About time this issue had some airtime. Thank you for promoting the conversation and let's hope Swansea Airport has the positive future we've all been hoping for, for so long.
Hey guy I was a Civilian gliding instructor at 636 volunteer gliding squadron that was based at Swansea, we were closed down sometime ago and I'll tell you now none of the safety problems we ran into with hangers never got sorted. Management only cared about corner cutting and doing the bare minimum and in 10 to 15 years nothing has changed except a coat of paint or two on the tower and random decommissioned jets randomly appear and disappear. There used to be an awesome cafe up there with a lovely constant tick over of people, so sad to see the birth place of my flight experience dying slowly
I remember the sewage coming up through the manhole in your hangar after heavy rain and the then boss' futile attempts to get Swansea Airport Ltd to fix it. If you copy your comments to Swansea council for the attention of the leader of the cabinet, Rob Stewart, it will help reinforce what we have been telling the council for 20 months. Feel free to include any further relevant tales.
@@sheboboliver3595 phill Davis or Stewart pinching are the guys you need to talk to, phill being "The Boss" has all the details and stories. I can't for the life of me find their emails. I'd like to help but most of my stories are of being clocked on the hard hat or shoulders by chunks of the hangers door that disintegrated a little every time you opened them, I reckon you're after juicier tales of mismanagement. Like dodgy radios, poor traffic handling ( I won't name names but sometimes their lads in the tower would give dodgy advice to the air ambulance causing havoc) and ever shrinking runway's. I'll pass on my comments to the council but unfortunately like I said not much juicy here. P.s I do remember constant fuel problems (simply not having fuel on site) at least our wee motor gliders sipped fuel
I visited Swansea in December 2022 for the first time ever. What a shame that place with great potential can be left in such state. I hope that is going to change in near future.
Wow, I knew things were bad, but didn't realise it was as bad as this. Fingers crossed for a quick and sensible resolution, but to be honest, listening to the story so far I fear for the future.
Well done Bob, please advise what expertise needs to be recruited in order to recover this situation. Will the CAA consider an extension before enacting their enforcement?
As a Swansea resident I'd like to see the Airport thriving again. However, the advertised recruitment for Aircraft Engineers by Avayu concerns me - the founder and principal of Avayu having a horendous business track record. He seems to have abandoned his Aerodyne operation at Bro Tathan, leaving suppliers / contractors unpaid, not paid NI and PAYE for staff (if and when they were paid) etc..
I remember watching the air show at Swansea airport, how far it has now fallen. I must say it's typical Swansea council who couldn't run a piss up in a brewery. It should either be returned to it's former glory and returned back to common land.
I was told years ago on a visit to Swansea that the land was requisitioned from open common land and that if and when the aerodrome ceases to operate, the owner must make good and revert to the state it was in prior to requisition. This happened to Greenham Common, where all the runway and infrastructure were demolished and it's now back to open common. There are other places like this around the country, where making a loss year on year is cheaper than the alternative. Anyone able to shed light on this or is it wrong?
Site is owned by Swansea Council. It costs them nothing because it is leased out. The lease expired, the tenant will not surrender it and has asked for a new lease. If the operation did fold, the site would revert to the council. Cost of restoration would be ruinous because the whole site is contaminated by copper slag used in foundations for the runways, buildings, etc.
It seems surprising that the current operator the Alliance and the Council are now all working together. Is there a disconnect between the Alliance and teh Operator?
The Alliance has been engaging with the council, the operator, the CAA and GAAC in a working group to secure progress at the airport for twenty months. The operator withdrew from the group and neither the council nor the operator will now talk to us.
The current airport tenant is out, the Swansea Airport Stakeholders Alliance is in - taking over from 06/09/24. They're a not-for-profit group who've been campaigning to make things better at Swansea, so please support them as much as you can.
Such a wasted asset for Swansea. A lot of history there and such rare unrestricted airspace to enjoy when seeing the beautiful Gower peninsula from the air. Let’s hope the council realise its value.
