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Post by avro748 on Jun 2, 2011 12:46:15 GMT 1
I visited Woodford yesterday (for what may turn out to be the last time). ATC will be present Mon to Thu until the end of August (at the moment!) and are pleased to receive aircraft for (free!) circuits. Photo on approach to RW25, the yellow lines along the runway either side of the centreline were used for Vmcg trials. XM603 is looking very forlorn and i wonder how much longer it can survive? I have heard numerous rumours about the fate of the airfield (as i am sure we all have) but i don't think anything has been confirmed yet. I am sure everyone will agree (unless you live in Poynton) that keeping this historic airfield in use for what it is intended would be our first choice. Cheers Shaun
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2011 13:35:08 GMT 1
Well, it's a case of be careful what you wish for. When I worked at Woodford and there was a lot of Nimrod testing going on, along with the 748, ATP and 146, the residents of Poynton were always complaining about the noise. If, as expected, the land is sold off for housing and retail/business parks, they'll have a lot more to complain about! The Vulcan does indeed look forlorn, and I wonder why no-one in BAe has seen fit to do anything useful with it.
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Post by Cityflyer on Jun 3, 2011 12:30:01 GMT 1
Nice to see that the Vulcan clings on to life! Is the 146 still in existance??
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Post by Biggles on Jun 3, 2011 19:00:46 GMT 1
I have never really fully understood the logic of people renting or buying a house near to an airfields perimeter or on the long or short approach, and then moan about aircraft noise ?
Looks like another bit of aviation history heading for the bin.
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Post by john1958 on Jun 4, 2011 11:57:15 GMT 1
Biggles you are 200% right, why the hell buy a house next to a fenced off place with a looong slab of concrete on it, with planes coming and going at all hours.....depending which slab of concrete you buy near, only to complain about the noise!!! If you dont like it dont bloody well buy it in the first place!!!!!! :-)
John
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captainjimbo
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Post by captainjimbo on Jul 18, 2011 17:20:03 GMT 1
Crime against aviation to let such a perfect runway be left to rot and crumble to nothing, did my first circuit there with msf many years ago and worked there for 3 years with the RJ Interestingly the current Woodford study on what to do with the site does mention keeping an aviation element and even more bizarre in the public consultation 51% of residence agreed that they would like some of the site to have aviation activity. see www.futurewoodford.co.uk/newsavro748 do you have a contact there please ? I tried a few times to phone ATC but never get any answer could you pm or phone us if so, be much appreciated. I take it it's still operational as the notams just give limitations until august. also love to see any other pics you have.
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Post by Cityflyer on Jul 19, 2011 18:42:22 GMT 1
Nice to see that the Vulcan clings on to life! Is the 146 still in existance?? The 146 was broken up while they were scrapping the MR4's Just for the record the 146 G-ORJX was dismantled and transported to Prestwick by Road, at the start of June
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captainjimbo
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Post by captainjimbo on Aug 4, 2011 14:03:49 GMT 1
Flew over to Woodford yesterday and got a perfect day for it, took my little video cam along and put the results up onto youtube, also got some pictures, the in flight ones aren’t too good as they are just stills from the video. ATC where the most helpful ATSU I’ve come across and was a real privilege to have the whole airfield and it’s services all to myself Hope to be able to get back there before the 25th, though to get any better shots I’ll probably need a camera man … oops camera person . Flight through Manchester CTA was mostly uneventful and I even managed to get a direct track Woodford to Liverpool on the way back, well you don’t get if your don’t ask. Was rather interesting being downwind at Woodford and seeing the Manchester final approach so close though it hasn’t show up on the video mostly do to the haze layer. Was nice to be back at Woodford been a number of years since I was working there when it was in full production mode, strange to see it now so dead and deserted. I’m trying to get involved as much as possible with pushing to keep some GA on the site and am hopeful that something may come of it I just hope it’s not in 5 years time when that perfectly kept runway has deteriorated and fell into ruin. C.Jimbo Oh and if anyone wants to get into Woodford and get it in their logbook while you still can but not to sure on the whole EGCC procedures, drop me a message, I’m also a CPL/Flight Instructor so could always double it up as your bi-annual flight, checkout on a different type, ppl lesson or even a complex type conversion. Video is at no copyright on the pics / vid help yourself if you want them or even msg me and I'll send you the originals.
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Post by avro748 on Aug 5, 2011 16:41:08 GMT 1
Good stuff C.Jimbo. Stirred some happy memories, but i guess all things have to come to an end.
