New Birmingham Airport Viewing Facility

[Elmdon80slad]

Hi i saw your post on this idea on another forum and thinks it's a brilliant idea! i really do wish you all the best in this project and you can defo count on me to come and visit frequently. :good:

Thank You for your support, the more the merrier. :good:

 

[Elmdon80slad]

Hi i saw your post on this idea on another forum and thinks it's a brilliant idea! i really do wish you all the best in this project and you can defo count on me to come and visit frequently. :good:

Welcome to Forums4airports "justplanecrazy"

Would it be feasible to have an observation tower as well as the platforms for viewing "Elmdon80slad"? Nothing too extravagant just something a little taller, perhaps you could charge an extra quid for using it too?

Like this perhaps ?

 

[justplanecrazy]

Aviador

Thank you! It's nice to feel welcomed.

Elmdon80slad

You are welcome.

 

[Elmdon80slad]

Does anyone remember visiting the Viewing facility at Birmingham Airport(new terminal) that overlooked the apron? I'm trying to get an Idea roughly the number of vistors a day, I used to use It In-frequently but always looked quite busy especialy weekends or summer, I would have thought they had Hundreds a day? but If anyone has a better knowledge of this I would be Interested to know.


Thanks.......

 

[Aviador]

As a Loiner (from Leeds) I never used it, but that isn't to say I wouldn't use a new viewing facility at BHX. If you look at the Manchester viewing park it is very clearly signposted on all routes around the airport so your best bet is to find out what the highways agency can do to assist you with that so people can find it easily enough.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Hi Elmdonlad, I think it's a fantastic idea for a new viewing facility, I for one will be a regular. With regards to location I think the golf course area would be much better as it gives views across the whole apron and most of the runway, but obviously it must be a logistical nightmare.

I wish you every success though and look forward to being there soon :good:

 

[Aviador]

I've just spent the last week in Somerset with the family having the odd glass of cider pop. We decided to call in at Birmingham airport on the way back as the little one loves aircraft more than her daddy (believe it or not). We tried our best to find somewhere to view the aircraft but gave up in the end. Not knowing the area we had no idea where to go but we wandered down to the Marston Green railway station and walked over the bridge and around the Sheldon Country Park for a little while but failed miserably to find anywhere to view the aircraft. This airport is crying out for a viewing park so I really hope Elmdon80slads venture becomes a reality. I do wonder why some airports are seemingly so anti-aircraft enthusiasts yet others encourage it. Both Manchester and East Midlands have superb viewing parks. Other airports should consider it with a view to building up customer and community relations.

 

[Elmdon80slad]

I've just spent the last week in Somerset with the family having the odd glass of cider pop. We decided to call in at Birmingham airport on the way back as the little one loves aircraft more than her daddy (believe it or not). We tried our best to find somewhere to view the aircraft but gave up in the end. Not knowing the area we had no idea where to go but we wandered down to the Marston Green railway station and walked over the bridge and around the Sheldon Country Park for a little while but failed miserably to find anywhere to view the aircraft. This airport is crying out for a viewing park so I really hope Elmdon80slads venture becomes a reality. I do wonder why some airports are seemingly so anti-aircraft enthusiasts yet others encourage it. Both Manchester and East Midlands have superb viewing parks. Other airports should consider it with a view to building up customer and community relations.

Hi,

Im sorry you had sutch a bad experience at Birmingham, I bet the kids and wife where so fed up and dissapointed after sutch a long journey, I have read similar comments on another great forum like this with a local father out for the day with his kids, and the same problem greeted them. This Is a real Issue at the airport and just gives me more ammunition to push ahead with my venture, I am trying to contact many media tycoons who would be In a position to Invest this, but some people are hard to track down.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Does anyone remember visiting the Viewing facility at Birmingham Airport(new terminal) that overlooked the apron? I'm trying to get an Idea roughly the number of vistors a day, I used to use It In-frequently but always looked quite busy especialy weekends or summer, I would have thought they had Hundreds a day? but If anyone has a better knowledge of this I would be Interested to know.


Thanks.......

