| City Airport Manchester/Barton Aerodrome |
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|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: none – ICAO: EGCB | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Owner | Peel Group | ||
| Operator | City Airport Ltd | ||
| Serves | Manchester/Salford | ||
| Location | Barton-upon-Irwell, Eccles | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 73 ft / 22 m | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Website | |||
| Map | |||
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EGCB
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| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| m | ft | ||
| 09R/27L | 621 | 2,037 | Grass |
| 09L/27R | 518 | 1,699 | Grass |
| 02/20 | 532 | 1,745 | Grass |
| 14/32 | 396 | 1,299 | Grass |
| Sources: UK AIP at NATS[1] | |||
City Airport (ICAO: EGCB) is a general aviation airport in the Barton-upon-Irwell area of Eccles, in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. Formerly known as both Barton Aerodrome and City Airport Manchester. It is known by the UK Civil Aviation Authority as Manchester/Barton.
It is situated 5 NM (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) west of Manchester and was the United Kingdom's first purpose-built municipal airport. Featuring four grass runways, it is one of the busiest general aviation airports in the UK. The airfield operates seven days a week, from 9 am until sunset for fixed-wing aircraft. Commercial, military, police and air ambulance helicopters can operate during the hours of darkness by arrangement, as the airfield can be equipped with portable runway lighting.
The airport is also used as a refuelling stop for light aircraft and helicopters. However, it lies on the edge of Chat Moss and the aircraft movements area suffers from prolonged periods of waterlogging, restricting fixed wing operations at those times.
Manchester Barton Aerodrome has a CAA Ordinary Licence (Number P886) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (City Airport Limited). The aerodrome is not licensed for night use.[2]
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City Airport has changed little since its opening, and is considered a good example of the airfields of the 1930s. There are several historical items of note at Barton; a small museum in the visitor centre displays documents from the history of the original Manchester Airport. The Bomber Command Association also has a display at the Barton Visitor Centre. The control tower is protected by its grade II listed building status, along with the original terminal building and hangar.[11]
The airfield is regularly used as a setting for films and TV programmes, amongst them "Brass" (where Barton masqueraded as Croydon Airport), Mersey Beat, GBH and Island at War. The distinctive control tower often features prominently in the making of such programmes and films. [12]
Use of Barton Airport by heavier aircraft is hampered by the soft peaty nature of the area, being located at the edge of Chat Moss, and would have needed much heavy work consolidating the ground (compare the struggle building the Liverpool and Manchester Railway across Chat Moss in 1826); also by the low-lying land and areas of nearby standing water encouraging fog. During 2010-11, additional drainage was added to improve surface water draining, due to the original clay pipes deteriorating and no longer functioning.
Both the Greater Manchester Police Air Support Unit and the North West Air Ambulance base a helicopter at the airfield. The Police Air Support Unit is active 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
North West Air Ambulance is a registered charity providing a regional medical air emergency service covering Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside and Cumbria. The NWAA has one EC135 helicopter based primarily to serve Greater Manchester, South Lancashire, Cheshire and Merseyside.
City Airport can operate as an unlicenced airfield during the hours of darkness by arrangement for commercial, military, police and air ambulance helicopters, as the airport can be equipped with portable runway lighting. This facility is used particularly during football matches at nearby Old Trafford, (Manchester United) and City of Manchester Stadium (Manchester City).
City Airport operates a Category 1 Rescue and Fire Fighting service with a Landrover Defender 130 fire tender (purchased 2011, supplied by Sidhean Teo) equipped to CAA Category 2 standard, and a Toyota Hilux Double Cab as a fire tender equipped with 80 imp gal (360 L; 96 US gal) of foam/water mix.
In recent years, City Airport has re-commenced an annual 'Aviation Family Fun Day and Aircraft Fly-In' Event. In 2011, this event attracted aver 4000 visitors and raised £3,500 for the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital Charity.