# Manston airfield as an alternative/addition to operation stack?



## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

To those with knowledge of my previous thread in subscribers lounge about fuel rationing this thread is NOT a "wind up" It's been posted on another forum www.Caravantalk.co.uk

_Manston airfield to be used as a temporary lorry park next Monday to test an operation stack alternative, or addition . It will involve paying local haulage firms for the hire of 150 trucks to simulate releasing them from storage into rush hour traffic, I think we can all tell them what the results are likely to be, at a lot less cost & inconvenience to local communities in Kent._

No deal Brexit looking more and more likely??

Andy


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Watta shambles this administration is creating. I guess all the Civil Servants involved for better or worse will be in the honours lists.



Ray.


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

The madness continues, I’m shocked at the surprise though as many apparently knew what they were voting for.

Terry


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

And still proud to admit they voted for it, the mind boggles.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

By the way, I flew from Manston, well not me flying but in an hairy plain, to Italy many years ago, it was a grass runway in those days, is it more up to date now?


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

JanHank said:


> By the way, I flew from Manston, well not me flying but in an hairy plain, to Italy many years ago, it was a grass runway in those days, is it more up to date now?


Check your facts Jan.

Since I have been in aviation, from 1965 and probably back to WW II, Manston has had one of the longest paved runways in UK, which is the reason it was the last one to be able to lay a foam carpet for a 'wheels-up' landing.

Geoff


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

At 2,748 m (9,016 ft) long, it has the eleventh-longest civilian runway in the United Kingdom (after Heathrow (2), Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Stansted, East Midlands, Doncaster, Prestwick and Belfast International),[3] Manston was capable of handling some of the larger long-haul aircraft, but the runway was not long enough for the largest passenger or freight types at their maximum takeoff weights.[4][5][6] The runway was originally built with three "lanes" during the war to handle emergencies, and is among the widest in Europe.


Then theres Fairford at 10,000 ft.



Ray.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

nicholsong said:


> Check your facts Jan.
> Since I have been in aviation, from 1965 and probably back to WW II, Manston has had one of the longest paved runways in UK, which is the reason it was the last one to be able to lay a foam carpet for a 'wheels-up' landing.
> Geoff


I could swear it was Manston, what other airport is there in Kent because this was a very bumpy runway, the first time I had ever been in a plane and it was very scary.:frown2: We were supposed to fly from Norwich, but were transferred by bus to Manston I'm sure. Anyway who cares, only you Kapitän.:grin2:


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

:laugh:With Failing Graying in charge of it it will go swimmingly I am sure:laugh:


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

I wouldn't be surprised if was reported as going very well.

If it does it'll likely be due to some problem which prevents many of the vehicles heading for the Port of Dover, though we won't be told they didn't obviously.

They'd hardly have announced it if they were going to take a chance on it going wrong. All those hauliers will have signed non-disclosure agreements and are being paid by Grayling's department don't forget. It's smoke and mirrors. 

Unless of course May is really a secret remainer, in which case the county will be at a standstill for hours. We'll see.


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## yarmouth (Nov 1, 2017)

JanHank said:


> I could swear it was Manston, what other airport is there in Kent because this was a very bumpy runway, the first time I had ever been in a plane and it was very scary.:frown2: We were supposed to fly from Norwich, but were transferred by bus to Manston I'm sure. Anyway who cares, only you Kapitän.:grin2:


Lydd Kent, near Dungeness


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Its just all fake preparations, has to be. How will 100-150 lorries taking part prove anything either way? There are 12000 lorries passing through Dover each day. The whole Seaborne ferries debacle is another fake no deal prep as well. Just a few weeks to go and no ferries, no ports, no deals with those ports and a bogus start up company with £66 in the bank and a website that is also fake. WTF is going on? Its just laughable.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

JanHank said:


> I could swear it was Manston, what other airport is there in Kent because this was a very bumpy runway, the first time I had ever been in a plane and it was very scary.:frown2: We were supposed to fly from Norwich, but were transferred by bus to Manston I'm sure. Anyway who cares, only you Kapitän.:grin2:


It was probably Lympne, not Lydd, up on the hill behind Romney Marsh, as Lydd also had paved runways. I operated out of Lydd in 1967-9. Skyways were operating out of Lympne with HS748s but because of low cloud or soggy ground often had to divert to Lydd.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

barryd said:


> Its just all fake preparations, has to be. How will 100-150 lorries taking part prove anything either way? There are 12000 lorries passing through Dover each day. The whole Seaborne ferries debacle is another fake no deal prep as well. Just a few weeks to go and no ferries, no ports, no deals with those ports and a bogus start up company with £66 in the bank and a website that is also fake. WTF is going on? Its just laughable.


Has this Manston stunt been shown on UK TV? I was on our Skynews last night.


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Confirmation of this in today’s Daily Mail.

BRITAIN will next week begin testing how the road network would cope with a no-deal Brexit - by effectively staging a practice traffic jam.

Around 150 HGV lorries will converge on a route between Manston Airport and Dover, one of the key points of entry to the UK.

The plan, known as Operation Brock, will take place on Monday, with drivers already contracted by the Department for Transport.

