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Latest News & Meetings


Latest News

12th January 2012
Ryanair have announced that they will be adding two new destinations to their network of routes from Liverpool John Lennon Airport for their Summer schedules, operating services to Barcelona and Almeria in Spain. Flights commence on 25th March 2012 at the start of the Summer season.
Almeria is on Thursday and Sunday, Barcelona is daily.
5th December 2011
New route announcement by National Express to Liverpool and Manchester Airports From December, holiday makers from Manchester and Liverpool will be able to take a coach to the airport by using our brand new service. The route will stop at Leeds, Bradford, Oldham, Manchester, Manchester Airport, Liverpool Airport, Liverpool and Birkenhead. Operating 10 times a day*, this new service will make Manchester Airport even more accessible to our customers and provide a much needed alternative to those flying from Liverpool Airport. * 5 times a day to Oldham
8th October 2011
FoLA visits Robin Hood and the Vulcan

On Saturday 8th October 2011, 29 members of FoLA paid a visit to Robin Hood Airport and to meet up with old and new acquaintances from FODSA.

The visit was organized by Keith Hardwick at the FoLA camp, the Vice Chairman at FODSA, and Head of Terminal Services and Security at the airport; FODSA members, airport staff and Directions management also played a significant part in making this visit the success it was. The itinerary included tea/coffee on arrival at Heyford House, a visit to the Viewing Gallery and Vulcan shop, lunch in Wetherspoons, a coach tour of the airfield and to finish off, an excellent guided tour of the Vulcan XH558 in Directions hangar 3.

The weather could have been kinder but this did not dampen enthusiasm and a great day was had by all; FoLA members commented how pleasant and helpful members of staff at the airport were.

Many, many thanks to Keith Hardwick for organising the day-trip; to Robin Tudor for allowing us to park at Liverpool Airport for free and allowed the coach to operate from & to the Airport frontage without charge. Huge thanks also to the FoDSA crew (far too many names to mention) who were very hospitable and welcoming; Paul, our driver, from Huyton Mini-Coaches, who got us there and back very safely in far from ideal weather conditions and was very patient with us and helped out with our wheelchair user throughout the day. Thanks must also go to all the staff encountered at Robin Hood Airport from Security to Wetherspoons who again made the day possible and enjoyable; and finally all the staff of the Vulcan to the Sky who made the tour of the Vulcan so memorable and interesting.

Photographs from the day are now up on our dedicated website photo page

15th September 2011
 Liverpool John Lennon Airport’s biggest carrier by passenger numbers, easyJet, is increasing capacity in its summer schedule next year. It continues to offer more than 30 European destinations but will boost flights on three key routes by starting operations earlier. Services on these popular routes to Rhodes and Naples will commence on March 28, and Ibiza services will start on July 3.

7th September 2011
 Wizz Air adds a 2nd aircraft to its Vilnius base as a result on top of the 8 current destinations, Wizz Air introduces four new routes to Liverpool (UK), Paris Beauvais (France), Oslo Sandefjord Torp and Bergen (Norway), and also increases frequencies on 2 existing routes from the 27th of May 2012:

25th July 2011
 With school holidays having now started, the airport expects over 130,000 passengers to pass through each week, an increase of approximately 5% over last year’s busy peak Summer season. Management at the Airport are keen to remind passengers that they should leave plenty of time to not only travel to the airport, but importantly to pass through the Airport too at peak times. JLA recommends passengers arrive 2 hours before their departure to allow sufficient time to check-in, pass through airport security and to take advantage of the many new passenger facilities now available in the departure lounge. Only last week the Airport completed work on a £12m programme of improvements for passengers with the opening of a new Estuary Kitchen and Grill, a new Starbucks Coffee outlet and the addition of famous high street sportswear giant JD Sports’ new outlet in the departure lounge. Work has also just finished in the Airport’s arrivals area with around £100,000 having been invested in developments to create more space and improve the arrivals experience for passengers returning to Liverpool.

7th July 2011
This report is from Brian Jones a FoLA member who flew on the historic H Melly 100 year anniversary flight, and appeared on NWAN forum.

