Filton Airfield, Bristol

[whole diary]

[tramway]

No more use now the shuttle programme has finished I suppose.

[Cruithne3753]

No more use now the shuttle programme has finished I suppose.

Well, there are British plans afoot to show the US how to do a shuttle properly...

[inspector_blakey]

Given its proximity to Bristol and the great transport links, not to mention its runway length, development of Filton as a replacement for Lulsgate would seem a no brainer, wouldn't it........?

You might think so, but these days it's slap damn in the middle of a residential area so although it has all the things you mention to recommend it as Bristol's main airport I think it's aircraft noise that has stopped this happening.

[Cruithne3753]

You might think so, but these days it's slap damn in the middle of a residential area so although it has all the things you mention to recommend it as Bristol's main airport I think it's aircraft noise that has stopped this happening.

Modern airliners are getting pretty quiet though.  When an A380 flew in for the air show recently, it was just outside the office window (now that is BIG PLANE) but was no louder than a photocopier whirring in the corner.  Decent double glazing and you're sorted.

[ChrisB]

Until it takes off again!!!

[stebbo]

Actually having very recently flown in an A380 for the first time, it's not as noisy on take off as you might think; and if you're on the ground it's as quiet as most other stuff.

Still think it's too big though

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Filton airfield plans condemned by Bristol City Council

Plans to build 3,500 houses at the site of Bristol's Filton airfield have been condemned by the city council.

In April BAE Systems said it would close the site at the end of 2012 following a review of its commercial and economic viability.

South Gloucestershire Council has said the site is suitable for development as part of its long-term core strategy.

The leader of Bristol City Council, Barbara Janke, said she wanted to see "a proper strategic approach". She has called on South Gloucestershire Council to work with the city council to create jobs rather than homes. "We believe it should be about a proper strategic approach to this area of the city which has been so important to the city's history," she said.

Labour councillor Bill Bowrey of South Gloucestershire Council, said he wanted to keep the runway open. "There's always a use for an operational airfield of that standard. I believe all the options have not been looked at yet," he said. "This is the wrong decision both economically and environmentally."

The move has also been criticised by Sir George White, whose grandfather founded the Bristol Aeroplane Company. "[BAE Systems] inherited it, they didn't buy it, they didn't earn it," he said. "For them to sell it off now and risk future jobs seems to me to be incredibly undesirable. It seems to be the biggest asset strip that this district has seen in many, many years. It's an absolute tragedy for the future."

[JayMac]

The two councils can argue until they're blue in the face as far as I'm concerned. As long as whatever plans they consider for the redevelopment of that part of the world incorporate the reopening of the railway line from Filton to Hallen for passenger services, with the necessary stations.

A station at Henbury would be nice. Would give me the option of a downhill walk from where I live. 

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Filton Airfield march against site's closure to take place

Campaigners against the closure of Filton Airfield in South Gloucestershire are holding a march against plans to build on the land.

BAE Systems is planning to shut the airfield at the end of this year, which will result in the loss of 19 jobs.

South Gloucestershire Council has backed the closure and recommended up to 2,500 homes be built on the site.

Council planners ruled two-thirds of the land should be allocated for housing and a third for businesses.

A final decision is expected to be made by a planning inspector, next April.

"The Save Filton Airfield campaign group is proud to be involved with this march," said Paul Lee from the group.

"We don't want more houses and more traffic chaos at the expense of a valuable asset that could bring huge future opportunities to our region.

"Please show support for our region's aerospace industry and heritage. Show that we'd like a future for Filton, not just a past."

The "friendly march", organised by Save Filton Airfield campaign group and Unite the union, will start on Golf Course Lane and then head along the A38 towards the airfield itself.

[inspector_blakey]

A station at Henbury would be nice. Would give me the option of a downhill walk from where I live. 

Only six months behind the curve on this one, but presumably it would be an uphill walk back home...

[TonyK]

I saw an A380 take off here from the privileged position of the end of taxiway Bravo (I was waiting to take off). I didn't notice any noise, and it was off the floor in no time - superb machine. A shame to think of the Brabazon, Concorde, the A380, (and me) being consigned to history under thousands of little boxes, but that's progress, I suppose.
An earlier post from eightf is correct - the Henbury line runs within the perimeter, and to grade. There is a level crossing across taxiway F. I remember seeing film of the Brabazon waiting for a steam-hauled goods train to clear it. You can see the crossing in this clip from a Hercules at 1m 10s, plus a view of Bristol Parkway at 25s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGO2nGQ5CbE
The site of the former Henbury station is not available, and is in any case on a curve. Filton North Platform is in a cutting more or less under the A38. The site of this level crossing looks a good place for a new station, although the factory is staying put, and that might not be open to the public, even if houses are built.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From The Post (Bristol):

"Ghost" spotted on Google Earth map at Bristol village bulldozed to make way for Filton Airfield

A spooky image of a man has been captured on Google Earth at the remains of a house in Charlton ^ the so-called "ghost village" that was bulldozed to make way for Filton airfield.

