[Anonymous]

[BigDog.]

Abandoned Airports – what are they doing now ?

Had used 5 of these, didn’t realise one had actually closed!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/uk/10858233/Abandoned-airports-around-the-world.html

Two never really opened – pity Walsh didn’t learn and avoid a similar Iberian folly.

[MartynSinclair]

Add Sheffield City Airport to the list of International Airports to close…

http://www.sheffieldcityairport.com/

Guess its not in the same league as New York, Berlin, Madrid… but it was my home town airport whilst it was open 🙂

[BigDog.]

Ah yes Martyn – was a Sheffield Uni undergrad many years ago – the start of the film “Full Monty” was most reminiscent – The Top Rank, The Fiesta. Not forgetting Nether Edge and a Blondie concert.

[MartynSinclair]

Napoleon’s casino was a student favourite for their free Sunday night food!!

Sheffield also had the benefit of Coal Aston… a small grass strip, which eventually had landing lights put in and Customs on request. I believe British Steel used to land a Gulfstream 1 turboprop (and then take off!).

Netherthorpe is still active… but as it has or had the smallest registered runway in the UK, not much could get in or out… mainly for training…

[transtraxman]

I am surprised that Plymouth(Devon) is not mentioned, or hasn´t it been closed yet?
Would Hawarden(Chester) count as a closed airport? First Starways then British Eagle used to use it as a stop on their service from Speke(L/P) to Heathrow.

[esselle]

Harwarden is still operational, although there is no scheduled traffic currently.

Regular flights in/out by Airbus, and a fair amount of general aviation.

[BigDog.]

Ah yes Hawarden – en-route home, before the A55 was developed it had quite a nasty hump which concealed an underpass connecting RAF Sealand to Hawarden. It gave a great view of a Spitfire or Hurricane parked on the front lawn though was later replaced by a small ex-fighter jet I recall before the RAF made Sealand non-operational from its perspective all together.

(edited to correct spelling. Thnx Transtraxman)

[LuganoPirate]

Wasn’t Harwarden once home to BAE?

I been to a few of the closed airports, Kai Tak, Tempelhof and Croydon as a very young boy which I vaguely remember (helped by some old photographs).

I always think it a shame when these pieces of history close, but I guess that’s the price of progress!

[transtraxman]

Please note that it is Hawarden.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawarden_Airport

[SimonS1]

Chester Hawarden Airport in fact.

http://www.chesterairport.co.uk/

[esselle]

Reassuring to see the spell-checker monitor responsibility previously held by VK/SM has been filled.

There is a very good fram sohp nearby if you are passing.

2 users thanked author for this post.

TupeloKid, cwoodward

[openfly]

….pronounced hardon!!

Cambrian Airways flight CS 701 dep LPL Mon to Fri at 0805 to LHR via Hawarden. It was scheduled at 10 minutes…but often took less! The return flight was CS 712 from LHR at 18.30. Gave the Chester business folk a day in London. Operated by Viscount 701 then the 806.

Memories!

Maybe LPL-HAW-LCY is food for thought……

[JohnHarper]

Good topic BigDog.

I was surprised how many of these airports I had been to:

Berlin Tempelhof although I think the building is still in use. The check in hall was the most impressive space so long, high and wide, a great piece of engineering and of course soon Tempelhof will be joined by Tegal which has rather less impressive architecture but which is so amazingly functional. I wonder how long it will be for BER to finally be finished.

Kai Tak was probably the only place of its kind, I can’t remember anywhere else where you made a sharp right immediately before landing. I went there many times but I still remember the first on a BCal DC-10 with a stop in Dubai which was a field in the desert.

You can still see the remnants of Nicosia when you drive along the road to the north of the airport. For years there was a Trident parked there in CY livery. I’m not sure whether it is still there but I’m going next month so no doubt we will pass by at some stage. For those who prefer to avoid the bucket and spade atmosphere of LCA, ECN is a great way to arrive and depart from the island since the border is open.

I have fond memories of Hellenikon including spending 72 hours on the floor when a general strike was declared in Greece while I was waiting to check in after a holiday and everything stopped. A spirit of the blitz atmosphere developed among a group of us and I still remember it fondly.

Apart from TXL, I wonder where will be next.

[MrMichael]

I too remember Kai Tak on the great British Caledonian via Dubai. Had a go around once, awesome,memorable. Scarey.

I was a regular in to Oslo Fornebu in the 1980,s, not sure what happened to the land. Used to be all European and domestic flights in and out of Fornebu with one or two intercontinental flights a day from Gardermoen one being the daily Pan Am to JFK. Although I think I also remember Pan Am operated a B727 to LHR from Fornebu as a Pan Am feeder most days.

[Author]

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