Airport comments for the World

Comments 15,014 to 15,063 of 15,856

Picture of Airspeed-Alive

Fun airport!

I had to divert to Bancroft during a XC. What a great approach and departure! Reminded me of flying floats all over again. Lots of fun, and friendly people.

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Smoking areas at Indianapolis International

The airport has reactivated its five designated smoking areas until 30 June 2008. After that, smoking will be permanently banned anywhere on airport property except inside privately-owned vehicles:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/2008/01/airport-chec-10.html

Picture of Airspeed-Alive

Nice strip

One of the best grass strips I've seen

Picture of david

Waterloo-Wellington stopped selling fuel

As of 1 September 2007, the Waterloo-Wellington Flight Centre stopped selling fuel, so it's available only from Flite Line.

Picture of david

New terminal

In March 2008, Heathrow will be opening its new Terminal 5, with 112 stores and restaurants (designed to handle traffic at the 2012 Olympics). There's a virtual tour at the airport's web site:

http://www.heathrowairport.com/portal/site/default/menuitem.d8b3e9cee80c57c1077c4e5d9328c1a0/

Picture of david

re: Information?

It looks like a private grass strip on a farm. There are lots of those around, but they don't usually show up in the CFS. Contact info for the owner is in the CFS, so you can call him for permission in late May, once the ground is hard enough to use the runway.

Picture of bcrosby

Information?

This airport is listed in the CFS, however I can't seem to find any photos of what the field looks like.

I would like to visit some family in Cobalt, Ontario and flying to New Liskeard would be ideal.

Is this airport still available, or has it been abandoned?

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Reopened to civilian flights

The Mosul airport in Iraq reopened to civilian flights on 2 December 2007 -- it had been shut down since 1992 because of the U.S. no-fly zone and then the second Iraq war:

http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2007-12/2007-12-04-voa9.cfm

Picture of david

Compass anomalies

Metal buried under the runways at London City airport is causing serious anomalies for magnetic compasses:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080114/sc_nm/britain_airport_magnetism_dc_1

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STOL and rotorcraft only

The runway is short (1,500 ft) at high elevation (over 9,000 ft), so the airport is accessible only to helicopters and to STOL aircraft like Twin Otters.

Picture of david

Airport to be renamed

The Nepal government plans to rename the airport in honour of Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary, the first people to climb Mt. Everest (the airport serves Everest).

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American architecture exhibit

Until 24 February 2008, the Tulsa airport is running an exhibit showing (pictures? models?) of the top 150 buildings, bridges, etc. in the U.S., as selected by the American Institute of Architects:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/2008/01/airport-check-8.html

Picture of david

Serious delays and riots

Aerolineas Argentinas has had flight delays of several days out of Ezeiza, leading to riots by stranded passengers over the weekend of 12-13 January 2008:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/2008/01/eze.html

Picture of david

Decommissioned 747 hostel planned

Stockholm Arlanda Airport has approved plans for converting a decommissioned Boeing 747 into a hostel with 80 beds and a suite in the cockpit:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/2008/01/airport-check-7.html

Picture of david

Former site of Republic Aviation factory

This mall is built on the site of the former the Republic Aviation Corporation. During World War II, it built over 9,000 P-47 Thunderbolts together with several other aircraft. Fairchild bought out the company in 1965, and the plant closed in 1988. The last building was demolished in 1997 to make way for a mall expansion.

Picture of airman

My base airport

Great GA airport on the edge of DFW. It's thriving: just renovated runway and plans for new tower next year, increasing traffic.

Picture of david

Building map

There's a building map and legend available here:

http://www.dreamlandresort.com/area51/area51map.html

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Area 51

This airport serves the infamous "Area 51", and the identifier "(K)XTA" looks like a parody of space alien conspiracy theories ("XTA" = "extraterrestrial"?):

http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2008/080110area51.html

Picture of david

New service from Skybus

Skybus will begin scheduled service to GYY from Greensboro, NC on 13 March:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/2008/01/skybus-announce.html

Picture of david

New service from Skybus

Skybus will begin scheduled flights from Columbus, OH to ILG on 7 March, and from Greensboro, NC to ILG on 13 March 2008:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/2008/01/skybus-announce.html

Picture of david

Skybus service

Skybus is adding service from Columbus, OH to IAG beginning on April Fool's Day (seriously), to serve Buffalo, Rochester, and Toronto:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/2008/01/skybus-announce.html

Picture of david

Non-stop Fort Lauderdale to London

Zoom airlines is adding a non-stop flight from FLL to London (presumably Gatwick LGW) -- it will be the first scheduled trans-Atlantic flight route from the airport in over a decade:

http://www.nbc6.net/travelgetaways/15015103/detail.html

Picture of david

International terminal (D) renovations

The international terminal, terminal D, is getting $25M worth of renovations, including moving sidewalks, a new explosives-screening system, additional gates, and new restaurants and shops:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/2008/01/airport-check-5.html

Picture of david

New terminal open

Terminal 3 opened on 9 January 2008. It has 28 gates, including eight designed to handle the Airbus A380:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20080109/ap_tr_ge/travel_brief_singapore_new_terminal_1

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Vickers-Armstrong

This is where Vickers-Armstrong manufactured several of its planes, including the Vickers Viscount (I took my first flights as a baby in Viscounts and Vanguards).