Cheers
Shaun
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captainjimbo
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Post by captainjimbo on Aug 25, 2011 11:16:59 GMT 1
sorry to those that have mailed me about the video not showing but it is now back online, was hidden for a while at the request of bae :roll: In the process of making part two, should be up by next week. No word on the Vulcan so I'm now making space on my front lawn lol Ian www.eps.hopto.org/cpl
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Post by jbmack on Oct 11, 2011 22:36:05 GMT 1
From AIX forum today Re: Woodford From another Forum - exit Coltishall, enter Woodford:
"Just heard that JCB have bought the BAE Woodford site and its being reinstated as a operational airfield. Its being turned into a bizjet park and also a aircraft scrapping and reclamation centre."
This might be a better site for the job than Coltishall. A massive, experienced workforce on tap, lots of big hangars and perhaps the location will benefit from the development area status granted to areas suffering from the massive redundancies within BAE Systems.
Of course, there is also a track record of scrapping aircraft at Woodford jbmack
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Post by ian531 on Oct 13, 2011 7:33:50 GMT 1
This would be good if it comes off. Good to get some new jobs
But, imagine a combination of Luton and Lasham in our area!!
Lets see what happens
Ian
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groth
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Post by groth on Oct 13, 2011 9:13:54 GMT 1
Just Imagine the the screams of horror and condemnation from the locals if they think they are getting a scrapyard in their locality ! ;D
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Post by ian531 on Oct 13, 2011 19:16:15 GMT 1
It's just been on the local BBC news that BAE have agreed a sale on the Woodford site. (No mention of who has bought it)
It said that plans include a film studio in one of the hangars, housing, and an equestrian centre.
They will also keep the runway but it will be reduced in length.
Wonder if this leaves room for the biz jets and the scrapping area
Ian
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Post by jbmack on Oct 21, 2011 21:53:12 GMT 1
From Manchester Evening News
The billionaire heir to the JCB empire is behind plans to buy BAE Systems' Woodford site, the MEN can today reveal. Jo Bamford hopes to tie-up a deal to buy the 500 acre site in the coming weeks, with a view to transforming it into film studios, housing and a leisure complex, including an equestrian centre and point-to-point race course.
Once the deal, understood to worth be up to £100m, goes through, Mr Bamford will install a team to run the Woodford operation, led by business associate Harry Harvey and director of operations James Fletcher. British producer Piers Tempest, a friend of Mr Bamford, will lead the film studio element of the project and the MEN has been told he has already had talks about shooting a blockbuster at the site.
A spokesman for Mr Bamford, grandson of Joseph Cyril Bamford, the founder of JCB, said he will have a personal office at Woodford, from where he will run some of his own personal business interests. However, there are no immediate plans for it to become a key site for JCB's operations. Mr Fletcher, a former national newspaper journalist who also runs his own PR company, said: "We are really excited about the potential for Woodford and we can't wait to get started. "We know that BAE have worked closely with the local community and neighbouring authorities, Stockport and Cheshire East, to safeguard the site's future and we have vowed to continue that work.”
BAE announced it was closing the Woodford site after the government scrapped the Nimrod project. The firm confirmed last week it had accepted an offer for the site. Earlier this year, Stockport Council, Cheshire East Council and BAE held a series of public consultations to get locals' views on what should happen to Woodford, with housing and sports facilities among the most popular submissions.
The deal to sell the site to Mr Bamford could conclude in under a month and the MEN understands his plans involve creating a film studio at the south of the site, while a mix of affordable and luxury homes would be built to the north. Woodford's historic links with the aviation industry will be maintained with the retention of the runway and the development of a new heritage centre on the site of the original Avro hanger. However, all this would have to comply with a Supplementary Planning Document being prepared by Stockport Council.
Mr Fletcher added: "The local residents have expressed a number of concerns and desires during the recent consultation period and we have attempted to embrace those thoughts in our plans. "We will continue that work with the local community as soon as we are in a position to do so. "We are committed to the area, a number of our team live locally and Woodford will become the long term HQ for our business interests and we hope to become part of the Woodford community.
"It is difficult to discuss our plans in any real detail until contracts have been completed and Stockport Council have published their Supplementary Planning Document." BAE has also confirmed it had received a previous approach to use Woodford as a film location, after being approached by agency Vision + Media, who had brought “senior LA production company executives” to look at it. Vision + Media yesterday issued a statement, saying it hoped to resurrect talks it had begun once the deal is completed. It said: “We hope to continue these discussions with the new owners when the site is finally sold, as it has such potential for part use as a feature film studio.”
Mr Harvey is the former owner of Hough Hall Investment, in Bollington, near Macclesfield jbmack
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