I went up there from time to time, the number of people in there varied dramatically. Weekdays I'd say there was maybe a handful of visitors, not including the regulars who were always there, unless there was a school trip there that day. Some summer weekends and school holidays you couldn't move.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Not sure what the availability or more importantly the costs involved would be like, but as the old ATC tower in the Elmdon building is about to be made available I can't help thinking it would make a cracking viewing area. Especially if a restaurant and maybe even an outdoor terrace could be incorporated into one of the floors below. There is already ample car parking space on the site. I suppose it depends on what, if anything, is planned for the building.

 

[Elmdon80slad]

Not sure what the availability or more importantly the costs involved would be like, but as the old ATC tower in the Elmdon building is about to be made available I can't help thinking it would make a cracking viewing area. Especially if a restaurant and maybe even an outdoor terrace could be incorporated into one of the floors below. There is already ample car parking space on the site. I suppose it depends on what, if anything, is planned for the building.

From what I have read and understand to be correct, the old terminal Is to be kept as a G.A / V.I.P facility with unknown usage of the tower, so I would count that Idea out, I am though working on an Idea that would If It can be arranged provide a site for my venture, that would give the same/better views over the terminal complex and runway approach....

 

[speedbird707]

Just joined the forum and this is the first I've heard of this plan - so good luck. Do you have any idea what BHX are planning to do with the old tower once it has been vacated next year ?

 

[Aviador]

Just joined the forum and this is the first I've heard of this plan - so good luck. Do you have any idea what BHX are planning to do with the old tower once it has been vacated next year ?

Welcome to Forums4airports "speedbird707"

 

[Elmdon80slad]

Just joined the forum and this is the first I've heard of this plan - so good luck. Do you have any idea what BHX are planning to do with the old tower once it has been vacated next year ?

Thank You for your nice words, Its nice to see people showing an Interest In what I am trying to achieve, the airport I belive have Intentions for the old tower building, as I think expansion on that side of the airport complex, would Involve this building along with the VIP and freight handling.

 

[Elmdon80slad]

I have been looking through sites about world wide aircraft viewing park/centres and I was quite supprised to see the friendly accomodating nature of many airports who take visitors to their airports as very Important.

No reason why It cant be the same at BHX.


Have a look ------------------

 

[Elmdon80slad]

And more -------------------

 

[Aviador]

Thanks for posting those Elmdon80slad :s_thumbsup

I don't know why UK airports are trying to distance themselves from spotters. They offer eyes and ears for security personnel. They can spend money every week in shops and parking at the airport. Basically spotting should be encouraged in a managed manor.

Like in the picture above, can we have an outdoor heater in your viewing park please? :s_cool

 

[CL44]

I do not think the old tower will be available for spotting from. I can see the arguement of security being waved as a reason for not allowing this site to be used.

For what it is worth the old link building which was attached to the old Terminal Building is virtually demolished now. There will be a very large gap between the
old Terminal Building and the Argosy Building very very soon. There is a chain link fence which has been put up on the ramp side of the Building which will be all the
security between Terminal Road and the ramp unless they put something up very quickly.

No one I have spoken to has any idea what (if anything) is being put up on this site. Any one on here know anything at all about it?

 

[Aviador]

I do not think the old tower will be available for spotting from. I can see the arguement of security being waved as a reason for not allowing this site to be used.

For what it is worth the old link building which was attached to the old Terminal Building is virtually demolished now. There will be a very large gap between the
old Terminal Building and the Argosy Building very very soon. There is a chain link fence which has been put up on the ramp side of the Building which will be all the
security between Terminal Road and the ramp unless they put something up very quickly.

No one I have spoken to has any idea what (if anything) is being put up on this site. Any one on here know anything at all about it?

More likely the Department for Transport or 'daft' as I prefer to call them as opposed to the airports own security. I think current regulations state a fence line must stand at least 8 feet tall (this used to be 6 feet I believe) and there must be a 3 metre clearance with no obstructions near the fenceline.

As for the tower, Is the old tower completely landside? If it is it shouldn't be a problem at all.

 

[CL44]

Whilst the old terminal building is landside for access, there are offices within the building which still have airside access (either via doors, Signature springs to mind as we cannot have all those VIPS crawling through windows,
or via the windows themselves). Some of these office are still being used by either forwarding companies or even NATS still has an office there.

Access to the building is controlled and all visitors still need to be signed in at the front desk.

As nice as it would be to have the old control tower as a spotting site, I cannot see it happening.