Wednesday 31 July 2013 - Air Transat Airbus A330-243 C-GTSN arrives from Toronto as flight upgraded

Air Transat Airbus A330-243 C-GTSN was a morning arrival from Toronto as this
weekly service was upgraded from an Airbus A310 for the peak summer season

Aer Arann/Aer Lingus Regional ATR 42-300 EI-EHH operated their flight to Shannon

Challenger 300 HB-JFM was a day stopping visitor departing to Stuttgart

Tuesday 30 July 2013 - Gulfstream 650 N673HA spent morning on Elmdon apron - first visit of type to BHX!!

Gulfstream 650 N673HA which had arrived from Portland-Hillsboro, Oregon, USA on Monday evening spent the
morning parked on the Elmdon apron - the first visit of this new type of Gulfstream to BHX.... Photo: Mike Hollick

.... it later departed to Paris Le Bourget

.... quickly rotating off Runway 15

Other visitors to the Elmdon apron included Citation CJ3 F-HBPP....

Citation CJ4 F-HGLO and....

Danish Air Transport/DAT Lite Super King Air LY-LTE Photos: Mike Hollick

Turkish Airlines Boeing 737-8F2 TC-JHU which is in a special "BVB 09 - Borussia Dortmund"
colour scheme operated their afternoon flight to Istanbul

Brussels Airlines Avro RJ 100 OO-DWB operated their afternoon service to Brussels

PIA Boeing 777-240ER AP-BGK operated their flight from Islamabad

Emirates Boeing 777-31HER A6-EGY operated their evening flight from Dubai - its first visit to BHX

Monday 29 July 2013 - RAF VC10 C1K XR808 makes final flypast at BHX on its way to Bruntingthorpe

RAF VC10 C1K XR808 made an approach and go around to Runway 15 during the morning....

.... the aircraft was on its final flight en-route from RAF Brize Norton to Bruntingthorpe

.... where it will be preserved - its had originally been planned that this aircraft would go

to the RAF Museum at Cosford - the aircraft wears a "101 Squadron" tail insignia

Aer Arann/Aer Lingus Regional ATR 72-600 EI-FAT operated their early morning service

to Dublin after arriving the previous evening on its first visit to BHX

Traffic delays possible as new section of A45 adjacent to Birmingham Airport nears completion

Solihull residents and visitors are being reminded that they may face possible travel disruption
as work to create a new and improved section of the A45 Coventry Road nears completion

A new section of dual carriageway has been built between the Damson Parkway junction and
the Clock roundabout on the A45 adjacent to Birmingham Airport and Junction 6 of the M42

At 8pm on Friday 2 August 2013, work will start to join this new section of road with the
existing carriageway. The work will take nine days and whilst it is taking place there will
only be one lane open to traffic in each direction at ALL TIMES times including peak periods

    

Residents and visitors may wish to allow extra time for their journeys or find alternative
routes during this time. Advance warning of the possible delays will be advertised on signs
on local roads and the M42. Solihull Council, Birmingham Airport, the NEC and Jaguar
Land Rover as well as other local businesses and organisations will also be informing staff
and customers so that they can plan their journeys and help reduce congestion

Cabinet Member for Transport and Highways, Councillor Ted Richards said: "Once completed,
the new A45 will include a dedicated public transport lane and will create jobs and bring
economic benefits to the area through improved accessibility for companies such as the NEC,
the Station and the Airport. We have worked hard to ensure that this phase of construction
creates as little disruption as possible by carrying it out during the summer holidays and
Jaguar Land Rover shut down, and would ask people to help reduce congestion by planning
their journeys and allowing for extra travel time"

 

Once the work is complete the existing A45 dual carriageway next to the airport will close.
Some further off peak lane closures will then be required to finish the project

Birmingham City Council has been commissioned to deliver the scheme on behalf of Solihull
Council. Birmingham City Council is also part funding the scheme along with Centro, the
Department for Business Innovation and Skills and Birmingham Airport

  

Wednesday 31 July 2013

Will Blunt

Some of you may remember Will Blunt who worked in various roles at Birmingham
Airport during the time passenger operations were handled on the Elmdon side of
the airport before he moved to Dallas, Texas, with BCAL - British Caledonian

Sadly I have to report that I have heard from his family that Will passed  away
on Sunday 14 July 2013 (in Texas) after suffering a very bad stroke from which
he did not recover - he was 68 years old

