Newquay Airport and Air Force One

[Ediswan]

300 miles in a Sea King? He'll be a wreck by the time they get there. Does it have enough range to do the trip anyway? Why on earth not land closer to the destination.

I suspect TPTB are being deliberately ambiguous about exactly where he will land.

 

[BrianW]

I thought I heard that the US President was landing at Stansted. He's due to meet HM Queen at Windsor I believe. Not sure what that means in terms of air and land journeys. I also thought I heard a government minister say that the Prime Minister was flying to Cornwall today- why not the train?
I guess 'security' will mean we will never be told beyond that money was allocated for 'improvements' at Newquay Airport.
Oh yes and the 'Communities Secretary' announced this morning allocations from the 'towns fund' to a number of locations in 'Conservative-run Cornwall', presumably to accommodate the incoming Hollywood A-listers and Russian oligarchs that will be buying up second, third and fourth holiday homes.

 

[alex397]

I also thought I heard a government minister say that the Prime Minister was flying to Cornwall today- why not the train?

It seems incredible to me that the PM has flown to Cornwall, when one of the topics is climate change! Short distance flights to places where the same journey can be made by train are the sort of things we need to be stopping now.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

One of the E4s followed about 90 minutes after Air Force One landed, presumably also going in to Mildenhall - I didn't bother tracking it all the way...

 

[Western Lord]

So, Air Force One did land at Newquay after all.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

So, Air Force One did land at Newquay after all.

Don't know which Air Force One went there, was it the 747? Rumour was once the 747 was in at Mildenhall Air Force One was changing to the C-32.

I did track the E-4B that went to Mildenhall

 

[Western Lord]

Don't know which Air Force One went there, was it the 747? Rumour was once the 747 was in at Mildenhall Air Force One was changing to the C-32.

I did track the E-4B that went to Mildenhall

Apparently both the VC-25A and the C-32 landed at Newquay.
A ridiculous article in today's Times claiming that millions of pounds were spent "extending the runway" so that AF1 could land. The money was actually spent on refurbishing remote parking areas not used since the RAF left and not required for normal airline services, as has been pointed out earlier in this thread the runway at Newquay is plenty long enough for a 747.

 

[Taunton]

I also thought I heard a government minister say that the Prime Minister was flying to Cornwall today- why not the train?

Because a) It takes multiple times as long, and b) There's always the current uncertainty whether it will run 5 vice 10, be found to have the jacking points broken, the reservations will not be applied, it will be announced as sold out (although it's not), etc.

 

[alex397]

Because a) It takes multiple times as long, and b) There's always the current uncertainty whether it will run 5 vice 10, be found to have the jacking points broken, the reservations will not be applied, it will be announced as sold out (although it's not), etc.

Quite frankly he should be setting an example, especially when climate change is a topic at this summit. If all the journalists could travel by train, then why not Boris?
If we want to tell business people that they need to be getting the train between London and Manchester/Newcastle/Edinburgh or wherever, then surely the PM should do the same.