Typical of UK local authorities. Small wonder if they dont sell it off to their pals for housing development (Like a certain Northern Ireland LA - shown up on a Spotlight programme selling off land to their pals for next to nothing). Alternatively like Western Isles council craftily acquiring land and inviting foreigners to build a space port on it. Ditto A North Wales Council aiming at old RAF Llanbedr for a spaceport or another eyeing up Machrihanish on Kintyre. Good luck chaps. You deserve it after putting in all that effort .
One thing that cannot happen is selling it off for housing, etc. The land is held by the council under an Act of Parliament that requires that it be returned to common land if it ceases to operate as an airport.
@@sheboboliver3595 Oh, how nice to get a reply. GOOD LUCK with getting your airfield in good working order once more. I really liked the presentation. So many unfortunate decisions are being taken by local authorities about the use of publicly owned assets. These days it seems the local and the county councils are very poor guardians of the local real estate Inheritance. All the best to the Airport Alliance.
Big words Bob...everything costed, yea right, plenty of hot air but now you've got your hands on the airport the truth emerges, you have zero investors all the good people that put effort into the place sacked and you want to replace them with volunteers, shame on you.
Martin. He is all hot air in my opinon. They have volunteers who aren't trained properly. Also apparentley they have no nsurance in place to protect the volunteers and public. They've been asked by several people on social media to prove they have insurance in place but refuse to provide it, I believe that there is no insurance in place. They also have no funding. This info has come from alliance members...
Bob oliver, you have some cheek. You're running with no insurance, you have untrained volunteers running the place, no funding, and you're making negative comments about the previous managment/operator. I can't believe you use the term expertise, you haven't got a clue what you're doing. One of your "volunteers' is ex Managment from sometime ago, and he caused a huge amount of issues for the Airport via the CAA😂
About time this issue had some airtime. Thank you for promoting the conversation and let's hope Swansea Airport has the positive future we've all been hoping for, for so long.
Hey guy I was a Civilian gliding instructor at 636 volunteer gliding squadron that was based at Swansea, we were closed down sometime ago and I'll tell you now none of the safety problems we ran into with hangers never got sorted. Management only cared about corner cutting and doing the bare minimum and in 10 to 15 years nothing has changed except a coat of paint or two on the tower and random decommissioned jets randomly appear and disappear. There used to be an awesome cafe up there with a lovely constant tick over of people, so sad to see the birth place of my flight experience dying slowly
I remember the sewage coming up through the manhole in your hangar after heavy rain and the then boss' futile attempts to get Swansea Airport Ltd to fix it. If you copy your comments to Swansea council for the attention of the leader of the cabinet, Rob Stewart, it will help reinforce what we have been telling the council for 20 months. Feel free to include any further relevant tales.
@@sheboboliver3595 phill Davis or Stewart pinching are the guys you need to talk to, phill being "The Boss" has all the details and stories. I can't for the life of me find their emails.
I'd like to help but most of my stories are of being clocked on the hard hat or shoulders by chunks of the hangers door that disintegrated a little every time you opened them, I reckon you're after juicier tales of mismanagement. Like dodgy radios, poor traffic handling ( I won't name names but sometimes their lads in the tower would give dodgy advice to the air ambulance causing havoc) and ever shrinking runway's. I'll pass on my comments to the council but unfortunately like I said not much juicy here.
P.s I do remember constant fuel problems (simply not having fuel on site) at least our wee motor gliders sipped fuel
Thanks for your effort Bob.
I visited Swansea in December 2022 for the first time ever. What a shame that place with great potential can be left in such state. I hope that is going to change in near future.
Wow, I knew things were bad, but didn't realise it was as bad as this. Fingers crossed for a quick and sensible resolution, but to be honest, listening to the story so far I fear for the future.
Well done Bob, please advise what expertise needs to be recruited in order to recover this situation. Will the CAA consider an extension before enacting their enforcement?
Great video Bob ,wonder if they will show it at next council meeting .
Unlikely. But the more the issues are exposed in public the better the chances of securing the outcome we all want.
