householders with knocked down properties will get above market rates so they will be happy. Could be worse, they could live in Spain and be compensated what they paid for the house.

The Chinese would have had two more runways operational and running at 75% by now.

...... and the residents and householders in China would just be kicked out, no compo, no alternative accommodation, no nothing!!  ::)
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: 05omegav6 on 14 November 2013, 19:09:14
Have they forgotten the SS Richard Montgomery, I can't see too many takers for that clearance job! ::)
That should take a year or three off the build time by levelling the Isle of Sheppy ;D

Hell, give me a boat and a bloody long stick...
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: the alarming man on 14 November 2013, 22:36:21
Have they forgotten the SS Richard Montgomery, I can't see too many takers for that clearance job! ::)

if that goes up it will flatten everything from the isle Sheppey (not a bad thing) up to and including Greenwich (so the navy say)...you need a big stick though al as the gas ships that come in steer around the bloody thing...go about 10 foot which is way to close...in fact at low tide you can see its masts :y
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Entwood on 14 November 2013, 22:59:54
Actual info on the SS Montgomery here ....  the masts are visible at all times, and there is some argument as to what would occur IF it went up ...

"According to a BBC news report in 1970, it was determined that if the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery exploded, it would throw a 1,000-foot-wide (300 m) column of water and debris nearly 10,000 feet (3,000 m) into the air and generate a wave 16 feet (5 m) high. Almost every window in Sheerness (pop. c20,000) would be broken and buildings would be damaged by the blast. However, news reports in May 2012 (including one by BBC Kent) stated that the wave could be about 4 feet (1 m) high, which although lower than previous estimates would be enough to cause flooding in some coastal settlements."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Richard_Montgomery
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: chrisgixer on 14 November 2013, 23:03:48
Let TB at it. He'll sort it right out. No problem at all. ;D
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: 05omegav6 on 14 November 2013, 23:11:16
KABOOOOM

 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: the alarming man on 14 November 2013, 23:29:08
wouldn't be a bad thing to get rid of sheerness on the mud...there was talk of bringing the monty up a few years ago...not sure it will happen...even if it could be done
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 15 November 2013, 00:43:47
I'm surprised the local idiots havn't had a go at it.  ::)  :-\
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Gaffers on 15 November 2013, 08:59:21
If looking for a "solution" to Heathrow, an off shore island is the only possible outcome IMO. Nobody will want it built anywhere near their own backyard, and anywhere with space will have conservation issues.

Actually, no. There is another option . . . .

 . . . totally flatten Reading and the surrounding area and simply relocate Heathrow a few miles along the M4  :y

No need.

Farnborough is massively under utilised and can handle planes bigger than the A380.  Just build a high speed connection to Heathrow and London, cheeaper than a floating airport and less risky.
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Kevin Wood on 15 November 2013, 09:19:56
If looking for a "solution" to Heathrow, an off shore island is the only possible outcome IMO. Nobody will want it built anywhere near their own backyard, and anywhere with space will have conservation issues.

Actually, no. There is another option . . . .

 . . . totally flatten Reading and the surrounding area and simply relocate Heathrow a few miles along the M4  :y

No need.

Farnborough is massively under utilised and can handle planes bigger than the A380.  Just build a high speed connection to Heathrow and London, cheeaper than a floating airport and less risky.

.. and if they want more airspace to the West they'll get it over my dead body. >:(
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: chrisgixer on 15 November 2013, 09:27:36
If looking for a "solution" to Heathrow, an off shore island is the only possible outcome IMO. Nobody will want it built anywhere near their own backyard, and anywhere with space will have conservation issues.

Actually, no. There is another option . . . .

 . . . totally flatten Reading and the surrounding area and simply relocate Heathrow a few miles along the M4  :y

No need.

Farnborough is massively under utilised and can handle planes bigger than the A380.  Just build a high speed connection to Heathrow and London, cheeaper than a floating airport and less risky.

.. and if they want more airspace to the West they'll get it over my dead body. >:(

See. Nimby's. ::) ;)
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Kevin Wood on 15 November 2013, 09:30:30
If looking for a "solution" to Heathrow, an off shore island is the only possible outcome IMO. Nobody will want it built anywhere near their own backyard, and anywhere with space will have conservation issues.

