Hello students, hello everyone! And welcome to my channel, the Audio Visual Zine. I am presenting a newer version of my video from 2019 with some extra airport scenes from 2020. It’s now in my AVZ channel format with text on screen and bilingual subtitles.
For my students, there’s a PDF file of the script with vocab and follow-up assignments. There are English and German versions, this is the English version. And do you know what this strange-looking thing is called in English?
Watch and find out! In the video we see chilling scenes of the airport in lockdown and we look back at airlines and aircraft that have sadly gone from our skies. So let’s go now to our starting point
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We’re going to cycle around Manchester Airport and our mode of transport will be an electric bike.
Our starting point is one mile or 1.6 kilometres east of the airport.
On the way we will stop at places where you can view, photograph or video the aircraft.
Now we are standing directly under the approach to runway 23R/05L (twenty-three right zero five left).
These houses were demolished due to safety regulations. This is what it looks like today.
The name Shadowmoss Road reminds me of the Shadowmoss plane crash of 1957, Manchester’s forgotten air disaster.
Today there are about 500 aircraft movements every day at Manchester Airport. Safety standards are very high.
Aircraft land from the north-east and take off towards the south-west. When the wind blows from the east, they take off towards the north-east.
The Airport Hotel is a pub, and there’s a garden where you can watch the planes taking off.
Here is my photo of an Aer Lingus A320, which I took in 2007.
With the iPhone we can photograph and video the planes through the fence.
This is what the scene looked like almost a year later, on Sunday the 2nd of May, 2020. No passengers. Planes parked. A silent airport.
Now back to May 2019.
At Terminal 3 Please note, there’s a charge for using the Drop Off Area.
And now again twelve months later. Terminal 3 was closed. There was an eerie silence.
Back to 2019
This block dates from 1962, when a new terminal was built.
The Air traffic controllers moved to a new tower in 2013.
I visited the airport as a child. The beautiful viewing terraces were closed in the 70s.
After university, I worked at Manchester Airport at the information desk. It was an exciting job.
Over the years the terminal has been extended.
The architecture of the Radisson Blu Hotel fits well into an airport
The Business Class Lounge has a great view over the apron. Behind the hedge is a Boeing 787 Dreamliner of Ethiopian Airlines.
This is The Station, which is used by trains, trams and buses. In the Skyline there are moving walkways that are not always working.
Parking is quite expensive at Manchester Airport. The best way to get there is by public transport or use the free drop off area.
Terminal 2 is being extended. Completion is planned for 2020. When I worked here, there were only empty fields.
Right next to the airport there is an old half-timbered house.
On the way to the cargo centre I saw this handmade road sign.
SLOW SLIPPY BEND
Slippery is “slippy” in the Manchester dialect.
We are at the World Freight Terminal. This is the new control tower.
The Romper Pub is very popular among the airport staff.
The airport was named after the neighbouring village of Ringway. It is strange that the ancient name ‘Ringway’ sounds like the modern word ‘runway’.
At Runway Viewing Park you can watch the planes. Admission is free for cyclists and pedestrians.
The biggest attraction here is Concorde. You can book a Concorde tour on the website.
Here is my photo of Concorde on the 22nd of October 2003 after her final flight.
On Sundays families come here.
Over the PA there’s is even a running commentary.
We now continue along the A538 and pass a brand new petrol station.
My first car was a Triumph Spitfire. I once ran out of petrol at exactly this point!
We are between the two tunnels. The new tunnel runs under the second runway – ‘23L/05R’ two three left zero five right.
At this roundabout, we turn left.
20 years ago, environmental activists protested in the trees and under the ground against the construction of the second runway.
At that time, this road, Altrincham Rd closed.
We can continue through the National Trust’s Styal property.
The airport is just behind the trees.
We are cycling along the gravel path by the southern perimeter of the airport.
Here we can stop and watch the planes from a small hill.
Here are some archive photos. The BMI A330. BMI ceased operations in 2019. Here an American Airlines Boeing 767 in the old livery…
…and this is the new livery. Thomas Cook Airlines went into administration in September 2019. And taxiing majestically to the runway, the ‘Queen of the Skies’
Virgin Atlantic retired the last Boeing 747s from its fleet in May 2020.
The Emirates Airbus A380 is a major attraction.
This area is not officially approved as a viewing area by the National Trust.
Here Altrincham Road continues east. On both sides are houses and farms.
And here at sunset we find a field with horses. The airport lies directly behind it.
The battery still has some power, so let’s continue. Here on the left we see the mock-up aircraft of the airport fire services.
At the end of this road, we turn left into Styal Road and soon we are back at our starting point.
We have covered a distance of 7.5 miles or 12 km.
This video was recorded and edited on the iPhone. I also used a Panasonic TZ70.
Finally a sunset over the A555, which I captured a few weeks ago.
Unfortunately, my electric bike became unserviceable – kaputt in plain language – and I had to retire it. But now I have a new bike, it’s a Brompton B75! It’s fantastic.
So, what effect will the Corona crisis have on the airline industry? That’s difficult to say. Many thanks for watching the video and/or reading this article.
Norman Wall says
Very good and interesting video.
Many thanks for your comment. It’s one of my favourite bike rides!