Three Towns Forum

The Local => Ask a Local => Topic started by: Ian on September 03, 2010, 03:37:43 pm

Title: Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Post by: Ian on September 03, 2010, 03:37:43 pm
See topic title.  :D
Title: Re: What's Llandudno like right now?
Post by: Jack on September 04, 2010, 08:53:15 pm
Does anyone know what the passenger jet was doing flying low over the town yesterday (Friday 3rd) about 4pm ish.  At first I thought it might be in trouble but it circled and went around again? Thanks in advance. Jack
Title: Re: What's Llandudno like right now?
Post by: DaveR on September 04, 2010, 09:01:11 pm
Welcome to the Forum, Jack. I did hear that plane myself yesterday and wondered what was going on. Anyone know?
Title: Re: What's Llandudno like right now?
Post by: suepp on September 04, 2010, 11:18:46 pm
I saw a huge plane yesterday flying low over Ruthin about 3.30 I think it was a transporter rather than a passenger jet
Title: Re: What's Llandudno like right now?
Post by: Ian on September 05, 2010, 08:10:31 am
From time to time the RAF fly large prop-driven tankers and transports low across the Conwy region.  Might it have been one of those?
Title: Re: What's Llandudno like right now?
Post by: Jack on September 05, 2010, 11:54:24 am
From time to time the RAF fly large prop-driven tankers and transports low across the Conwy region.  Might it have been one of those?
No it definitely wasn't one of those RAF transporters that you often see in threes going down the valley.  This was white and jet engined and while it did appear to have rows of windows like a passenger plane but then again I am no aviation expert!
Title: Re: What's Llandudno like right now?
Post by: Paddy on September 08, 2010, 10:05:45 pm
It was a Lockheed 1011 Tristar K1 on a test flight
http://www.airplane-pictures.net/type.php?p=1005 (http://www.airplane-pictures.net/type.php?p=1005)

Here's a map of its route from planefinder.com.
Title: Re: What's Llandudno like right now?
Post by: DaveR on September 08, 2010, 10:08:45 pm
Nice detective work, Paddy!  D)

Looking at that map, did the plane get lost over Llandudno?!  _))*
Title: Re: What's Llandudno like right now?
Post by: Paddy on September 08, 2010, 10:18:54 pm
Probably stuck in the traffic Dave!
Title: Re: What's Llandudno like right now?
Post by: suepp on September 08, 2010, 10:34:38 pm
the one I saw was different, it had kind of a bulbous top part above the cockpit, sorry not good with aviation terminology
Title: Re: What's Llandudno like right now?
Post by: Jack on September 10, 2010, 07:15:09 pm
It was a Lockheed 1011 Tristar K1 on a test flight
http://www.airplane-pictures.net/type.php?p=1005 (http://www.airplane-pictures.net/type.php?p=1005)

Here's a map of its route from planefinder.com.


Thanks Paddy, that was definitely the one I saw.

I don't want to turn this thread into a plane spotting one but driving down the A55 at lunchtime there was a chinook helicopter circling over Bryn Euryn on the Mochdre side.
Title: Re: What's Llandudno like right now?
Post by: Ian on September 10, 2010, 07:32:34 pm
The Chinook has also touched down on the Orme - opposite the cafe on the Marine Drive.
Title: Re: What's Llandudno like right now?
Post by: Fester on September 14, 2010, 12:02:04 am
It flew very low over the Pier,  and came straight towards me as I sheltered from the rain by the Shell Shop.
It was mightily impressive and I imagined the fear in those who were facing such a machine when its guns were trained on them.
Scary...

