Manchester Airport

[Philwhiskeydrinker]

We have fancied going here for a while, as we had an hour or two spare this evening we wheeled the bike out and paid a visit to Manchester Airport Viewing Park!

There is a big tent housing Concorde (photo' through the window...);

Where you can pay for a tour of the aircraft.

You can watch planes land & take off

View the terminals & planes taxying

There are also a couple of aircraft you can have a look inside

It looks like a tour of the Nimrod needs prior arrangement

And a Tristar

Free entry, £3hr parking for car/bike so you can't go wrong if you are bored of the telly.

There's plenty of picnic benches & raised viewing areas, an on site restaurant and even sometimes have bits of petting farm/crocodile displays for kids - although heavens knows what that has to do with aeroplanes?!!!

All in all a pleasant pootle out

Phil

 

[Paul-S]

It's a lot posher than the one on Dungeon Lane at the end of Liverpool Airport runway!

 

[nigelphoto]

We have fancied going here for a while, as we had an hour or two spare this evening we wheeled the bike out and paid a visit to Manchester Airport . . . . . .

All in all a pleasant pootle out

Phil

except if you are a passenger arriving at Terminal 1. You have to pay £1 for the baggage trolleys, it takes an hour and a half to unload the baggage, the arrivals hall is so small that the passengers on an A380 completely fill it let alone all the friends/rellies/professional meeting services etc so that no one can move let alone find the people they are supposed to be meeting, and the security gorillas (aka 'helpful staff') are 'kin useless and won't lift a finger to help. All in all a Third World experience.

 

[Elle]

Where you can pay for a tour of the aircraft.

There are also a couple of aircraft you can have a look inside

Phil

Never knew that, thanks

Personally I like flying from Manchester. Last year, I used the valet parking service - great for a long haul flight with heavy baggage. A bit nerve-wrecking giving them a car key as they move it elsewhere later but all was good
This year I saved a few pounds by using the park & ride system & even though waiting for a bus seems to take ages, one turned up within 10 minutes
Waiting for luggage is just part of the trip & I'm always pleased when it arrives on the conveyor belt fully in tact

 

[Chewbadger]

Flight deck of Concorde from 2002 when in for refit. This was G-BOAF. Manchester has the flagship G-BOAC.

 

[dodursley]

Used to work at Filton before I retired including working in Concord Flight Test at the end of my apprenticeship 1968-76. Was still working at Filton when the last flight came in. A pic of the first taxying trials and last landing.

 

[Elle]

Used to work at Filton before I retired...

I lived in Bristol for 8 years and often saw Concorde at Filton - had totally forgotten about it being there