Airport.

[IOM]

24 minutes ago, NoTailT said:

I think you should find a thread to comment on that you actually know something about.

 

And another thought wasn’t it you who thought it would be a good idea to get Flybe Mark 2 back on the island a year ago ? Enough said 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[NoTailT]

What I’d like to see is not unknown but given you’re so keen to ask.

In terms of routes;

1) Frequent reliable low cost flights.

2) Business-friendly schedules to focal markets e.g, London and Manchester.

3) A direct flight to a major European hub that isn’t in the UK for connectivity. Dublin doesn’t work because you can’t book through-tickets to most of their European network.

Airport Operations;

1) Investment in ATC and infrastructure to enable more efficient operations in inclement weather. This will improve overall reliability.

2) A complete refit of the departures lounge to include a proper F&B offering. I’d include the Oasis Cafe or whatever it’s called in a remodelled departures lounge if it were my choice and extend the terminal building out over where the baggage carousels are.

3) A clean and comfortable shuttle bus timed to coincide with all flights. Directly to/from Douglas and Airport. No stops en route. Just a sprinter sized bus tasked with one direct route. Should alleviate some of the major taxi problems at the airport.

[NoTailT]

5 minutes ago, IOM said:

And another thought wasn’t it you who thought it would be a good idea to get Flybe Mark 2 back on the island a year ago ? Enough said 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

It isn’t Flybe mk2 specific, it’s market competition specific. Competitive market = better fares for passengers and more choice.

[IOM]

4 minutes ago, NoTailT said:

What I’d like to see is not unknown but given you’re so keen to ask.

In terms of routes;

1) Frequent reliable low cost flights.

2) Business-friendly schedules to focal markets e.g, London and Manchester.

3) A direct flight to a major European hub that isn’t in the UK for connectivity. Dublin doesn’t work because you can’t book through-tickets to most of their European network.

Airport Operations;

1) Investment in ATC and infrastructure to enable more efficient operations in inclement weather. This will improve overall reliability.

2) A complete refit of the departures lounge to include a proper F&B offering. I’d include the Oasis Cafe or whatever it’s called in a remodelled departures lounge if it were my choice and extend the terminal building out over where the baggage carousels are.

3) A clean and comfortable shuttle bus timed to coincide with all flights. Directly to/from Douglas and Airport. No stops en route. Just a sprinter sized bus tasked with one direct route. Should alleviate some of the major taxi problems at the airport.

To be fair I do think this is the first time I have seen your suggested plan . And actually for what it’s worth I agree with nearly all of this . I think where we sometimes differ is in our articulation of the current situation. I guess we both just care about trying to get it right for the island and there is nothing wrong with that . 

[NoTailT]

3 minutes ago, IOM said:

To be fair I do think this is the first time I have seen your suggested plan . And actually for what it’s worth I agree with nearly all of this . I think where we sometimes differ is in our articulation of the current situation. I guess we both just care about trying to get it right for the island and there is nothing wrong with that . 

Just imagine how much travel time would be saved if we could one-stop through Amsterdam, or Paris, or Frankfurt/Munich. It’s all possible.

I saw a Tweet from Moany Ged (Power) earlier about how a Golf group wouldn’t come after looking at the cost of travel. That is a problem and Loganairs loads reflect that.

I won’t say I know how to run an airline - because I don’t - but Loganair should really review its fare modelling. The ATR is inexpensive to operate (maybe £3k/hr + fees). Ditch the free suitcase, charge a tenner for it and reduce fares.

For balance, I find easyJets charges for seats and baggage to be astronomical since they upped them all. Want to take a family of 4 away for the summer? Well that’s £1k+ just to get on/off Island and probably book a hotel.

Maybe the Government should also consider subventing like the Spaniards do for those who live on Spanish Islands. Even if it’s capped to 4 reduced fare trips per year, I don’t know, but something needs to change.

[WTF]

2 hours ago, philwebs said:

Question to madmanxpilot.

 

Is ADS-B on a computer used at Ronaldsway?

www.flightradar24.com/53.66,-3.94/8

I can see aircraft movements and based on this I could probably vector them in. I would not see non ADS-B aircraft.

Would it be a good backup option, with maybe a receiver on the roof.

 

 

does that system give weather reports and who or what is on the runway that isn't an aircraft ?   i was wondering why a plane couldn't leave ronaldsway without any ATC if there were no other aircraft scheduled in or out but then considered the 2 things i mentioned.

[NoTailT]

Another one for @madmanxpilot - my knowledge of the US is that commercial airliners can operate at small airports without ATC coverage if out of hours, caused by knock on to schedules etc (as we often experience) and as described at https://simpleflying.com/when-airline-pilots-oeprate-without-atc-guide/

I don't know if this happens for commercial air transport in the UK or even Europe, is this even possible?

[madmanxpilot]

3 hours ago, philwebs said:

Question to madmanxpilot.

 

Is ADS-B on a computer used at Ronaldsway?

www.flightradar24.com/53.66,-3.94/8

I can see aircraft movements and based on this I could probably vector them in. I would not see non ADS-B aircraft.

Would it be a good backup option, with maybe a receiver on the roof.

 

 

It’s not really my wheelhouse but I know a bit about it.

The short answer to your question is no.

Lots of the info you see on FR24 is generated by enthusiasts who have ADS B receivers on their roofs, so there is no guarantee it is accurate or reliable, and importantly, controlled.

