By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
The sale of Gloucestershire Airport will be “great” for aviation in the county and will bring in “much-needed investment”.
This is the view of Youtuber Andy Clarke, 59, who conquered his fear of flying and got his pilot’s licence at Staverton in 2020.
He runs the Phobic Flyer Youtube channel and currently streams most weekends from Gloucestershire Airport at the Aviator Pub and shows the general comings and coming of all the trainee pilots, visitors and business aircraft that use the airport.
Mr Clarke said Councillor Andrew Bell’s (Community Independents, Grange) comments during Gloucester City Council’s meeting last week were “misinformed and disappointingly reductive”.
Cllr Bell referred to the airport as a “private flying club” and that he had not seen a “decent plane such as a B-52 land there” as councillors agreed to go-ahead with the sale of the site which is jointly owned by Cheltenham Borough Council and the City Council.
“To begin with, the B-52 is an American bomber and would only ever operate from a U.S. airbase such as RAF Fairford — not Gloucestershire Airport,” Mr Clarke said.
“Historically, Gloucestershire Airport and its surrounding area have played a significant role in aviation innovation since the war.
“We’ve seen a low pass by Concorde in the 1980s, and just last week, a Spitfire performed a similar tribute to mark Armed Forces Day.
“The airport has also hosted an American F-15 low pass, Lancaster Bombers, Hurricanes, and the much-loved Spitfire MK356, tragically lost along with its pilot, RAF Squadron Leader Mark Long, was a regular visitor to Glos Airport.”
He said beyond its history, the airport is home to a thriving cluster of aviation businesses and continues to lead the way in general and business aviation across the South West.
“One might ask Councillor Bell if he flies abroad, there’s every chance the pilot at the controls once trained at Gloucestershire Airport. Gloucestershire Airport is a leader in aviation training.
“While I agree that a dual-council ownership model may be less than ideal, the suggestion that associated jobs can simply be relocated is, frankly, naïve. In my view, and that of many others, the sale of the airport is long overdue.
“Transferring ownership to someone with a strong aviation background will bring much-needed investment into the infrastructure, ultimately benefiting both local businesses and the wider community.”
The 350-acre Staverton airport is jointly owned by Cheltenham Borough and Gloucester City Council. The site is run by Gloucestershire Airport Limited which was established in 1993 and of which both councils have a 50 per cent shareholding.
But the two authorities revealed in November 2023 their intention to dispose of the site which has struggled commercially. Council leaders in both the spa town and city have agreed to go ahead with the sale to the preferred bidder.
The airport will be sold for more than the £25m guide price the site was marketed at. The identity of the buyer is expected to be released in the coming days.