Baldonnel: Should it become Dublin's second airport?

[Slacker]

Considering how there's a lot of harping about how overcrowded Dublin Airport is getting, and the relative ease of an extension of the LUAS out to Bal, should the ordinary Joe Public be accomodated going to wherever in the world from Baldonnel? If civvies do use it, should the Air Corps stay, or move on somewhere else?

Also, what would the boys'n' girls in Baldonnel at the minute say to it?

Your thoughts on a post...........well, on a post!

[The Sultan]

Yay! First person to vote!

If they could expand Baldonnel, it could work. Im assuming it has most of the important stuff already like a Fuel Farm, Radar and ATC. Its location isnt to bad, and would make AIrport access easier for the country folk.

I hope that the boys'n'girls would be happy about it, because it would mean a) a bigger airport and b) a refurbishment.

[CQ2]

I voted no because the road to baldonnel from the Nangor road is crap its like a boreen in west Cork. Also at the moment theres enough congestion with the new Business park and the N.V.D centre there and as soon as theres an accident on the Naas road the traffic backs right up. I cant see it ever happening .

[FMolloy]

No, because I don't think the AC would get all the benefit from it. I think they'd be sidelined and priority would be given to commercial traffic.

[Slacker]

I voted Yes but AC stay because I beleive there'll be no choice bar building a new airport in the next decade or so. EIDW is really feeling the pressure, and while the second terminal will take some of the strain, it won't be long before the southerners (And possibly that jet engine overhaul facility idown there) will be looking for their slice.

[hedgehog]

I voted no much for the same reasons CQ2 said, and also because in there infinite wisdom the approach path takes them over Tallagh and CLondalkin, 2 of the most populous areas in Dublin.

If they changed the approach path so as to approach from the west rather than the east, then all traffick is over farm land parrell to the Naas DUal Carige way

then maybe i would reconsider my vote

Mansfield is trying to upgrade Weston and he was knocked back royally, I reckon his idea was to get the upgrade and increase in size prior to the Ryder CUp.

The sad thing is we will have absolutly no say in this and get ready for Baldonnel airport with no increase in infra structure

[Boomer]

Dublin Airport are working on second terminal and on the acquisition of a second runway....

[hptmurphy]

yes but multidirectional runways are not uncommon...its worked out using the mean average of prevailing winds...but the cross wind componet of modern aircraft is high enough ..so its not really an issue

[Rooster]

At EGAA the civilian and military assets have been successfully sharing the same site for over 30 years, admitedly, they have been based at opposite sides of the runways, but it shows that at least it can work.

[Turkey]

Dublin Airport are working on second terminal and on the acquisition of a second runway....

Which second runway would that be?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin_Airport

[Boomer]

http://www.dublinairport.ie/AR_Dubli...posedPhoto.gif

The proposed new main runway (if it ever gets off the ground...)

[Turkey]

Was that a pun?
Seriously they still use the previous main runway a lot of the time, fecked if I can remember the number..........

http://www.dublinairport.ie/AR_Dubl...oposedPhoto.gif
That should make the place suitable for stratigic bombers

[hptmurphy]

its common place in the states to have airnationalguard units stationed at civvy airports and seems to work there so why not here. For the amount of flying done in any day at the Don it seems like a major under use of a good facility.

[Itchy]

Seriously they still use the previous main runway a lot of the time, fecked if I can remember the number..........

Runway 28/10...

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi all
The Don is currently capable of relieving Dublin Airport of all the general aviation traffic and the light turboprop stuff, including the executive jets and the Aer Arran/Loganair/Air Contractors,etc without major modification. This is especially true at night, when Weston is closed and does not cause a traffic conflict. The ramp would need to be bigger but there is still enough room to turn around ATR-sized aircraft. The fire service would need to be enlarged and the whole place would have to go on a true 24-hour shift system(which would probably be the hardest problem to deal with, in pure Army terms,but the Brits have been using a shift system for years so it can be done). There are hundreds of airports worldwide where civvies and militaries coexist successfully, including fast jets.All it would take is the will and the upsetting of a few empires, notably ATC. They should be dispatched to any American airport with a joint facility to see how it's done. For example, when the USAF need to launch the Quick Reaction flight at any joint airfield, they get absolute priority and the tower either stops every other aircraft or sends the airborne ones to the hold. As soon as the fighters are up out of harms way, the civvie traffic resumes normal operations. The fighters, because they invariably have external fuel, do not need or get priority to land and take their turn to land.
regards
GttC