Will joined MAS - Midland Airport Services - the handling agent owned by BMA
- British Midland Airways - in the 1960's and then worked for various companies
at Birmingham Airport before joining the cargo operation of BOAC

  As an aviation enthusiast Will was a photographer and has a huge collection of
outstanding images from the classic "Elmdon era" at Birmingham Airport and
has contributed these to many publications over the years including the
Airport Company's "70th anniversary" book that was published in 2009

Will's photos have also featured on the "Birmingham Airport Photo Blog" and
some are included here while others can be seen in this photo feature marking
the 60th anniversary of Aer Lingus operations to BHX - see here

    

I am sure that you will all join me in sending our condolences to his children

Chris and Caroline and the rest of Will's family at the sad time 

Gordon Stretch

Birmingham Airport Photo Blog

Tuesday 30 July 2013

Sunday 28 July 2013 - Aer Arran/Aer Lingus Regional ATR 72-600 EI-FAU makes its first visit to BHX

Aer Arann/Aer Lingus Regional ATR 72-600 EI-FAU operated their morning flight
from Dublin - its first visit to BHX after being delivered the previous Friday

First Choice Boeing 767-324ER G-OOBM operated the Thomson flight from Cancun

Lufthansa "Sharklet" equipped Airbus A320-214 D-AIZU operated their afternoon service to Frankfurt

Cimber A/S Canadair CRJ100LR OY-RJI operated the evening SAS service to Copenhagen

PIA Boeing 777-240ER AP-BGJ operated their flight to Islamabad

luxaviation Citation Excel LX-SEH made a brief....

.... afternoon visit to the Elmdon apron while....

Citation CJ2+ D-IPCC a morning visitor to collect another artist who at been
at the "Global Gathering" at Long Marston airfield Photo: Mike Hollick

Birmingham Airport Community and Enviroment team at the "Sheldon Countryside Festival"

The Community and Environment team from Birmingham Airport was out and
about on Sunday at the "Sheldon Countryside Festival" which is held annually in
Sheldon Country Park which runs along the North West boundary of the airport site

  

Local residents could enter a free competition to guess the height of the new
Air Traffic Control Tower and they could also ask the team questions about the
runway extension and other developments at the airport....

  

Photo: Robert Jones

 .... with everyone visiting the Birmingham Airport stand receiving a warm welcome! 

For more information on Birmingham Airport activities
in the local community please here

 

Sunday 28 July 2013

Saturday 27 July 2013 - Hawker 1000 HB-VOO flying the "Afrojet" summer tour to the "Global Gathering"

Hawker 1000 HB-VOO was an afternoon arrival wearing "Afrojet" titles.... Photo: Mike Hollick

.... the aircraft is being used by Dutch DJ "Afrojack" for his summer tour

.... and was bringing him in for the annual dance music festival "Global Gathering" which is held each
year at Long Marston airfield near Stratford on Avon - other aircraft visiting for the event included....

..... Pilatus PC-12 I-CNDB

.... and North Flying Citation II OY-CYV Photo: Mike Hollick

Other visitors to the Elmdon apron included Netjets Citation XLS CS-DXR....

Citation XLS+ G-DEIA....

.... while night stopping Citation XLS G-OMEA

.... and Camco Air Citation XLS G-EGPI both departed

Lufthansa "Sharklet" equipped Airbus A320-214 D-AIZV operated their
morning service from Frankfurt - its first visit to BHX

Cyprus Airways Airbus A320-232 5B-DCJ operated the Olympic Holidays IT flight from Larnaca

RAF Hercules C5 ZH881 was a morning visitor to the Elmdon apron operating a medevac flight

Friday 26 July 2013 - Camco Air Citation XLS G-EGPI is an afternoon arrival on the Elmdon apron

Camco Air Citation XLS G-EGPI was an afternoon arrival parking up to night stop....

.... other visitors to the Elmdon apron included Falcon 50EX F-HAPM

.... AeroMedevac Ireland Citation II EI-MED which departed after attention by Eurojet

.... and Homeserve Ecureuil 2 G-ORDH Photos: Mike Hollick

KLM Boeing 737-8K2 PH-BXA which is in their "retro" colour scheme operated
their afternoon service to Amsterdam Photo: Mike Hollick

Danish Air Transport ATR 72-202 OY-RUB operated the early evening
Aer Arann/Aer Lingus Regional service from Dublin

Bin Air Merlin IVC D-CBIN and....

Arcus Air Dornier 228-212 D-CAAR were both afternoon departures