Leeds Bradford - General Thread

[Jordan-34092]

Good news all round, except for the idiot of course who is now in deep do do with the police.

 

[lbaspotter]

Unbelievable just as I post that good news about the first culprit been picked up yet another 2x aircraft working inbound to LBA (Thomas Cook, Airbus A320 and a Flybe, Embraer 195) have just reported to ATC that they too have also had a green laser shone at them whilst flying overhead the Huddersfield area.

 

[masere]

What sentence will these people get? Asbo? Caution? Six months suspended? Time to get tough - minimum 5 years inside.

Can't scientists come up with a screen of some kind that could be pulled down over the cockpit windows if required, that blocks out the laser spectrum light but still (obviously!) allows the pilots to see clearly, or even a special coating over the windows themselves? It can't be that hard can it? Come on you boffins!!

 

[Aviador]

Better still ban and outlaw the laser pen devices. Considering the destructive consequences of what could happen they should be classified as a firearm. It might not stop the attacks completely but it would make it harder to get hold of them and it should make it easier to prosecute the culprits.

 

[White Heather]

Laser attacks should be treated exactly the same way as terrorist attacks, as, lets face it, the potential impact is the same. If they were treated as attempting to murder 150 people on board rather than 'silly pranksters' they would be facing life sentences and might think twice - always assuming they are intelligent enough to be able to think for themselves!

 

[lbaspotter]

The Wakefield Express have reported about the laser attack incidents on aircraft flying into Leeds/Bradford Airport and at West Yorkshire Police Helicopter last night.

Source: http://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news/ ... -1-4851279

Lasers shone at aeroplanes flying over Wakefield to Leeds Bradford Airport
Monday 20 August 2012

Police Helicopter

Published on Monday 20 August 2012 14:18

LASERS were shone at aircraft flying over Wakefield last night (Sunday).

Police said passenger planes heading to Leeds Bradford Airport were targeted by laser beams being shone from the ground.

The force’s helicopter was scrambled to help aircraft land safely, while trying to find the culprits.

And the helicopter was also repeatedly targeted with a green laser pen at around 11pm last night.

John Whittaker, who leads the West Yorkshire Police Air Support Unit, said: “Shining a laser at an aircraft is very serious and potentially very dangerous.

“As well as putting the pilot and crew in danger, it can also delay the helicopter from dealing with jobs where time is of critical importance.

“We take every single attack very seriously.”

Lasers were also shone at aircraft flying over Leeds, Huddersfield and Dewsbury.

A 14-year-old boy was arrested in Bradford on suspicion of endangering the safety of an aircraft and a laser pen was seized.

The teenager has been released on bail pending further enquiries

 

[Jordan-34092]

In light to the incident LBA spotter posted the other day regarding laser attacks on aircraft, the amount of attacks on aircraft at LBA has fallen since the law change which made it a criminal offence, but the airport still has one of the highest attacks in the UK with only Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham & Glasgow having higher attacks. CAA figures reveal there was 22 laser attacks on aircraft in June with 80 during the whole of 2011.

Full Report

 

[White Heather]

It is not really surprising that the airports with the highest rate of laser attacks are those where aircraft overfly the biggest built up areas is it? Flights landing on 32 at LBA are flying over an urban area for quite some time before landing, so increasing the risk that there is some idiot on the ground with a laser pen. Same at Manchester approaching on 24, Heathrow, and Birmingham. I am sure we will find that those airports situated out in the country have less attacks overall.

 

[Aviador]

[textarea]Storm of protest at West Yorkshire fire cuts proposal

Fire chiefs chiefs in West Yorkshire were today facing an angry political backlash against proposed job cuts and station closures.

As reported in Friday’s Yorkshire Evening Post, West Yorkshire’s chief fire officer, Simon Pilling, wants to axe 200 full-time firefighter posts.

He is also planning to close Hunslet, Morley, Rothwell, Garforth, [hi-lighty:zkqxlaw5]Cookridge[/hi-lighty:zkqxlaw5] and Moortown fire stations in Leeds and replace them with three new bases.

