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Manston August 11 2007
Posted: 18 Aug 2007, 17:51
by ianhind
Having dropped off the mother-in-law, a quick visit to Manston.
No EU Jet photos
Just a few rotting aircraft but one surprise. (quick dump of camera card - exposure etc could do with optimising)
Southern Winds Boeing 747-200 (LV-AZF c/no 23048)
Air Freight Express Boeing 747-200 (N218BA c/no 20827)
MK DC-8 (identity not known)
Boeing 707 (N707QJ? - no identity visible but see next link)
according to
http://www.airfleets.net/show/?pic=82577 is due to become UK registered

Re: Manston August 11 2007
Posted: 18 Aug 2007, 17:57
by DaveB
Interesting shots Ian ;-) Didn't realise there was so much lying around there :o
ATB
DaveB :tab:
PS.. thanks for not posting anything EUJet

Re: Manston August 11 2007
Posted: 18 Aug 2007, 18:11
by ianhind
Dave,
That's all the heavy metal that is there right now.
The Iskra G-BXVZ was still there
http://abpic.co.uk/photo/1039043/ and HM Coastguard Islander G-BCEN
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0194138/L/
With the demise of EU Jet the place was very quiet. Just a few charter flights to holiday destinations on Saturdays - don't know who with because nothing in sight.
Ian
Re: Manston August 11 2007
Posted: 18 Aug 2007, 18:17
by VEGAS
Interesting shots. I love any wrecks and relics info. Thanks Ian.

Re: Manston August 11 2007
Posted: 18 Aug 2007, 21:01
by DaveB
Thanks for that Ian ;-)
It's a great shame the place is so far off the beaten track isn't it. A big old place but just a little too far out to make it viable. BAA would rather demolish a few villages and expand LHR/LGW instead :roll:
ATB
DaveB :tab:
Re: Manston August 11 2007
Posted: 18 Aug 2007, 22:55
by Trev Clark
I have an invite to visit Manston (when I get back to the Uk with spare time) an old school and RAF chum (we joined the RAF from the same ATC Sqn at the same time) is OC the joint services fire school (all that is lefy of RAF Manston), Wrecks and Relics have quite a list of fire dump aircraft still on charge there.
Re: Manston August 11 2007
Posted: 19 Aug 2007, 11:19
by Prop Jockey
Does anyone know if they still handle freight traffic too ? According to my neighbour who works at LHR organising freight flights - it was the last place in the country you could get a scheduled 707/DC-8 freighter into - although I doubt the population of Ramsgate are too thrilled about that ! There's a lot of tarmac to keep usable at Manston, it's hard to see how the occasional charter flight, the landing fees from T & Gs 152s and periodic instrument approach fees would sustain it long term - here's hoping there are more irons in the fire

Re: Manston August 11 2007
Posted: 19 Aug 2007, 11:49
by Nigel H-J
I may be wrong but Manston used to be a standby / diversionary airfield due to the length of the runway and the fact that the approach is not over built up areas? If so is it still used for such eventualities?
Nigel.
Re: Manston August 11 2007
Posted: 19 Aug 2007, 12:10
by Garry Russell
Nigel
I think they were an offical diversion airfield for the RAF as well and there were facilities for wheels up landings like foam beds.
It was out of the way......emergencies had less impact due to few movement and the runway was long and very wide with I think only a reduced width maintained now.
There was an RAF fire school there but I don't know if that still is the case.
Garry
Re: Manston August 11 2007
Posted: 19 Aug 2007, 13:07
by Prop Jockey
.... and it's still a whoping 61m wide :o (which did enable me to get an Archer out of there many years ago - by taking off diagonally across the runway the crosswind component was within the Archers limits

)
Mind you, Filton is 91m wide - you can practically land/take-off across that runway
Cheers
Rich