The Falkland Islands

[skit_uk]

I didn't want to post in the other spam troll threads, hopefully this one can remain a sensible discussion.

So does this effect our ability to reach the Falklands?

Remote UK island colony of St Helena to get airport

A remote British Island where the French Emperor Napoleon was exiled is to get an airport, the International Development Secretary has announced

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15578596

[madjackmcmad]

It doesn't hurt the airbridge at all does it?

Like little stepping stones in the ocean!

[BodgeJob1]

Lol...Kirchners botox will explode from her face when she see's this...

As a side note, one of the Tory party's biggest financial backers has been banging on about this for years...murky stuff.

[RobitTV]

Can't wait for argentina to get angry over this.

Argentina goverment: This is a outrage this is illegal how dare they, they have no right. I Would also like to thank Hillary clinton for agreeing the falkland islands are british.

Ok they will never say the last bit.....

[I see no ships]

Gents, this has been known for a long time.

As per the original plan, it would be up and running by now (and the RMS St Helena would not have had to be refitted (she's only just returned to normal service)). Unfortunately, the oh-so-wise Labour party delayed the project indefinitley. It was eventually reinstated after it became apparent just how desperate things were/are becoming in St Helena; economically, demographically, you name it.

I wouldn't get too excited about the military applications of the airfield, as it is only capable of handling aircraft up to A320/B737 size.

This is a site which may interest you:
http://www.sainthelenaaccess.com/

You are right though, small things like facts won't get in the way of CFK and her cronies bloating on about how [insert anything here] is an act of colonial aggression by big bad Britain.

[RobitTV]

Originally Posted by I see no ships

Gents, this has been known for a long time.

As per the original plan, it would be up and running by now (and the RMS St Helena would not have had to be refitted (she's only just returned to normal service)). Unfortunately, the oh-so-wise Labour party delayed the project indefinitley. It was eventually reinstated after it became apparent just how desperate things were/are becoming in St Helena; economically, demographically, you name it.

I wouldn't get too excited about the military applications of the airfield, as it is only capable of handling aircraft up to A320/B737 size.

This is a site which may interest you:
http://www.sainthelenaaccess.com/

You are right though, small things like facts won't get in the way of CFK and her cronies bloating on about how [insert anything here] is an act of colonial aggression by big bad Britain.

legality - is an act of colonial aggression by big bad Britain

[SO143]

Just want to share this, nice one.



8,000 miles away from home.

[WatcherZero]

No, its going to be a small airfield for short range aircraft from the African mainland, it would be too small for long range military use (while fighters may be possible it wouldnt be capable of supporting the larger planes stockpiling munitions, fuel and spares).

[Maximok]

Britain cancels plans for airport on remote colony of St Helena

St Helena, one of the most remote places in the world, has been refused an airport by the British Government.

The airport, slated for 2012, was meant to change all that. The project galvanized islanders to plan for a future with tourism as their main income.

"All our plans for the future were based on the airport project," Eric Benjamin, one of the councilors, told The Times. "We are devastated."

St Helena www.telegraph.co.uk

[RobitTV]

Originally Posted by Maximok

Britain cancels plans for airport on remote colony of St Helena

St Helena, one of the most remote places in the world, has been refused an airport by the British Government.

The airport, slated for 2012, was meant to change all that. The project galvanized islanders to plan for a future with tourism as their main income.

"All our plans for the future were based on the airport project," Eric Benjamin, one of the councilors, told The Times. "We are devastated."

St Helena www.telegraph.co.uk

The Article is outdated and irrelevant, the date on it is - 18 Dec 2008

Old article, calm down guy's it's still going ahead as planned.

[Maximok]

OMG how I did miss that, now I feel much better and relaxed, thanks for that.

[desertswo]

Originally Posted by Maximok

"All our plans for the future were based on the airport project," Eric Benjamin, one of the councilors, told The Times. "We are devastated."

OK, so am I the only one wondering why anyone who didn't have to, would fly the minimum ten hours or so to get to St. Helena? I mean, it's not Tahiti!

[skit_uk]

Originally Posted by desertswo

OK, so am I the only one wondering why anyone who didn't have to, would fly the minimum ten hours or so to get to St. Helena? I mean, it's not Tahiti!

