Choice of Nutt's Corner for aerodrome was right – Minister
ENUMERATING the advantages of Nutt's Corner over other Ulster aerodromes this week in 1946 Lord Harry Nathan, the Minister of Civil Aviation, said in Belfast that there could be no doubt that the choice of Nutt's Corner was the right one. He said: "It can be used all year round by Dakota aircraft, and by the newer types of aircraft which will be coming on to the routes serving Northern Ireland."
Lord Nathan continued: "From Nutt's Corner we shall be able to build up a really effective and useful network of air services to other parts of the United Kingdom, to the Continent, and to Prestwick to connect up with the trans-Atlantic air services."
Lord Nathan, who was been speaking at a luncheon which had been hosted by the Government in the Grand Hotel in Belfast, emphasised that the primary aim of the scheme was build up "a safe, regular, sufficient, comfortable and fast" network of air services, giving access to every part of the world, and he recognised that "much has to be done".
The peer remarked that the services from Northern Ireland had "in the main" had been operated with the same types of aircraft and on much the same routes as those in 1939.
He said: "Because the Province is separated from Great Britain by a wide stretch of water, those services have been able to provide valuable communications, showing a very great saving of time over surface travel. But they have not been able to provide the same standard of service which Northern Ireland is entitled to and which the country certainly must have."
He continued: "Aeroplanes are now coming along which could enable us to make a start in providing such services, but the improvements in the performances and facilities offered by more modern aircraft have brought complications. To operate services to modern standards with new aeroplanes we must have larger aerodromes with hard runways, and they must have far more elaborate navigational aids and communications."
Lord Nathan said that when he had been tasked with looking into the best site for a larger aerodrome to serve Northern Ireland he had to examine many sites. Lord Nathan continued to review the possible sites in the Province, he remarked: "When air services between the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland started they used to go to the aerodrome at Newtownards which had been developed by the enterprise and foresight of Lord Londonderry."
He continued that air services had then been developed at Sydenham by the Belfast Harbour Commissioners. He said: "It is, of course no criticism of Lord Londonderry or of the Harbour Commissioners to say that both these aerodromes are now inadequate for regular use by modern civil transport aircraft, particularly at night and in bad visibility."
Other sites which had been looked at said Lord Nathan included Nutt's Corner, Millisle and Long Kesh. Of Long Kesh the peer remarked: "We would have to extend the runways before they
could be used."
While Millisle, "had only one runway and part of another – it was never finished," commented Lord Nathan.
On the other hand, continued the Minister of Civil Aviation, at Nutt's Corner was "already adequate and could be extended without difficulty" to meet the needs of the foreseeable future.
He added: "More than that, and this was a vital factor, it had better flying approaches than either of the other two sites."
It was therefore decided that the new aerodrome at Nutt's Corner should proceed and made ready for use "with the minimum expenditure of labour and materials".
But Lord Nathan did admit that the Nutt's Corner site did have its disadvantages, he said: "I realise that its disadvantage is that it has not very good road access to Belfast, but weighing this in the balance with the other factors I have mentioned, I think there can be no doubt that the choice of Nutt's Corner was the right one.
"We have worked hard to get Nutt's Corner ready. The existing buildings have been adapted for passenger handling and for the operation of the various radio aids and air traffic control.
"We have put medium frequency direction finding, medium frequency wireless telephony, very high radio frequency and the standard beam approach system, and we are adding high frequency radio telephony and very high frequency direction finding.
"The aerodrome already has full aerodrome lighting to wartime standards, which will serve for the time being, but we propose to improve it. The aerodrome is now ready, and regular air services start to operate from today. I wish it to be a success."
He added: "Let me add this about those other two aerodromes which have served Belfast so well in the past. There is no intention that Newtownards should be acquired by the state, but I am told that it will remain in use. I am glad to see that the very enterprising firm of aircraft manufacturers, the Miles Aircraft Co, have a subsidiary organisation building aircraft there."
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Wednesday 15 February 2012
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