Keep it open
As a Swansea resident I'd like to see the Airport thriving again. However, the advertised recruitment for Aircraft Engineers by Avayu concerns me - the founder and principal of Avayu having a horendous business track record. He seems to have abandoned his Aerodyne operation at Bro Tathan, leaving suppliers / contractors unpaid, not paid NI and PAYE for staff (if and when they were paid) etc..
I remember watching the air show at Swansea airport, how far it has now fallen. I must say it's typical Swansea council who couldn't run a piss up in a brewery.
It should either be returned to it's former glory and returned back to common land.
I was told years ago on a visit to Swansea that the land was requisitioned from open common land and that if and when the aerodrome ceases to operate, the owner must make good and revert to the state it was in prior to requisition. This happened to Greenham Common, where all the runway and infrastructure were demolished and it's now back to open common. There are other places like this around the country, where making a loss year on year is cheaper than the alternative.
Anyone able to shed light on this or is it wrong?
Site is owned by Swansea Council. It costs them nothing because it is leased out. The lease expired, the tenant will not surrender it and has asked for a new lease. If the operation did fold, the site would revert to the council. Cost of restoration would be ruinous because the whole site is contaminated by copper slag used in foundations for the runways, buildings, etc.
Took my PPL here in the early noughties, having been born and bred in Swansea. So quite sad to hear this.
I see a business park and residential area emerging irrespective of it being a special beauty spot etc.
It seems surprising that the current operator the Alliance and the Council are now all working together. Is there a disconnect between the Alliance and teh Operator?
The Alliance has been engaging with the council, the operator, the CAA and GAAC in a working group to secure progress at the airport for twenty months. The operator withdrew from the group and neither the council nor the operator will now talk to us.
The current airport tenant is out, the Swansea Airport Stakeholders Alliance is in - taking over from 06/09/24. They're a not-for-profit group who've been campaigning to make things better at Swansea, so please support them as much as you can.
Such a wasted asset for Swansea. A lot of history there and such rare unrestricted airspace to enjoy when seeing the beautiful Gower peninsula from the air. Let’s hope the council realise its value.
Sywell Bob, 30 minute Caff to Caff ask the Blades😅
Another year...same situation.
What a waste of an airfield
Typical of UK local authorities. Small wonder if they dont sell it off to their pals for housing development (Like a certain Northern Ireland LA - shown up on a Spotlight programme selling off land to their pals for next to nothing). Alternatively like Western Isles council craftily acquiring land and inviting foreigners to build a space port on it. Ditto A North Wales Council aiming at old RAF Llanbedr for a spaceport or another eyeing up Machrihanish on Kintyre. Good luck chaps. You deserve it after putting in all that effort .
One thing that cannot happen is selling it off for housing, etc. The land is held by the council under an Act of Parliament that requires that it be returned to common land if it ceases to operate as an airport.
@@sheboboliver3595 Oh, how nice to get a reply. GOOD LUCK with getting your airfield in good working order once more. I really liked the presentation. So many unfortunate decisions are being taken by local authorities about the use of publicly owned assets. These days it seems the local and the county councils are very poor guardians of the local real estate Inheritance. All the best to the Airport Alliance.
Big words Bob...everything costed, yea right, plenty of hot air but now you've got your hands on the airport the truth emerges, you have zero investors all the good people that put effort into the place sacked and you want to replace them with volunteers, shame on you.
Martin. He is all hot air in my opinon. They have volunteers who aren't trained properly. Also apparentley they have no nsurance in place to protect the volunteers and public. They've been asked by several people on social media to prove they have insurance in place but refuse to provide it, I believe that there is no insurance in place. They also have no funding. This info has come from alliance members...
Bob oliver, you have some cheek. You're running with no insurance, you have untrained volunteers running the place, no funding, and you're making negative comments about the previous managment/operator.
I can't believe you use the term expertise, you haven't got a clue what you're doing. One of your "volunteers' is ex Managment from sometime ago, and he caused a huge amount of issues for the Airport via the CAA😂