Didn't Prince William pass his helicopter flying degree recently?   It could have been him at the helm?
Title: Re: What's Llandudno like right now?
Post by: Ian on September 14, 2010, 08:10:47 am
The basic chopper licence covers flying in VMC on a single engine.  You then add bits, the main one being your IFR and then night-flying regs, then you graduate onto the twin-engine types, such as the Chinook.
Title: Re: What's Llandudno like right now?
Post by: Fester on September 14, 2010, 10:53:33 am
Ah ....so very unlikely to be HRH then...
Never mind, one can dream...
Title: Re: What's Llandudno like right now?
Post by: DaveR on September 14, 2010, 10:54:23 am
Do you often dream about Prince William?  :o ;D :P D) WWW
Title: Re: What's Llandudno like right now?
Post by: Ian on September 14, 2010, 11:40:53 am
 ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: What's Llandudno like right now?
Post by: Fester on September 14, 2010, 11:36:36 pm
Do you often dream about Prince William?  :o ;D :P D) WWW
Not personally ...but Mrs Fester was with me at the time, and it was she that put that idea in my head ....the idea that it might have been HRH that is!
Title: Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Post by: Blongb on October 23, 2010, 09:20:08 pm
Hi Suepp, your large white jet aircraft with a large bulge above the cockpit, sounds like the Airbus Beluga which flies into Broughton on a very regular basis. It picks up completed wings for other Airbus aircraft and then flies them back to Toulouse in France for final assembly
Title: Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Post by: suepp on October 25, 2010, 04:39:08 pm
Oh yes that's the one! I can see how it got the name  *&(
Title: Llandudno Aerodrome
Post by: Trojan on November 10, 2010, 06:09:21 am
I remember reading a passage from Ivor Wynne Jones' book Llandudno Queen of Welsh Resorts with fascination:

The Gwydyr Road area, bounded by Conway Road and Maesdu Road, was used as an aerodrome from 1925, when a salesman for an oil company used to land here. Traveling flying circuses used it in the 1930's and it was also the base of Llandudno Flying Club whose hangar now serves as a garage in Cwm Road.

I had grown up in that very area and had never known it was once used by aircraft.

Does anyone have any more information or photographs on the aerodrome or Llandudno Flying Club?

Where was the hangar located in Cwm Road?

The only photograph I've ever seen is one I found in this Simmonds/Spartan Aircraft website:

http://daveg4otu.tripod.com/iowweb/sim.html (http://daveg4otu.tripod.com/iowweb/sim.html)

The picture below(sent by Roger Hall) shows 'BWU at Llandudno in September 1932. Can anyone say what it was doing there  in a wingless state?

Anyone recognise the location of the aircraft from the houses in the background?
Title: Re: Llandudno Aerodrome
Post by: Nemesis on November 10, 2010, 08:41:03 am
Wish I had seen this before Monday, as I had a very interesting lady in the charity shop who bought a jigsaw which had a Tiger Moth on it , as well as an MG car.
 She said that she wanted it as she drove an MG and flew Tiger Moths in her younger days. Bet she would have either known or known where to find out !
Title: Re: Llandudno Aerodrome
Post by: Yorkie on November 10, 2010, 12:20:58 pm
In June 1932 it was registered to Hugh C Randal-Stevens, Brooklands and sold about September 1932 to an unknown owner.  The aircraft may well have been taken to pieces for transport by road or train to its new location.  Shortly after in January 1933 it was registered to Southend Flying Services Ltd, Southend.  The CofA finally expired in June 1940 and went for storage in Blackburn until the Registration ceased in 1946.  
The plane in flying condition.
Title: Re: Llandudno Aerodrome
Post by: Trojan on November 10, 2010, 04:10:19 pm
I suppose this solves the mystery of the above photo of a Spartan in a wingless state in Llandudno - they had interchangeable wings.
Title: Re: Llandudno Aerodrome
Post by: Ian on November 11, 2010, 11:03:50 am
I'm wondering if it landed at the oval?  They didn't need a lot of length to land, those aircraft, although they need a tad more to take off.  Take off speed for a light Stearman was 50 knts,  and you could achieve that in about 300 yards.
Title: Re: Llandudno Aerodrome
Post by: Hugo on November 11, 2010, 01:01:47 pm
The houses in the background look similar to those in Rhuddlan Avenue and would fit in with the location of the aerodrome described in 1925.
Title: Re: Llandudno Aerodrome
Post by: Blongb on November 21, 2010, 04:04:10 pm
It's currently the preferred landing spot for any Helicopters that need a safe operating location when conducting their business in the town
Title: Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Post by: DaveR on January 05, 2011, 09:55:05 pm
A reminder that Great British Railway Journeys has started again on BBC2 at 6.30pm weekdays. Of local interest will be the programme on Weds 12th Jan, when Michael Portillo visits Llandudno.