Picture of david

Ryanair coming

Ryanair plans to base a Boeing 737 here and fly additional routes to Malaga, Murcia, Nantes, Palma and Wroclaw:

http://www.uk-airport-news.info/bournemouth-airport-news-090108.htm

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"Propeller park" planned

Since the FBOs are geared mainly towards turbine traffic now, the airport has plans for a "propeller park" to serve light piston aircraft:

http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2007/071107vannuys.html

Picture of david

Park and aviation museum coming

There was a threat that this airport might close, but they reached a compromise with the cities of Cincinnati and Blue Ash, and will build a park, an aviation museum, and some other community facilities near the field:

http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2007/071115oh.html

Picture of david

Building controversy

In 2007, a developer attempted to build an office building higher than allowed, cutting in the the approach path, but was forced to tear off two floors:

http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2007/071126sunroad.html

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Attempt to ban large aircraft

In fall 2007, Santa Monica city council introduced a law to ban large aircraft from the airport:

http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2007/071203ca.html

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Home of the New Piper Aircraft

Piper moved here after floods destroyed the original Piper plant in Lock Haven, PA in 1972. There have been some rumours that the company might move to Albuquerque or Oklahoma City:

http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2008/080108piper.html

Picture of david

Development plans very close to airport

There are proposals to allow development as close as 500 ft to one of the runways, despite airport and state objections:

http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2008/080109fl.html

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In danger of closing

The city of Biddeford, Maine may hold a referendum on closing this airport in November 2008 or sooner. For details, see

http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2008/080110me.html

Picture of david

re: Scheduled Commercial flights starting soon??!!

According to the airport's web site, they're planning to renovate Wonderboom to become ZA's third major international airport, but I see no indication of any schedule airline service there yet.

Picture of david

Parking options

There is a very small number of tie-downs (some of which have been commandeered by a flying school) located behind the old fire hall. The only other option is to chock the plane on the apron in front of Mara-Tech. The parking charge is the same either way, and is billed by the airport by mail after your visit. There is an exit-only gate near the tie-downs so that you don't have to go through the terminal, and Mara-Tech will drive its fuel truck over to fuel your plane here.

Picture of david

Nav Canada

Nav Canada uses the old terminal now. The control tower is still located in it, and in addition to offices, there's a Nav Canada pilot kiosk on the ground floor.

Picture of david

Good service, but pricey

This is a high-quality FBO (a bit nicer than the Esso Avitat next door), but also pricey, with lots of fees and expensive gas. If you're meeting customs, you have to make at least a short stop at the Esso or Shell (your choice), but otherwise, if you don't need the shiny FBO, the Ottawa Flying Club on the north field is a less expensive option for fuel and parking.

Picture of david

Expensive

The Esso and Shell on the south field are fairly expensive for fuel and have high parking and ramp fees. Esso used to waive the ramp fee when you were meeting customs there, but I don't know if they still do that. If you don't need the full FBO red carpet service (and aren't arriving late in the evening), the Ottawa Flying Club on the north field is a cheaper option for fuel and parking.

Picture of david

Flight training but not fuel

OAS is the rival flight school to the Ottawa Flying Club across the ramp. OAS is privately-owned, and uses Katanas instead of Cessnas for training. They offer parking, but I think are not allowed to sell fuel to visitors.

Picture of david

Learned to fly here

I learned to fly here, and parked my plane here for a few years before moving to Ottawa/Rockcliffe. It's gotten busier recently, now that the club runs the professional pilot program for Algonquin College.

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Five-minute walk from the Ottawa Flying Club

Coffee, sandwiches, doughnuts, etc. Tim Horton's is sort-of like Dunkin Donuts in the U.S., but much, much more popular.

Picture of david

Parking

In addition to the parking at the flying club on the north side of the field, you can park on the south apron by the museum if you are visiting. You need to call Rockcliffe Unicom on 123.5 MHz for taxiing instructions. I think that the parking is free.

Picture of ptomblin

Saginaw Airport

Funny, it was still in the December FAA data set.

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re: Saginaw Airport

Thanks for the info, sad as it is. I verified online that the airport is closed, and changed its status. Google maps still shows an on sat photo from before the subdivision.

Picture of rwr85

Saginaw Airport

Is now closed with a subdivision on it, but was a real gem of Ft. Worth while operating.

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Gas

If you are ever crossing overhead, I have had pretty good experiences with the gas prices here!