The main reason for the airport (which has just been approved by the way) is for the supply of the island. Currently the island is supplied by only one ship which is the Royal Mail's last remaining post ship, the RMS St Helena and this is on its way out. 10 hours is still a lot quicker than it would appear to take to get there currently.
"Often there can be weeks between sailings, and when the ship is being serviced, none at all."
anyway this article is interesting in a quaint sort of way.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8465785.stm

p.s. This is an old article from when the original plan was denied. It has since been approved.

[BodgeJob1]

..It wont be 10hrs.

You will have to go via South Africa.

[skit_uk]

Originally Posted by BodgeJob1

..It wont be 10hrs.

You will have to go via South Africa.

Would it not be possible to go via Ascension? Would it be possible to have a civilian flight from the UK to Ascension then the Falklands and a connecting flight from ascension to st. Helena?

[Joeman]

Is it also not a bit short sighted to lack the capability to handle larger aircraft?

[desertswo]

Originally Posted by skit_uk

The main reason for the airport (which has just been approved by the way) is for the supply of the island. Currently the island is supplied by only one ship which is the Royal Mail's last remaining post ship, the RMS St Helena and this is on its way out. 10 hours is still a lot quicker than it would appear to take to get there currently.
"Often there can be weeks between sailings, and when the ship is being serviced, none at all."
anyway this article is interesting in a quaint sort of way.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8465785.stm

p.s. This is an old article from when the original plan was denied. It has since been approved.

I have no doubt that what you are saying is true and makes perfect sense. I was simply incredulous that, "The project galvanized islanders to plan for a future with tourism as their main income."

I have to confess, never having plied the waters of the South Atlantic that I was unaware that the climate attendant to St. Helena is not unlike that of Southern California where I grew up. I had never really looked and for some reason assumed the climate was similar to that of the Falklands, but I see now that St. Helena is nearly 36° in latitude farther north, and does in fact have more in common with Tahiti in terms of southern latitudes than not. Still a long way to go to visit a fairly barren "rock" as seen here:



That photo is informative in more ways than one. I'm not a civil engineer and have no practical experience in earth moving even though my father's extended family has been in that business for well over 100 years, but just looking at the topography gives me pause when building runways of any size is concerned. The place appears to be mostly "vertical" which will cause problems when it comes to leveling enough area to build a landing strip of any credible size. Frankly, the proposed £100 million price tag for runways and terminal facilities sounds a bit low to me.

[AdmiralAnthony]

The island looks beautiful. Landscape similar to Oahu in Hawaii.

[RM6721]

Desertswo, Climate isn't the only reason tourists visit places. I would imagine the main attractions would be birdwatchong or history (napoleon was imprisoned there for the last twenty or so years of his life, he died there aswell).

Also, a substantial (for the islanders) number of people would visit for reasons that I maybe wouldn't expect a "certain type" of American such as you to understand (please, no offence intended. It's impossible to communicate tone over the internet). It's a kind of "because it's there" mentality that alot of Americans just don't get.

I'll try to explain it like this, once I was in Austria and took a bus trip up a mountain to Hitler's Summer retreat at Berchtesgaden. On the way down, the bus passed two hillwalkers walking up the mountain. An American passenger said "why would anyone want to walk up here. It's miles" or something along those lines. I was shocked by what

Maybe that's a bad analogy, in fact that's a terrible analogy, but I hope I got my point across.

[desertswo]

Originally Posted by AdmiralAnthony

The island looks beautiful. Landscape similar to Oahu in Hawaii.

I can see why you’d say that, and from that altitude I can see some similarities, but I’ve been to Oahu probably 20 times all told, so I’m pretty familiar with the place and my sense is that it is far friendlier when it comes to usable land for development of all sorts. In addition to being nearly six times larger in area than St. Helena, Oahu has a far more pronounced “wet season” and they aren’t joking when they say wet, so the vegetation is very lush in places. Also, despite having two mountain ranges that run more or less along a North by Northwest axis, Oahu has fairly large plains both along the coast and between the two ranges. Not only do these support the massive pineapple and sugar cane plantations, but there are five fairly large air fields in those areas as well, to include: Honolulu International Airport; Hickham Air Force Base; the former Barbers Point Naval Air station (which has been given over to civilian operation); the fully decommissioned but still available in a scrape Ford Island Navy Auxiliary Field; and Marine Corps Base Hawaii located on the North Shore at Kaneohe Bay.

St. Helena gives the appearance that everyone is living in ravines and gullies that are part of that topography. It appears to me that engineers will either have to decapitate some high point, or fill the ravines in between it and another, or maybe do both. Either way, I’m sure it’s a much more expensive proposition than grading an already fairly flat area.