"Blue Sky Thinking" about Heathrow

careful_eugene · Post by **careful_eugene** » 12 Aug 2013, 13:30

Blue sky thinking 1, a combination of the fulton surface to air recovery system, air to air refueling and parachutes could reduce the need for runways everywhere.

Blue sky thinking 2, widen the existing runways so that 2 aircraft can land / take off at the same time (There may be a need to reduce the safe distance limits for this).

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 12 Aug 2013, 17:28

Blue Sky Thinking: the Final Conflict...

AIRSHIPS. Render runways obsolete.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 17 Dec 2013, 08:26

Seems that those blissfully unaware of the future are still talking about airports for London.

I gather today is the 110th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' flight.

Post by **adam2** » 17 Dec 2013, 08:37

I very much doubt that ANY of the plans for increased airport capacity will be built.
Studies and consultations will take many years yet, by which time it will have become clear that air travel has peaked.

Except in the case of a sudden TEOTWAWKI, air travel is not going to vanish, but I suspect that it is very close to the peak.
I predict that in 50 years time that the present airports will still be in use, but less busy than is the case today.

In the near term, if capacity at Heathrow is affecting trade and industry as is claimed, there might be something to be said for sending holiday charters to Stanstead or Gatwick.

High speed rail is gradually coming which will reduce demand for short haul flights and free space for long haul.

boisdevie · Post by **boisdevie** » 17 Dec 2013, 17:41

What are they going to fuel these airplanes with - biomass?
Listening to Radio 4 and everybody just assumed that air travel will just grow and grow. They just don't get it do they?

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 17 Dec 2013, 17:52

boisdevie wrote:Listening to Radio 4 and everybody just assumed that air travel will just grow and grow. They just don't get it do they?

A neighbour of mine, a travel agent, gets very heated whenever I suggest the decline of air travel. Funny that, innit?

We also have Ryanair promising to double the number of passengers using our local airport. Well, it wouldn't be difficult given the huge drop in numbers recently...but we'll see. I have my doubts.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 17 Dec 2013, 19:01

And still Europe's longest runway, now called Robin Hood airport, near Doncaster, is mostly empty.

cubes · Post by **cubes** » 17 Dec 2013, 22:21

Strangely enough, I can see heathrow (it's not going to be elsewhere!) being expanded even as gatwick and Stansted close. Air travel won't decline that quickly imo and in such a market it would make sense to have one hub doing everything with more hub-hub travel with the shorter bits from the hub by train.

woodburner · Post by **woodburner** » 18 Dec 2013, 01:25

Unfortunately, sense won't come into it.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 18 Dec 2013, 07:58

cubes wrote:Air travel won't decline that quickly, imo

cubes wrote:People born in the 60s and 70s(me) won't have a state pension imo, let alone a smaller one.

Most folk assume the future will be like the past, until they find it ain't so.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 18 Dec 2013, 16:35

London to explore ‘no airport’ option

Experts said the ‘zero runways’ option would the cheapest, quietest and most environmentally friendly because it would just be some houses, fields and a scattering of friendly horses, instead of a massive, noisy concrete nightmare, full of unremitting ghastliness.

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/soci ... 3121882147

3rdRock · Post by **3rdRock** » 01 Jul 2015, 13:55

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-33340565

The Airports Commission has backed a third Heathrow runway, saying it will add £147bn in economic growth and 70,000 jobs by 2050.

The report's release has revived intense debate over the runway's environmental impact.

Downing Street officials say they want to digest the report properly, without making "a snap judgement".

But London's Mayor, Boris Johnson, told the BBC that a new runway would have a "catastrophic" effect.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 01 Jul 2015, 14:08

The question to ask anyone in support of Heathrow expansion is:
Don't you understand climate science or are you a genocidal psychopath?

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 01 Jul 2015, 14:13

The Airports Commission has backed a third Heathrow runway

Fair play to them for coming out with their position. I wouldn't have guessed.

extractorfan · Post by **extractorfan** » 01 Jul 2015, 22:11

biffvernon wrote:The question to ask anyone in support of Heathrow expansion is:
Don't you understand climate science or are you a genocidal psychopath?

They believe in infinite growth, it's not even their fault.