Which Belgian Aviation person (living) would you most want to meet...

[galaxy]

“Some say he's wanted by the CIA and that he sleeps upside down like a bat. All we know is he’s called luchtzak "

I love to meet bats, they are fantastic acrobatic aviators

[Sam Rutherford]

You have to be nice to him if you meet him!

[lumumba]

I want to meet Susy the pilot and Miss Belgium 2018

Me too it's my dream

[Passenger]

I would like to meet two persons - with one remark and one question for each of them:

to the director general of our Civil Aviation Authority: "I have witnessed from very closeby how you have killed VG Airlines with your stupid questions, on and on and on. Why on earth are you doing the same thing now with Air Belgium?"

to the minister of Transport: "mister Bellot, some people in the north say that you don't want a solution for the Brussels Airport noise issue, because more problems for BRU means more possibilities for LGG and CRL. Is there another reason why you leave that file rotten on your desk? And don't tell me that your study was a serious effort".

[Sam Rutherford]

I'm planning on inviting both these people, but if you choose to come to our event (Knokke in June) you'd have to promise to be nice!

Same questions, but put nicely (and giving them time to reply!).

[sn26567]

to the minister of Transport: "mister Bellot, some people in the north say that you don't want a solution for the Brussels Airport noise issue, because more problems for BRU means more possibilities for LGG and CRL. Is there another reason why you leave that file rotten on your desk? And don't tell me that your study was a serious effort".

Mr Bellot has been working on the issue. It is generally agreed that the solution should come from an independent international audit. Mr Bellot has issued a call for tender. Only one consortium replied and submitted an offer, which was deemed invalid because two members of that consortium had either worked for Brussels Airport or worked on noise issues around Brussels Airport. A new call for tender needs to be issued and it is doubtful that the results could be made available before the end of this legislature.

I do not need to meet with Mr Bellot anymore. I spoke to him last month, and I have the feeling that he is an honest and serious politician. First of all, he is an engineer by education, and he has his feet firmly on the ground: he will handle the issues in a pragmatic way like he has already shown for the RER issue. And he comes from the Province of Luxembourg, a second reason to be down to earth in everything he starts.

[Passenger]

Mr Bellot has issued a call for tender. Only one consortium replied and submitted an offer, which was deemed invalid because two members of that consortium had either worked for Brussels Airport or worked on noise issues around Brussels Airport. A new call for tender needs to be issued and it is doubtful that the results could be made available before the end of this legislature.

Bellot should have specified those requirements in the tender conditions: "excluded are ..." By not doing so, he knew that he would land where he started: nowhere. How long is it since his appointment? Almost 2 years (since 18/04/2016).

[Sam Rutherford]

It is also perfectly conceivable that:

1. It was missed, it happens.
2. They wanted to keep the exclusions to a minimum to have the greatest number of offers.

I'll try to get him to come to our Pilots' Club, and hope you come too - I have found that meeting in person can be really useful, positive and fun!

[Sam Rutherford]

It's for this: http://www.vintageairrally.com/rallies/ ... ompetition

[Sam Rutherford]

More here: https://www.hln.be/regio/knokke-heist/w ... n~a7ec3804

[jan_olieslagers]

That newspaper (?) article makes quite a puddle of history AND of air transportation terminology ... Never trust the media, the tabloids least of all! Mind you I am not criticising the event, at the contrary; but journalism ought to be to the point.

* the beach will not be (as reported) an international airport - or will there really be ad-hoc services of customs and immigration? It seems unlikely. Not to mention luggage conveyor belts...

*certainly it is not a first: there are regular beach flying operations in UK, including the famous hotel in Scotland, and also the famous shortest ever scheduled commercial air transport service (even if that is not international, either); and there must surely be more in Portugal, Croatia, Greece... though I have no examples at hand right now. And even Belgium saw ultralights operating on the Koksijde sands not too many years ago.

Wishing you every success, Sam, but be careful when choosing your friends.

[Sam Rutherford]

It is very fair to be critical of much we see in the press if we actually have a deep knowledge/interest in the subject.

Though, as it happens, we already have agreement that it will be an international airport. Fortunately there will not be, as you say, conveyor belts or check-desks.

We are, though, going to have a VERY COOL tower (half tower, half beach hut!). We're already expecting some direct flights from the UK, as we have partnered with Aero Expo UK, happening over the same weekend...

The 'first' is that it is a STOL competition on a beach - this has never been done before. STOL competitions of course, and beach airports such as Barra which gets a regular BA flight - but never the two together.

Noted for the friends!

[Sam Rutherford]

I can now confirm the attendance of Miss Belgium 2018...

[sn26567]

I can now confirm the attendance of Miss Belgium 2018...

She should attract a lot of spotters