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Post by 40612aza on Feb 18, 2020 19:30:20 GMT
Hi All
I'm Simon Brooke. I live in Dunfermline but, being retired, spend several weeks each year south of Hadrian's wall. I share a house with Mike Kell and our normal resting place in the London area is the Travelodge Heathrow Terminal 5. From here we have immediate access to the London car park - sorry, the M25 - and can be at Eelmoor bridge within half-an-hour or so. From the hotel, we can see all LHR movements and - if it's clear enough, FAB inbounds passing to the north of LHR. We can also get some nice landing (09L) and departure (27R) photographs from the top floor of the hotel's car park.
I spent much of my working life in civil aviation, including 7 years with Air Atlantique during which I occasionally operated as a loadie on the DC3, DC6 and Bristol Freighter. My two favourite trips with them were on G-APSA to Baghdad (before the wars) and on G-AMCA to Greybull, Wyoming. Aaah - transatlantic in a Dakota - no jetlag :-)
Now my time is my own (and being somewhat disabled, and unable to fly) I potter around my local airport - Edinburgh - but try to get around to other airports as much as I can. We usually do one or two trips to Europe a year, plus several trips down south to tie in with airshows or GA fly-ins.
Like many of you, I put my pics up on Flickr:
Thanks to you all for the Farnborough movements - it makes it so much easier for us foreigners to work out what we're seeing....
Yours aye Simon
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2020 13:06:03 GMT
Hi, I'm Rich Lambert - lived in Farnborough since BAES moved here in '92 (now retired), but been spotting since the early '60s. My study window (just north of Farnborough Tech, looking south) has a great view of RWY 24 arrivals, reasonable view of RWY 06 departures! Better in the winter with no leaves on the trees!!!
Thanks all for a very useful site!
Rich
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Post by bizbob on Mar 12, 2020 10:57:23 GMT
Good morning everyone. I am Robert (Bob) Robinson and I live in Lower Feltham, Middlesex not far from Heathrow. I am sort of retired but do a day or two each week for a friend doing some warbird restoration. I worked at Heathrow when I left school as a design engineer for a Company that built aircraft interiors. Then moved on to Marshalls where I was part of the design team that converted the L1011's for the RAF. Then onto Fokker at Schiphol where I worked in the interior design team on the Fokker 50 and 100. Then onto interior design for Embraer in Brazil. Then 20 plus years working for the Alan Mann Group at Fairoaks. I take pictures and spot in no particular order. I get to Farnborough when able on a very hit-and -miss basis. A keen modeller and a CI at my local ATC Squadron. Aviation is in my blood. I really appreciate being part of this group. Thanks guys.
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Post by andypspotter on Mar 13, 2020 2:02:56 GMT
Hi All, newcomers and members of old.
I trust all those that may have recently become members aren't finding the need to log in to the forum to gain full access a 'ball ache'.
As mentioned previously, a forum is only as good as the input from its membership. Therefore, I'd like to encourage you all to contribute, however big or small.
Happy enthusing.
Andy H
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2020 10:17:37 GMT
My name is Alan I in Rochester I first started collecting aircraft registration in late 50 early 60 but stopped in the 60 now I have started again.
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Post by andypspotter on May 3, 2020 18:29:45 GMT
Welcome Alan
You join the forum at an interesting time, both for aviation and more generally.
Who knows what the future will bring - Jumbo-less skies, save for the odd freighter.
Social-distancing on flights until such time that a vaccine is developed? Perhaps an A380 with 50 seats is the solution, albeit that I wouldn't like to see the ticket price?! It'll be like a return to air travel pre-WW2. Still, at least it'd be possible to travel from London to Sydney non-stop.
And which airlines will survive? Sadly, it may be easier to list those that do, rather than those that don't.
Perhaps start-up airlines with none of the 'baggage' of existing carriers could clear up. Lots of spare aircraft knocking about, spare slots etc... - who knows?
The need to build a third runway at Heathrow would seem to have subsided.
As for bizjets, one might think the reduction in airline traffic / routes might provide a bonus, particularly for those keen to avoid the masses. However, the reduction in economic activity, coupled with the ascendancy of video conferencing, may suppress potential growth.
Could general aviation benefit, with people wanting to fly themselves from A to B, for short journeys?
