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Why does London have so many airports?

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The history of every airport in London, including some that have disappeared, and some that don't really count. (www.youtube.com) More...

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DuncanEdgar013
Jay Foreman's film was a real tonic. I now have to watch the rest of the series.
SmokedChops
SmokedChops 2
brilliant, Mr. Foreman, absolutely brilliant!
jkudlick
I love the description of London City. Thanks for sharing this.
djames225
djames225 2
LOL...I loved its description also..."only used by wankers"...ROFL
bd1111
bryan dumas 1
Just have to sit back and smile at British humor....
mileswohl
miles wohl 1
really enjoyed this video, theres also a second part fyi
mekev300
Love this guy! Don't forget the second part as well!
plow675984
Peter Low 1
Probably because we use miles in the UK.
canuck44
canuck44 2
What happened to "leagues"?
PLANESOLUTIONS
Learned something new today! Always assumed that the UK was with the rest of the world in utilizing the metric system and that the USA was the only "odd" one.
pbuckroyd
Interesting video but like so many people,Jay forgot to mention the pioneering role of American Samuel Franklin Cody who became the UK's first aviator when he flew his aircraft for 27 seconds over a distance of 1390 feet at Farnborough in October 1908. His feat led to the setting up of Farnborough Aerodrome, home of the famous bi-annual Air Show and now one of the UK's busiest biz-jet airfields operated by TAG Aviation and the oldest UK airport still in continual use.
Have a look at www.airsciences.org.uk for the full story plus much more.
GraemeSmith
GraemeSmith 1
Actually the UK is fully metric - EXCEPT - for miles driven on the road.
jmrazek1
jmrazek1 1
Great video! Very informative. Paris is also a similar case although it doesn't have as many major airports. But it does has CDG, Orly, Bourget, Toussus and numerous smaller airports.
jkudlick
New York City is probably as bad as London, if not worse. With KLGA, KJFK, KHPN, KEWR, KISP, and KTEB [like London City, only used by wankers ;) ] either within the city or in close proximity, the New York City airspace is like the highways in Los Angeles or Washington, DC, and KSWF may also be close enough to count as a New York City area airport.
THRUSTT
THRUSTT 1
Also CDW and MMU
57eph
Stephen Prior 1
Old school English people only recognise Heathrow as the true London airport
. The others were tagged London by the marketing men trying to con people into thinking they were in London. As for the metric it has been introduced by stealth.
lpgafan59
In Belgium, there is major airport, Brussels Zavenstem and other few minor airports in Antwerp, Oostende and Brussels. I believe that minor airport attract low-price airlines; however, Brussels Zavenstem do have low-price airlines, EasyJet and Ryanair.
wietersheim
wietersheim 0
This is the same like in Germany. So much Airports in this land. It would be wise to have maximally 3 Airports. FRA / MUC / HAM. But there are many cities, even small ones, with Mayors which believe they can become honorful when opening an Airport in their city. The result for a lot of these cities is that they run into huge debts. And why? To build up an airport with its infrastructure, this means a lot of money to spend. But then, the prognosticated number of passengers is not there. The other way to run into debts is, when the only airline which is planned to serve this airport removes. So happened a few years ago in Leipzig, when Ryanair removed a few days before this new airport was opened. The airport was completely ready, but without ryanair no airline was there to serve the airport. If the demand at a new airport is missing, to create a demand would mean to get this demand from another airport, which would miss it. Germany should concentrate on three big airports, see above. They are built up yet, the passenger demand is there. Germany doesn't need more airports, and in no way new airports.
wopri
With the end of the Cold War, many air bases closed, and converting them into airports was a way of having the closures accepted by the local population. Look at Baden-Söllingen or Lahr for example. Not the first time that politics did not give a damn about economic reality.
wietersheim
wietersheim 1
Yes, very right. What to do with a former air base which is no need for any more? To make a nature park of it? In some cases, there would be huge costs (removing the old chemicals and oil etc.). Though, some politicians think, let's make a civil airport of it, it's possible to earn money this way. But, if this built-up is bad managed, you loose very much of money. In many cases, the politicians did this way.
TMcDonnell
Just turn the old base into a racetrack, worked for Silverstone, Thruxton and Sebring ;)
wopri
Germans already have the Autobahn, no need for more racetracks.

preacher1
preacher1 1
I agree with this. I remember back in the day being stationed at ABQ. A group of German cadets came in enroute to Los Alamos. They had flown in from McGuire in NJ. One made the comment" You could cross our whole country driving as long as we flew". Lufthansa is good and I guess every country needs a flag carrier, but the really missed the mark getting away from their hi speed rail system. It is kinda still there but has really been overshadowed by the airlines.
PLANESOLUTIONS
Seems odd that the narrator describes the various airport distances from London in terms of "miles" not "kilometers".
30west
30west 1
Miles, not kilometers, are the standard in England for measuring and posting distances on roadway signage.
Blueskytravel
Michael Gates 0
YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING! HEATHROW AND GATWICK! OLD AIRPORTS AND CERTAINLY NOT UP TO DATE!
THEY NEED REGIONAL AIRPORTS. WE USED TO BE ABLE TO USE BRISTOL, BUT CONTINENTAL LEFT AND THAT'S IT FOR USA AIR PLANES TO LAND AT BRISTOL. WHAT ABOUT CARDIFF, MORE AIRPORTS IN THE MIDLANDS.
OH, ENGLAND, YOU HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO!
geoffhall
Geoff Hall 1
I agree, regional airports should be retained and developed to take the pressure off the 'London' airports and remove the need for more runways and the upheaval that would no doubt ensue.
frfkuwhf
Grant wanless 0
The worst airports in the world are in London. when i fly to the UK now i go via AMS to avoid London.
They need to look at Singapore for ideas. Even Dubai A380 terminal can be so busy at times, i now avoid that well. Grumpy flyer!
Navy65
Navy65 -1
Pure Drivel. Jacksonville, Florida has 6 military and public airports plus a half dozen private airports near JAX International.
hollieatl123
Atlanta Hartsfield is the busiest Airport!!!!
RECOR10
RECOR10 2
No, that would be ORD
runway18escanaba
Depending on how you look at it. ORD has more passengers ATL has more planes

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