Mother-of-two Fiona Powell, from Fishponds, came across the dark figure when she was scouring the airfield on the internet.



"I had recently read about Charlton village and knew that it used to have a pub, a pond, some cottages and farmhouses," she said. "I love history and old buildings, and learning more about how Bristol used to be. After reading the book about Charlton, I decided to see if anything was left of the village, or could be seen on Google Earth. I was looking around the Brentry and Pen Park area, as it's near where I work, and went on to look at Filton Airfield. I went to the end of the runway and saw the remains of what looked like two old farmhouses. Then suddenly in the right hand corner I noticed the dark figure of a man with a cap on above the site of an old building. It looked quite spooky so I called my husband over ^ we zoomed in again and again and couldn't believe it."

Mrs Powell, 38, who works at St Peter's Hospice in Brentry, told The Post: "I'm not sure what I think about it now. It's definitely a shadow of something and looks like a man. I'm quite open-minded about ghosts and this could be one. If it had been just anywhere in Bristol I wouldn't have found it so interesting, but because it was on the site of an old farmhouse in a village that was abandoned, I thought it was fascinating. It looks like the figure is looking over a house that once was."

The village of Charlton was destroyed in 1946 so that the airfield in Filton ^ owned by Bristol Aeroplane Company, now BAE Systems ^ could be extended for the giant Brabazon airliner. Charlton once had a manor house, two or three farms, cottages, a church, a pub called the Carpenters Arms, a Common and a post office. The village's 17th-century Manor Farm had once belonged to the influential Cann family, who gave Bristol two Lord Mayors. And in Victorian times Charlton Farm was the home of Christopher Thomas, the well-known Bristol soap manufacturer.

Most of Charlton's streets and buildings now lie buried under 14ft of soil and tarmac. Villagers had their homes compulsorily purchased and bulldozed to make way for the huge Brabazon hangar. But the Brabazon aeroplane, hopelessly overweight and under- powered, was doomed to failure and the project was scrapped in 1953. The runway remained but the promised replacement village never materialised and most of the old residents of Charlton moved to Patchway.

It is only now that the airfield has been sold to a London-based property firm by landlord BAE Systems in a multi-million-pound deal, that houses look set to be built over the runway ^ and over the remains of the old Charlton village. Diggers have already moved onto the historic runway after the airfield officially closed to flights in December. The new village of more than 2,000 homes will revive the area's original name, to become Charlton Hayes.

[JayMac]

Using the ruler feature on Google Earth, that 'figure' measures nearly 19 feet in length.

It's the shadow of a mast. A quick bit of research on my part reveals that.

http://binged.it/XOnBRG
http://goo.gl/maps/admzH

It takes something of a leap of faith to believe it's the ghostly figure of a man. But then if you're open-minded about ghosts then of course you are going to to come to such a silly conclusion. Even sillier that The Post bothered to run the story. 

[Chris from Nailsea]

Indeed: I really only quoted that article because it included an interesting history of Charlton and Filton Airfield. The 'ghost' aspect of the story was a mere

[JayMac]

From the Western Daily Press:

Bristol's Concorde museum could open in 2017

Concorde 216 lands at Airbus UK^▸ (United Kingdom)'s Filton airfield, Bristol, for the last time on November 26, 2003, after a special flight from Heathrow to the site where it was made Picture: Barry Batchelor/PA^▸ (Public Address)

A permanent museum for Concorde 216 in Bristol could open in 2017, 14 years after her final flight.

A planning application to house the iconic aircraft in a covered visitor centre on Filton Airfield has been submitted and the team behind the project say the required funding is falling into place and work on the museum and education centre could begin next year, with a view to it opening to the public in spring 2017.

Lloyd Burnell, director of the Bristol Aero Collection Trust, said the planning application was an important milestone..

As well as the new museum, the planning application, sent to South Gloucestershire Council, is also seeking consent to refurbish two existing Grade II-listed First World War hangars on the airfield in which to exhibit the Bristol Aero Collection, previously held at Kemble, Gloucestershire. Mr Burnell said: "If the museum receives consent in November we remain on programme for formal opening in spring 2017." A large chunk of the money needed for the ^13.5million project has been secured, with ^2.9 million being coming in the last 12 months.

Mr Burnell said: "We're at an advanced level of discussion over several funding prospects. There's a funding gap but we're confident major partners who have not committed will do so."

A decision is due this year on bid for ^4.4 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Some ^1.1 million will be coming from South Gloucestershire Council, along with pledges made by Rolls-Royce, Airbus and BAE Systems.

Concorde 216's final flight was from Heathrow to Filton in 2003. A visitor centre opened at Filton in 2004, with Concorde 216, the last of the fleet to fly, as the centrepiece. It closed six years later to allow an overhaul of the jet.