Actually, no. There is another option . . . .

 . . . totally flatten Reading and the surrounding area and simply relocate Heathrow a few miles along the M4  :y

No need.

Farnborough is massively under utilised and can handle planes bigger than the A380.  Just build a high speed connection to Heathrow and London, cheeaper than a floating airport and less risky.

.. and if they want more airspace to the West they'll get it over my dead body. >:(

See. Nimby's. ::) ;)

Damn right. We were there first. (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/26795734/Smilies/Bird.gif)
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: aaronjb on 15 November 2013, 10:31:50
If looking for a "solution" to Heathrow, an off shore island is the only possible outcome IMO. Nobody will want it built anywhere near their own backyard, and anywhere with space will have conservation issues.

Actually, no. There is another option . . . .

 . . . totally flatten Reading and the surrounding area and simply relocate Heathrow a few miles along the M4  :y

No need.

Farnborough is massively under utilised and can handle planes bigger than the A380.  Just build a high speed connection to Heathrow and London, cheeaper than a floating airport and less risky.

.. and if they want more airspace to the West they'll get it over my dead body. >:(

Speaking of airspace .. saw a glider up in the sky above the M40 (just up from Wycombe) last Sunday and wondered if it was you.  Probably not, given the location, but you never know..
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Kevin Wood on 15 November 2013, 11:09:23
If looking for a "solution" to Heathrow, an off shore island is the only possible outcome IMO. Nobody will want it built anywhere near their own backyard, and anywhere with space will have conservation issues.

Actually, no. There is another option . . . .

 . . . totally flatten Reading and the surrounding area and simply relocate Heathrow a few miles along the M4  :y

No need.

Farnborough is massively under utilised and can handle planes bigger than the A380.  Just build a high speed connection to Heathrow and London, cheeaper than a floating airport and less risky.

.. and if they want more airspace to the West they'll get it over my dead body. >:(

Speaking of airspace .. saw a glider up in the sky above the M40 (just up from Wycombe) last Sunday and wondered if it was you.  Probably not, given the location, but you never know..

Not me, sadly, but there's a gliding club at Booker airfield just south of the M40 by junction 4.
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Gaffers on 15 November 2013, 11:42:00
If looking for a "solution" to Heathrow, an off shore island is the only possible outcome IMO. Nobody will want it built anywhere near their own backyard, and anywhere with space will have conservation issues.

Actually, no. There is another option . . . .

 . . . totally flatten Reading and the surrounding area and simply relocate Heathrow a few miles along the M4  :y

No need.

Farnborough is massively under utilised and can handle planes bigger than the A380.  Just build a high speed connection to Heathrow and London, cheeaper than a floating airport and less risky.

.. and if they want more airspace to the West they'll get it over my dead body. >:(

See. Nimby's. ::) ;)

Damn right. We were there first. (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/26795734/Smilies/Bird.gif)

They cant go that far west because of Odiham, besides the requirement would only be for airspace WSW of Farnborough from what I can see.
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Kevin Wood on 15 November 2013, 12:47:57

They cant go that far west because of Odiham, besides the requirement would only be for airspace WSW of Farnborough from what I can see.

That might be what common sense suggests, but it's entirely different to the application currently under consideration, which puts half of Hampshire under their control.

Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Gaffers on 15 November 2013, 13:00:58

They cant go that far west because of Odiham, besides the requirement would only be for airspace WSW of Farnborough from what I can see.

That might be what common sense suggests, but it's entirely different to the application currently under consideration, which puts half of Hampshire under their control.

That seems very excessive to me  :o
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 15 November 2013, 13:51:05
I rarely use Heathrow these days, its much easier and more convenient to do a short hop to CDG or Schipol to get a long haul flight.
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: chrisgixer on 15 November 2013, 15:41:08
East Midlands airport can take Heathrow's traffic as we as far as I'm concerned. :y
Title: Re: Heathrow to close?
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 15 November 2013, 15:49:21
East Midlands airport can take Heathrow's traffic as we as far as I'm concerned. :y

When HS2 has been built and it takes 2 mins to go to Birmingham, that's what will happen!  ;)