There are fears of chaos on the M20 if the UK leaves the EU without a deal at the end of March and extra border checks are brought in at the Port of Dover and in Europe.

The entire southbound carriageway of a 13-mile stretch of the M20 in Kent will be sectioned off during the operation. It would be used to hold 2,000 lorries in the event of severe cross-Channel congestion. Two affected Tory-run councils have previously warned that the ‘temporary solution’ would in fact last many years.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: ‘We do not want or expect a no-deal scenario and continue to work hard to deliver a deal with the EU. However, it is the duty of a responsible government to continue to prepare for all eventualities.’

Andy


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Gaarrrrnn Andy. I aint fallin for that one.


Ray.


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Ooo Ray, you cynical man!


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

I am so glad I am this side of the Channel.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

I can't see how running trucks from Manston Airfield to Dover and back can fully reflect the true impact of the proposed parking there. Surely in order to get the full picture the trucks would first have to journey from the motorways to Manston and then on to Dover? There'd then need to be a return journey to the motorways (M2 presumably) via Manston.

Manston might be the only location available at short notice but it's well off the route most trucks currently travel. It may well bring congestion to areas currently not subjected to much road freight movement, except to deliver in that area or if they are based there.

Looks like a poor plan all round to me.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

I think all this comes under the phrase "We will do everything in our power" even if it is crackers.


Ray.


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

I am REALLY starting to think that just maybe we ARE going to simply walk away with a nodeal at the end of March! 

Mainly because our EU masters are determined to make things as difficult for/punish the U.K. for leaving AND even more importantly, to deter the other countries who are unhappy with the way things are heading from doing likewise.

Plus of course they are going to have a big problem filling the huge gap in the EU’s finances that will happen once the U.K. stops its enormous contribution. 

It’s little use speculating because, sadly, we “little people” are basically being ignored by the very people we elected to carry out our wishes.

It will be what it is on 30th March, I have no real idea what will happen either way, and MORE importantly neither does anyone else. Many have theories, but that’s all they are because this situation has NEVER happened before to anyone. 

I do feel a bit sorry for St Theresa, no matter WHAT she does many will consider it all wrong anyway.

Interesting times eh??

Andy


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Sorry Andy but May is just a blinkered power crazy plank........ imho. And whose legacy will allowing the biggest cockup of all time.



Ray.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Do the government not monitor social media anymore? They are a laughing stock. Their phoney no deal preparations are just getting ripped to bits everywhere. Surely even Brexiteers cant be happy with us pishing millions of pounds against the wall for all this nonsense of pretend traffic jams and fake ferries.

To quote Ploddy's article. "The entire southbound carriageway of a 13-mile stretch of the M20 in Kent will be sectioned off during the operation. *It would be used to hold 2,000 lorries* in the event of severe cross-Channel congestion. Two affected Tory-run councils have previously warned that the 'temporary solution' would in fact last many years."

As I mentioned there are 12000 lorries a day going through Dover so 2000 is just four hours worth (They dont run all night I dont think either). Just a two minute delay at dover for these lorries will lead to a 17 mile jam and the paper work for just one lorry could be two inches thick according to port officials.

No amount of finger crossing, employing fake ferry companies or buying up disused air fields or hoping for some new magic technology will get around the fact that we are in the Customs Union and Single Market for a very good reason when it comes to the movement of goods and people. Without it Dover and the Tunnel is pretty much Fubared. Still, if its the will of the people huh.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

They've been setting the lorries off from Manston 25 at a time. They have just over 90 of them. 

We'll hear about how it goes later. Greyling will say it all went very well no doubt.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

According to the BBC only 87 turned up...

In other words just over half what they wanted is what they got.....

I wonder if that is indicative of other wishes they have held. ?

I flew frequently from as it was then RAF Manston in Chipmunks for Air Experience flying with the ATC in the late 1960's. We also did .22 shooting at the range there. It was certainly a paved runway and the Chipmunk needed about 500 m of the length.... It took off at 45 knots and landed at 55 knots. Very much a lovable aircraft to fly IMO.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Apparently one of the wagons was a Thanet bin wagon. They should have stuck Chris Grayling in that and Brexit and dumped it in the channel.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Penquin said:


> According to the BBC only 87 turned up...
> 
> In other words just over half what they wanted is what they got.....
> 
> ...


Dave, we had Cessna 152s and 3 Chipmunks at flying school at Perth. The Chipmunks did not have heaters FFS, in Scotland at 5,000' in January, and the students came down shivering. - 'Loveable'? kiss my .....

A bit like the nostalgia of flying to Majorca in the '50s in a Dakota compared with a Boeing 737-800 or an Airbus 321 now.

Geoff


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Quite possibly and agree no heater but at Manston you were wearing so much clobber you were well known insulated and, of course, youngsters don't notice the cold as it was only for 30 minutes or so and doing aerobatics in the Chipmunk took your attention well away from body temperature....

Starting was always interesting with the cartridge driven Coffman (?) starter...... certainly made you jump - from memory they carried a dozen cartridges so that was the limit - although the engine was kept running all day as AEF did not stop.....

But of course those were the "good old days" talked about on another thread with the smogs, power cuts, rubbish piles and so on either behind or before us....


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