Full Story: http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/n ... -1-4888337[/textarea]

Although the airport has it's own fire cover, local fire stations are often called upon for additional cover during emergencies. The fire service has already said it intends to close the nearest fire station which is at Rawdon. Now they say they intend to close Cookridge the second nearest fire station to the airport. This is complete madness.

Surely the airport needs better fire cover than what's going to be on offer once all these cuts have been carried out. I know the airports own local fire category meets all the CAA requirements but it doesn't sound good when additional cover isn't going available as easily when all the cuts are put into place.

It almost seems as if the Fire Service is basing the planned Fire Station closures on 'risk & probabilities' rather than ensuring additional cover is permanently in place.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

Aviador, you have to be careful not to get drawn into what is essentially political vote winning and journalistic opportunism. Each constituent will want to be seen to oppose what the public will view as a cut in order that it will win or retain votes. Indeed, Greg Mulholland already seems to be using the presence of LBA for his own political agenda. Alec Shelbrooke appears to be one of the few people who is keeping a level head about the situation.

It states that 3 bases will replace 6. Firstly we don't know where these will be. It may very well be that, in the full implementation of the plan, it actually provides better coverage than at present. In any case, when these changes happen, it is usually because a much better, more efficient and more cost effective process is required. Statistics may well show that these stations are quite inefficient and it would be wise of everyone to deal in fact rather than hearsay.

In any case, I'm sure if any changes affect LBA, the required action will be taken privately and without widescale panic.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

I would even go so far as to say that risk and probability is a far better way to manage emergency services - providing the response times to those less at risk do not become danegrously slow. The alternative is to raise council tax. I know where my vote lies....

 

[Aviador]

Regardless of what Greg Mulholland says or any other political persuasion for that matter, I don't like the idea of reducing the Fire Brigade any further. I posted the news article because the airport does use the local stations for extra cover on a regular basis. As a child I remember at least three fire engines were based at my local fire station in Rawdon. The number was reduced from three fire engines to two and then to one. Now the fire service says the area will need to share with another area. As far as I am concerned It is fundamentally wrong to reduce the service any further. Fire safety may have improved over the years but the service will be virtually none existent should anything big happen. Furthermore, the area earmarked for a new station is in Menston. This might be on the A65 but the road is gridlocked at the best of times. It's far from ideal.

 

[lbaspotter]

I see this years annual Hajj Pilgrammage to Mecca is expected to fall next month between October 24th and 29th.

Dose anyone know if and how many charter flights are operating out of Leeds/Bradford to Saudi Arabia, As we normally see flights operating to both Medinah and Jeddah.

 

[Aviador]

Bigman commented that he was upset the new Saltaire Bar & Eatery wasn't selling Saltaire beer. After doing a bit of digging today, apparently SSP the operators of the bar on behalf of the airport are currently in negotiation with the Saltaire Brewery so with a bit of look it will be coming to the airport soon.

 

[Moo2009]

Was following a car in Yeadon today which had a forums4 airports sticker on the back window

 

[Aviador]

lol they're rare so you were very lucky to see one. I've been considering getting some new ones made up with the new design if anyones interested?

 

[Moo2009]

What you need is a big banner over the tunnel next to the new British airways one

 

[Aviador]

Ha yes that would be good. What about one of the new lit advertisement hoardings.

 

[Moo2009]

Yeah even better but am sure LBA would try to charge a silly amount of money for that

 

[Jordan-34092]

I see this years annual Hajj Pilgrammage to Mecca is expected to fall next month between October 24th and 29th.

Dose anyone know if and how many charter flights are operating out of Leeds/Bradford to Saudi Arabia, As we normally see flights operating to both Medinah and Jeddah.

Well i have had a look on Jet2's website and they haven't uploaded them yet. The travel agents next door to my work are advertising flights from MAN with Luthansa Via Frankfurt and Emirates Via Dubai. I know the Dubai one is very popular, a colleague of mine flew to Mecca this way, he flew out to Dubai spent 2 days in Dubai before going to Jeddah where he was there for Mecca and he then spend another 4 days in Dubai before coming back to the UK.