As many will know the celebrations today were initiated by the 'Friends of Liverpool Airport (FoLA), who in our magazine '09/27' have been recording a sequence of Merseyside Aviation Centenaries, thanks to activity by aviation pioneers, first Samuel Franklin Cody then Henry Melly. In the latest '09/27' Keith Hardwick floated the idea to members the idea of a flight to celebrate a major NW aviation milestone, the first Liverpool to Manchester non-stop flight on 7th July 1911. Initial proposals centered around bringing a Manx2 or Eastern airliner to LJLA, although the cost of positioning would make to the final cost high. With only a handful of members showing interest, Keith consulted Martin Keen regarding using a single smaller aircraft, and the novel, innovative, quite exciting suggestion that the event could be marked by a formation of aircraft was born.
The weather early on Thursday morning was far from ideal with a gusty wind and rapidly moving rain showers from the south. However as the FoLA members gathered at Liverpool Flying School's comfortable suite of rooms beside the GA apron, the five instructors were out sharpening their formation skills. After a briefing, at around 1020 we all walked out to the waiting five aircraft, Cherokee G-LFSG, and Tomahawks G-LFSA, G-LFSH, G-LFSM and G-LFSN all in smart matching blue and white with 'Liver Bird' logo. I was paired with pilot Mitch Walker in G-LFSM. The call-sign with ATC was "Melly Formation" - a nice touch. Each aircraft had a copy of Melly's 1910 Pilot's licence aboard. Also flying with us, providing a nice family link with the original event was a great - niece of Henry Melly, Susan Cain.
We departed 27, by my watch at 1041, in a stream departure, turning northwards up the river and formed into a diamond formation with one behind, led by the Cherokee, with 'SM to the right of the diamond, 'SA on the left and 'SN behind and 'SH bringing up the rear. Out of controlled airspace at Seaforth VRP and a slight descent to make formation orbits of Waterloo, the site of Henry G. Melly's airfield. Although I did not pick them out, down on the fields were schoolchildren with placards spelling out 'Congratulations Mr Melly', local people and the Mayor of Sefton. A formation change to line astern for a final pass heading in the direction of Aintree.
Conditions in the air meant that the pilots had to work hard to keep formation, and the relative motion of the aircraft was both interesting to watch and presented great photographic angles - but you had to be quick or bits of our aircraft got in the way, especially as I was effectively on the wrong side of the aircraft and risked clipping the pilot with my telephoto lens. Over Waterloo my camera stopped and displayed slogan 'Camera has lost contact with the lens' (or similar). Quick grab for a cloth, dismantle the camera, clean the contacts, problem not solved, turn off, turn on - thank goodness I'm back in business. Just like the old days when the film cassette would finish at the most inconvenient moments!
At Aintree, back into controlled airspace and a direct line for Burtonwood VRP. I must say that the controllers at Liverpool were extremely helpful and able to accommodate our every request, although fortunately our airspace was fairly quiet. At Burtonwood entry to the low level corridor and contact with Barton, which we were permitted to overfly, en route to further formation orbits and a line-astern fly-by of the site where Melly had landed in 1911 - now part of the Trafford Park industrial estates. By this time the weather had deteriorated and we were on the edge of a large rain shower, however, we were fortunate and the light rain at the shower's fringe did not interfere with our plans. Again there were people gathered on the ground.
As course was set back for Liverpool Airport the weather brightened considerably and wind moderated. Having reached Burtonwood VRP, again ATC were able to grant our desired route direct to Mossley Hill Church, which was circled, just as Melly did in on his way home in 1911. Then up the river to further orbits of Melly's Waterloo landing ground, before return to LJLA and a further orbit, this time at ATC's direction, over Jaguar's and Woolton to allow an easyJet and Ryanair to land ahead. I do wonder what the easyJet pilot thought when informed by ATC that he would see five light aircraft in formation to the north!
Turning base the formation split to permit a stream landing. All down safely on the ground at 1228, for a de-brief, sandwiches and a toast to Melly, the Merseyside aviation pioneer whose activities our celebration were all about.
In a few days short of 50 years of passenger flying, never before had I the opportunity to take air-to-air photos, or flown in a formation. I'm still on high from the experience! I want to do it again!!
Taking part in the celebration formation flight were pilots Phil Ryan, Martin Keen, Mitch Walker, Bill Morland and Ed Byrne; FoLA members Keith Hardwick, Lil & Ron Buckley, John Hughes, Brian Jones and Graham Ward along with Susan Cain, a great niece of Henry Melly. On the ground at Waterloo co-ordinating celebrations there were Dave Lovell, Roger Ireland, Brenda Riddick and Brenda Murray and also in attendance was the Mayor of Sefton. Co-ordinating at the Trafford Park turning point was Kevin Flanagan from St Anthony's Trafford Park Heritage Centre and Nick Forder from the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry.
Once again my personal very many thanks to Keith, Martin, LFS and ATC for a very different flying experience.
As a final aside, Melly's flight in his Bleriot took 40 minutes outbound and 63 minutes on the return leg, total time, 1 hour 43 minutes in his log book. Our flight, with a number of orbits, but no landing away, total time, 1 hour 47 minutes in my log book - a 100 years apart, yet such similar flight times!!
I would imagine that there are hundreds of people around Merseyside and Manchester, who looked up and wondered just what a formation of five light aircraft were doing. It appears we were ignored by TV, but did get newspaper ( Daily Post and Echo) and radio (Radio Merseyside's Jimmy McCracken) coverage. Our web-site readers are now amongst those 'in-the-know', as the formation was certainly widely seen.








Meetings
March 6th 2012
Matthew Thomas, Commercial Director, Peel Airports Ltd. Presentation on Commercial Developments.

February 7th 2012
Paul Staples, Airport Operations Director, Liverpool John Lennon Airport will give an up-date on Customer Service Initiatives including the developing Volunteer Programme.
December 6th 2011
Robin Tudor will join us for mince pies for our pre Christmas meeting
November 1st 2011
Nick Smillie spoke at our NOVEMBER 1 meeting.
October 4th 2011
Jill Hutchinson, Account Manager Air France/KLM/Delta agreed to return (Jill spoke early last year before the very successful Shanghai expo). We had a very lively question and answer session, thanks Jill.
September 6th 2011
Marc Hill who is Unit Flight Safety Coordinator/E Watch Supervisor from Air Traffic Control gave a very interesting talk.
August 2nd 2011
Marc Gaier - Journalist and Broadcaster from BBC Radio Merseyside was here and created a lively debate during the usual a Q & A session which followed his talk.


The Committee attempts to obtain a speaker for our meetings but this cannot always be guaranteed. Also, announced speakers sometimes have to withdraw at short notice because of other pressing commitments. The Committee cannot accept any responsibility should a member make a special journey to hear a particular speaker only to find he/she has been forced to withdraw. Every effort will be made to amend the information given in these columns where time permits.

The meetings are held in the Cavern Suite on Level 2 at 7.45pm. Please note that members should park in the new multi-storey car park opposite the terminal building, obtaining a ticket from the machine in the usual manner. A concessionary exit ticket will be available from a committee member at the end of the meeting.

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