As for our hobby, clearly catching what you can OTT or inbound / outbound local 'dromes is currently the limit. That said, there have been some interesting movements. Sure, restrictions will be lifted, and the interesting movements may continue, but what there'll be to see at airports in particular (in terms of the volume of traffic), would seem uncertain.
You never know airports, keen to encourage people to fall back in love with air travel, might provide viewing areas - perish the thought!
Permutations abound!
Happy enthusing, and stay safe.
Andy H
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Post by eastleighgreg on May 7, 2020 18:07:20 GMT
Thanks for sharing those thoughts with us Andy, they've fired my imagination; we are certainly living in "interesting" times. I think we spotters have all been rather spoiled by the huge increase in aviation over the last 20 or 30 years; if the number of flights go back to 1980s or 1990s levels I expect that will become the new normal and we will soon get used to it. If it was good enough for us then, it will be good enough for us in the future.
You can be sure that airlines will want to use their newest and most economical aircraft as they start their recovery, so we will have plenty of neos, 350s and 787s to log.
As for business aviation, that's a real question mark. There seemed to be a lot more bizjets in the air after the terror attacks of the previous decade as airline travel was perceived (by those who could afford it) to be a riskier option. Maybe that will happen again, although I expect far more business deals will be conducted online with less need for international meetings.
As for spotting facilities, we can hope, but I don't expect we will be very high in anybody's priorities but our own!
Stay safe everyone and keep enjoying the hobby.
Greg
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Post by Dave Silk on May 10, 2020 14:31:16 GMT
Quick question Greg. Is Gary Kneller, king of the railway yard and the runway still around? Must be a good 10 years since I last saw him. Dave
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Post by eastleighgreg on May 11, 2020 7:22:29 GMT
Hi Dave
I have no idea I'm afraid... I'm familiar with Gary's name of course, but as far as I know I never met him face to face. I haven't seen him mentioned or contributing to to forums, etc, for years. Sorry I can't me any more of a help
Greg
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Post by Dave Silk on May 12, 2020 13:46:52 GMT
Thank you Greg. I used to meet up with him at Popham and Cranfield. We also had Hampshire County Cricket as a mutual interest as well as planes!
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Post by planefleet on May 13, 2020 18:17:31 GMT
Hi, all. I live in the Pondtail area of Fleet, so have a clear view of arrivals on 06 and departures on 24, if it's not too claggy. Having grown up in Farnham, I remember Belvederes when they were based at Odiham in the 60's and have happy memories of the 2 RAE Shacks and the Beverley, as well as the Hunters, etc. My first SBAC Show was in 1968. Current main interests are heavy metal, of the military and airliner variety, but also into bizjets. I used to be an avid spotter in my earlier days, but now concentrate mainly on photography. I'm an occasional visitor to the Iron Bridge (Eelmoor), either on foot from home or by car. I travelled a lot until recently, but increasingly working from home these days, so you may see a few local posts appearing from me. Thanks to Andy and John for their tireless efforts and to everyone who contributes.
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Post by k3v1n on Jul 7, 2020 16:17:00 GMT
hi my name is Kevin Brewster I was born in Southampton when Bristol 170 and Vikings were in used.I used to travel to Bournmouth regularly. I now live nr Doncaster Airport but I am about to move back to Southampton. Thanks for letting me join
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Post by chrism on Jul 7, 2020 18:08:36 GMT
Hi, My name is Chris Mays and I live just 2 miles from LHR and am fortunate enough to be able to see both 27R and 27L from my house, which means I'm never going to move house despite gentle pressure occassionally to give it consideration.
I have been spotting since 1983, although I did so back in the early sixties before ditching my log books for the opposite sex. Move forward 20 years and I resumed the hobby when my young son became interested in the hobby, although like me he to stopped for the very same reasons as I did. But this time I continued and have enjoyed the last thirty odd years travelling to countries I never thought I would visit. Along the way I have made some very good friends to share the hobby with. I visit FAB on a regular basis so to join this forum seemed to be a logical move in order to communicate and share information with fellow FAB followers.
I hope to be able to put faces to forum names in the not to distant future.
Regards Chris
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2020 18:23:29 GMT
Keen aviation enthusiast originally from Manchester
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2020 14:00:49 GMT
Hi, Thanks for allowing me to join. I’m from York and try to get down south as often as I can. Groups like this are a massive help to all so thanks for allowing me in. Cheers, Steve
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