Airline passenger news and views

Why or why did we not let France have the 2012 Olympics - it would have been so much easier.

Mary Hibbert is right. For the price that we in the Uk are paying, we could have given anyone that wanted to go a free flight and ticket to Paris. I bet they are very pleased that they 'missed-out' and we got lumbered.

The 2012 Olympics is one of the best things that can happen to Britain. It puts us right on the world stage and shows people just what we can do.

I need to point out to the Numptys that came up with this, our extreme concern at the recently published planned airspace security restrictions covering the London Olympic and Paralympics Games over the period 13 July to 12 September 2012.
If implemented as currently published they will have a profoundly damaging effect on Stoke Airfield and it pilots
I cannot believe that your department would wish to see this outcome. The co-operative pro-Olympic spirit has been replaced by obdurate prohibition and restriction which take NO notice of the type of aviation activities undertaken at Stoke Airfield.
I believe that many aspects of the planned airspace restrictions are ill conceived and non compliable, let alone unworkable to the extent that, on a cursory risk assessment, they appear to increase rather than decrease hazards.
I question the size of the Restricted Zone, its temporal duration and the method of operation within it. Which on an average summer day can deal with 100 or so movements of which 5 may require a flight plan.
The proposals will require 100 extra flight plans (one in and one out), each one of which will need to be checked and verified on the NATS system. It is inconceivable that NATS will be able to deal with such an increase in load of flight planning.
The inevitable overloading of NATS means that the anticipated flight plans may not be accepted due to traffic levels.
Furthermore many of the aircraft at Stoke do not carry the required transponder to allow circuit flying.
These factors will effectively decimate commercial and private flying and lead to serious loss of income to Stoke Airfield. The flying schools and commercial operators would expect July through September to be their busiest and most profitable period of the year. Consequent business failure is a real risk. This must surely be the opposite of the Olympic ideal.
I do sincerely wish for a safe and successful Olympic Games but Not at my expense. We can accept that there should be no fly exclusion zones adjacent to the Games’ arenas. However to us it is unclear what possible aerial threat there could be from Microlight / Gyro flights in the restricted zone nor how seemingly unworkable restrictions will enhance security.
I suggest the following:
1. The restricted zone should be reduced in size. The larger the zone the less workable it becomes and greater the possibility of incursions.
2. The restrictions should only be in use during the competition period and not two weeks either side.
3. Flying instructors be offered some latitude to fly outside of our zone to the South when training students. This can be monitored by the flying schools at the airfield along with Southend Airport .
4. Circuit flying should be permitted without transponder requirements for Home based aircraft.
.5. A low level corridor to and from the Airport without a flight plan or transponder requirement should be established to the South of Stoke Airfield.
Yours sincerely
A very peeved of airfield operator whom cannot & will not comply with these restrictions as portrayed and for these Numptys to say its not even open for Debate proves to me they are Barking mad
CJ Draper

Ok, so Mr Draper is a bit long winded and pissed off with plans that affect him - but he does have a point.
How much consideration was given to the knock on effects of these games on the ordinary lives of the ordinary people? The UK is not geographically big, our transport system runs at capacity all of the time, we are overcrowded with people, houses, parked cars etc.
We actually cannot run an event like the Games without damaging the lives of ordinary people. Did any of this enter the heads of those pushing for us to host? will they be damaged? probably not.
I am sorry for Mr Draper but there will be lots of others like him, all losing little bits of freedom for someone else's vanity.

Mr Draper is being silly, there are lots more important things to worry about that some part time fliers at Stoke Airfield.

The thing about Mr Draper (ok, yes he is being a bit of a numpty) is that he is right. No one seems to have considered the widespread costs and detriment to thousands of ordinary Mr Drapers just so that we can have the Games here.
I feel sorry for him and the damage that is being done to his interests without any real consultation or any compensation.
I am pleased that we have 'won' the Games but not at any cost.

This is another kick in the teeth for the British people that are being forced to pay for an Olympic extravaganza that will benefit others. What was the original budget? and what is it now?
How can we have let ourselves get conned again by the likes of Blair and his self-satisfied demeanour?

the government don't give a toss about security, they only appear to. i have delivered concrete, and steel to the olympics site, and there is a huge amount of illegal immigrants working there.
i have a little surprise lined up though. a few of my mates fly microlights, so we are going to fly over the site when it's packed, just to make a point.
i wonder how many millions our security breach will cost?