There is a radar display screen in the visual control room that takes its feed from the main radar system, but it is not designed for use in vectoring aircraft.

The following picture is from the island images website.

 

 

[madmanxpilot]

1 minute ago, NoTailT said:

Another one for @madmanxpilot - my knowledge of the US is that commercial airliners can operate at small airports without ATC coverage if out of hours, caused by knock on to schedules etc (as we often experience) and as described at https://simpleflying.com/when-airline-pilots-oeprate-without-atc-guide/

I don't know if this happens for commercial air transport in the UK or even Europe, is this even possible?

I’ve never come across that for commercial aviation in the UK or Europe and would be surprised if it was allowed.

[Ringy Rose]

5 hours ago, NoTailT said:

Directly to/from Douglas and Airport. No stops en route. Just a sprinter sized bus tasked with one direct route. Should alleviate some of the major taxi problems at the airport.

They do that for the north and the taxi companies up there have gone properly radge at Bus Vannin “stealing” their business!

 

5 hours ago, NoTailT said:

Just imagine how much travel time would be saved if we could one-stop through Amsterdam, or Paris, or Frankfurt/Munich. It’s all possible.

Manchester and London provide access to all the same markets, and Loganair either codeshare or interline through both airports. Birmingham too, if you’re heading to the Middle East.

There’s also Dublin for the US.

You can’t connect into Aer Lingus’ short haul flights, no, but then you can’t connect with EasyJet either (DoHop is an insurance policy not a connection).

I think the problems are as follows:

People assume Loganair are expensive and EasyJet are cheap and don’t arse themselves to search properly, they go straight to the orange. Anecdotally I’ve had people raise eyebrows when I say I predominantly travel Loganair, as they assume it’s really expensive. Booked well in advance, and with hold luggage, it often isn’t any more than EasyJet. I’m going away next week, out EasyJet and back Loganair. £150 for two people each way with a 22kg bag, preference was purely timing. But I booked it four months ago.

Loganair don’t do drip pricing and so, for those who don’t need a hold bag, they genuinely are more expensive. However Loganair also can’t really accommodate cabin baggage larger than a small rucksack without it going on the hold.

People don’t explore their options more fully. Through-ticketing on BA via London provides decent value, especially into BA’s short haul network, with all the protections and BA Executive Club perks that that brings. I’ve done it a few times recently to Europe, so much easier than EasyJet- even with the transfer from Heathrow to City.

[Major Rushen]

5 hours ago, NoTailT said:

What I’d like to see is not unknown but given you’re so keen to ask.

In terms of routes;

1) Frequent reliable low cost flights.

2) Business-friendly schedules to focal markets e.g, London and Manchester.

3) A direct flight to a major European hub that isn’t in the UK for connectivity. Dublin doesn’t work because you can’t book through-tickets to most of their European network.

Airport Operations;

1) Investment in ATC and infrastructure to enable more efficient operations in inclement weather. This will improve overall reliability.

2) A complete refit of the departures lounge to include a proper F&B offering. I’d include the Oasis Cafe or whatever it’s called in a remodelled departures lounge if it were my choice and extend the terminal building out over where the baggage carousels are.

3) A clean and comfortable shuttle bus timed to coincide with all flights. Directly to/from Douglas and Airport. No stops en route. Just a sprinter sized bus tasked with one direct route. Should alleviate some of the major taxi problems at the airport.

If the catchment area for the travelling public was 4-500,000 yes, but for here no.

[Blade Runner]

4 hours ago, madmanxpilot said:

I’ve never come across that for commercial aviation in the UK or Europe and would be surprised if it was allowed.

As someone whose family uses the airport quite often and I do myself once in a while.

Can I ask you - Do you see a disaster happening and the report saying that the signs were all there that this could happen?

The fact that the airport is under special measures or whatever the aviation equivalent is, that fills me with fear.

Edited October 3, 2023 by Blade Runner

[Nellie]

10 hours ago, Roger Mexico said:

EasyJet must have know before they left because they would have had to have requested the extension before that.  It may be that they hoped that they could just get in and out in the time available or that they calculated it was cheaper putting up one lot of passengers plus crew than two lots of passengers.  And they will have a bit more flexibility with crew rosters as various holiday routes are scaled back.

Obviously they're not going to tell the passengers this because they were still hoping to turn things round in the time they had and play innocent even if they were caught out.

Across the Summer months, easyJet cancelled numerous times when they were running late, and whilst getting here would have been possible, getting back to Gatwick was unlikely or even impossible. They chose to take the hit on two lots of disgruntled passengers and the associated costs, rather than have plane and crew out of position the next day. 

You may be right that as reduced schedules give them a bit more slack in the system, they will be more willing to operate one way, if circumstances require it. 

We’ll see how they perform over the next few weeks!

[bonatti]

10 hours ago, philwebs said:

Question to madmanxpilot.

 

Is ADS-B on a computer used at Ronaldsway?

www.flightradar24.com/53.66,-3.94/8

I can see aircraft movements and based on this I could probably vector them in. I would not see non ADS-B aircraft.

Would it be a good backup option, with maybe a receiver on the roof.

 

 

ADS-B data is transmitted by the aircraft Mode-S transponder. Data such as aircraft ident, altitude and heading is received by ATC secondary surveillance radar to add additional info to primary radar. GNSS data is probably not considered accurate or reliable enough to be used by ATC .

[madmanxpilot]

6 hours ago, Blade Runner said:

Do you see a disaster happening and the report saying that the signs were all there that this could happen?

No.