Full listing:
Monday 10 January - Ledbury to Shrewsbury,
Tuesday 11 - Telford to Wrexham,
Wednesday 12 - Chester to Conwy,
Thursday 13 - Llanrwst - Porthmadog,
Friday 14 - Llanberis - Holyhead.
Title: Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Post by: Yorkie on January 05, 2011, 11:20:15 pm
Watched the first two programs - great - and Michael Portillo is great to listen to.    :D
Title: Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Post by: suepp on March 11, 2011, 10:57:18 am
Just heard a very straing aircraft noise over Ruthin, it sounded really fast and low, I didn't see a thing just heard it, how do I find out what it was, I tried Planefinder but with no luck
Title: Liverpool airport to Llandudno
Post by: TheMedz on September 25, 2011, 11:42:24 pm
Can somebody please let me know the cheapest/quickest/easiest way to get back home from Liverpool Airport on Wednesday morning. My planned means of getting back may have fallen through so I need to consider a plan B.
Title: Re: Liverpool airport to Llandudno
Post by: Bri Roberts on September 26, 2011, 04:26:32 am
I think the quickest and the easiest is to pre-book a Llandudno private hire taxi to come over and bring you back to Llandudno.

The cheapest method may be to get a taxi for the eight mile journey to Frodsham Railway Station and then catch one of the hourly trains direct to Llandudno.

There could be an even cheaper method by catching a shuttle bus or train to Liverpool and then boarding a train to Llandudno via Rockferry and Chester but I can imagine that being hassle if you have a lot of luggage with you.

I shall be interested to read other suggestions.
Title: Re: Liverpool airport to Llandudno
Post by: Ian on September 26, 2011, 09:43:55 am
Liverpool Airport provides free buses to the train stations in town, from where you can catch one to Chester, thence to Llandudno (on the hour).
Title: Re: Liverpool airport to Llandudno
Post by: stephenprudence on September 26, 2011, 11:22:28 am
For the cheapest get the bus from the airport to Liverpool south parkway station, then catch the train to Liverpool Central, then change at Liverpool central to the Wirral Line, and get the Chester train, then catch the Llandudno train at Chester, although it could take a while.

If you go with this it's worth asking how much the tickets are from Liverpool South Parkway to Llandudno. The train tickets from Wirral are usually around £14-17 (depending on the day), with a little research it might be cheaper getting an all zones saveaway ticket from Liverpool South Parkway then paying for the ticket to Llandudno at Chester. But thats the cheapest, not the quickest.
Title: Re: Liverpool airport to Llandudno
Post by: Bri Roberts on September 29, 2011, 07:33:28 am
TheMedz, after all these wonderful suggestions which method did you finally use to get back home yesterday morning?
Title: Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Post by: SteveH on June 19, 2017, 11:06:39 am
This is an impressive video by Airbus..........

In a groundbreaking first, Airbus flies its      A350 XWB,   A400M,     Eurofighter Typhoon    and H160 together in a one-of-a-kind performance.

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/business/business-news/airbus-a350-flies-next-eurofighter-13197274 (http://www.dailypost.co.uk/business/business-news/airbus-a350-flies-next-eurofighter-13197274)
Title: Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Post by: Ian on June 19, 2017, 11:28:24 am
Helicopters are becoming very impressive. I was surprised to discover they can now reach 22000 feet, as shown on a recent Discovery series of Everest rescues by helicopter. And that Typhoon must have been close to its stall speed.
Title: Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Post by: Hugo on February 19, 2021, 11:21:58 am
American F15 flying over Prestatyn on Thursday