Post by NWAN Administrator on Jan 11, 2013 12:28:14 GMT 1
NWAN has received the following regarding spotting at Hawarden and may be of some significant interest to visitors to that airfield...
Part of the development of a new passenger terminal facility at Hawarden includes a cafe. This has been open, on a trial basis, during recent weekends, but has now fully opened. Spotting has always been difficult at the airfield, security staff have a reputation for being officious, and movement around the airfield can prove difficult because of waiting and parking restrictions around the perimeter.
North Wales Police are responsible for security at the airfield, the Special Branch Officer with overall responsibility is Phil Griffiths. Phil understands the interest in the airfield by spotters and has been keen to find a solution that secures the sensitive operational aspects at this privately owned facility, whilst affording reasonable access to those with a genuine interest in aviation. To this end the new cafe is ideal. It has a large glazed frontage with unobstructed views over the airfield. It is indoors, and it is sited next to what will be the passenger terminal, offering good views of all future scheduled movements. It is a cafe, not an exclusive spotters facility, but spotters would be welcome subject to buying a coffee or similar, and being aware that non-spotters will be using the facility as well! The proprietor is Caroline Craft. It is requested that spotters ask for permission to photograph on arrival, although a polite telephone call on 01244 536853 should suffice.
Phil also requests that enthusiasts note his number, 07796 611091, and report any suspicious activity around the airfield to him. There have been incidents involving various groups, particularly those with an environmental interest, who have encroached into the airfield in the past. This type of incident informs the approach of the security staff and is the main reason they can sometimes appear unreasonable. Hopefully the opportunity to spot from a location that Phil is sanctioning is going to help the situation.
As with anything in this life it only takes one person to mess things up for everyone. It has been notoriously difficult to get any contact at Hawarden so this does represent an important step forward. Hopefully we can all benefit from it now and in the future.
Please note that this post does not originate from North Wales Police or Airbus UK.
Part of the development of a new passenger terminal facility at Hawarden includes a cafe. This has been open, on a trial basis, during recent weekends, but has now fully opened. Spotting has always been difficult at the airfield, security staff have a reputation for being officious, and movement around the airfield can prove difficult because of waiting and parking restrictions around the perimeter.
North Wales Police are responsible for security at the airfield, the Special Branch Officer with overall responsibility is Phil Griffiths. Phil understands the interest in the airfield by spotters and has been keen to find a solution that secures the sensitive operational aspects at this privately owned facility, whilst affording reasonable access to those with a genuine interest in aviation. To this end the new cafe is ideal. It has a large glazed frontage with unobstructed views over the airfield. It is indoors, and it is sited next to what will be the passenger terminal, offering good views of all future scheduled movements. It is a cafe, not an exclusive spotters facility, but spotters would be welcome subject to buying a coffee or similar, and being aware that non-spotters will be using the facility as well! The proprietor is Caroline Craft. It is requested that spotters ask for permission to photograph on arrival, although a polite telephone call on 01244 536853 should suffice.
Phil also requests that enthusiasts note his number, 07796 611091, and report any suspicious activity around the airfield to him. There have been incidents involving various groups, particularly those with an environmental interest, who have encroached into the airfield in the past. This type of incident informs the approach of the security staff and is the main reason they can sometimes appear unreasonable. Hopefully the opportunity to spot from a location that Phil is sanctioning is going to help the situation.
As with anything in this life it only takes one person to mess things up for everyone. It has been notoriously difficult to get any contact at Hawarden so this does represent an important step forward. Hopefully we can all benefit from it now and in the future.
Please note that this post does not originate from North Wales Police or Airbus UK.