G7 Summit - Cornwall - June 2021

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

Can the runway at Newquay Airport cope with Air Force One?

I think it more likely that President Biden will arrive in Cornwall on Marine One.

[patch38]

Helicopters for the US contingent, including Marine 1 if required, are likely to be delivered via Fairford, where the food is more American. The Ospreys don't need carrying, although I'm not sure I would like to do trans-Atlantic in one.

When President Obama attended the NATO summit at the Celtic Manor in Newport, Air Force One flew into Fairford and a whole array of smaller aircraft (including the Ospreys and Marine One) flew out about an hour later, presumably heading for Cardiff.

[LiskeardRich]

To avoid Covid issues, I'd expect they'll all fly into Newquay Airport or RNAS Culdrose and fly out from them both at the end. I'd expect Biden's entourage to use Newquay and he'll probably helicopter down the coast to land very close to the Tregenna Castle if not in the grounds. I'd expect the recreational trip to be to St Michaels Mount or Lands End which will be easy to secure. I'd expect the Branchline to be out of Public Service for the event and a day or so beforehand. You can't really keep that open with it's proximity to the Carbis Bay Resort location. St Ives and Carbis Bay will almost certainly be residents and delegates only for

To avoid confusion, the location shown in the google maps isn?t Tregenna castle estate where the event is being held!

[grahame]

To avoid confusion, the location shown in the google maps isn't Tregenna castle estate where the event is being held!

To clarify - a "Scribble Map" showing St Ives, Carbis Bay and the Tregenna Castle

[TonyK]

Can the runway at Newquay Airport cope with Air Force One?

Definitely. It's about 500 metres short of a take-off at maximum weight for a 747, but the President's aircraft has bigger engines, and probably weighs a lot less than a jumbo full of people going on holiday.

I think it more likely that President Biden will arrive in Cornwall on Marine One.

And so do I, the question being where he makes landfall from the United States (US). An American air force base would sound likely, with Fairford the obvious one, Airforce 1 has used Stansted as the point of entry on many occasions. This isn't a state visit, so the Royal Suite at Heathrow won't be needed. Stansted is relatively quiet, and is configured conveniently for anti-terrorist operations, having been the airport of choice for hijacked aircraft for many years, even though that sort of thing doesn't happen much these days. Fairford is closer, and has the distinct advantage of being a long way from London, saving air traffic control a major juggling act. Newquay might get the gig, but I reckon the preparations that would be needed to satisfy the secret service will rule that out for the President Of The United States(POTUS^▸ (President Of The United States)) . Fairford is my bet, with Stansted as the each-way.

Brize Norton often gets used for receiving foreign heads of state - someone within my inner circle had to keep a close watch during another G7 bash a few years ago, with Messrs Obama and Macron top of the list of VIPs not to be mislaid. Her biggest job was in keeping the accompanying journos out of the restaurant and on time for their various flights. It's possible that some of the HoS will land there for onward conveyance by helicopter. Newquay is still likely to be busier than it has ever been. It's amazing how many people are needed for an intimate chat in politics, and they don't all qualify for special treatment.


Edit: VickiS - clarifying abbreviations

[Clan Line]

The longest runway in the South West is at Boscombe Down: 10,500ft.  I believe that when President Obama visited Stonehenge, after the NATO summit in Newport, he flew to Boscombe Down in Marine One, then departed from there in Air Force One.

[RailCornwall]

The event most definately IS at Carbis Bay. Tregenna Castle is being used as hotel facilities primarily.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jan/16/carbis-bay-in-cornwall-to-host-g7-summit-in-june

https://www.carbisbayhotel.co.uk/

[Thatcham Crossing]

Press release from Cornwall CC says:

"Cormac Highways and Environment and Cornwall Airport Newquay continue to work closely with the organising authorities to ensure that the event runs smoothly in June"

That says to me that Newquay( NQY^▸ (Newquay (Station))) will be the main Airport of entry, as I had previously speculated. Plenty of runway and parking etc. The other airfields suggested (Brize, Fairford, Boscombe) are all too far away from the far west of Cornwall, I think.

I've also noted that in addition to the G7, Australia, South Korea and India will attend as guests.


Edit:VickiS - clarifying acronym

[LiskeardRich]

The event most definately IS at Carbis Bay. Tregenna Castle is being used as hotel facilities primarily.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jan/16/carbis-bay-in-cornwall-to-host-g7-summit-in-june

https://www.carbisbayhotel.co.uk/

Your google maps image did not feature Tregenna castle resort though. You?d cut it off the west side. Your map focused on carbis bay hotel resort which is not the correct location. Carbis bay hotel ( the 2 blue P, on grahames Scribble map) isn?t the correct resort.
Tregenna castle is on the Carbis bay/ St Ives boundary next to the Tesco store as marked on Grahames map as such.
Tregenna is the former GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) railway hotel linking it to the railway

Edit... media initially incorrectly named Carbis bay hotel resort as the location. The actual location is Tregenna castle resort in Carbis bay

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/tregenna-castle-resort-inside-g7-4893637

https://www.tregenna-castle.co.uk/

[RailCornwall]

I'm sticking with my local info that the Tregenna Castle is the Accomodation only but the Conference itself is at Carbis Bay.

[LiskeardRich]

I'm sticking with my local info that the Tregenna Castle is the Accomodation only but the Conference itself is at Carbis Bay.

All references to Carbis bay resort has been removed from media reports and replaced with Tregenna.

Carbis bay is a bit run down and not somewhere we could proudly invite these world leaders too!

[TaplowGreen]

I'm sticking with my local info that the Tregenna Castle is the Accomodation only but the Conference itself is at Carbis Bay.

All references to Carbis bay resort has been removed from media reports and replaced with Tregenna.

Carbis bay is a bit run down and not somewhere we could proudly invite these world leaders too!

Send them to Camborne, they'd love it!

[RailCornwall]

We'll see The Carbis Bay Resort is infinitely better than the Tregenna Castle. See the link I gave earlier.

[LiskeardRich]

We'll see The Carbis Bay Resort is infinitely better than the Tregenna Castle. See the link I gave earlier.

I went to a wedding at the Carbis bay resort in 2019, and thought it was very run down and rough for the price tag.

I haven?t been to Tregenna to compare

[TonyK]

Press release from Cornwall CC says:

"Cormac Highways and Environment and Cornwall Airport Newquay continue to work closely with the organising authorities to ensure that the event runs smoothly in June"

That says to me that NQY^▸ (Newquay (Station)) will be the main Airport of entry, as I had previously speculated. Plenty of runway and parking etc. The other airfields suggested (Brize, Fairford, Boscombe) are all too far away from the far west of Cornwall, I think.

I've also noted that in addition to the G7, Australia, South Korea and India will attend as guests.

Interesting! I still don't expect the long-haul visitors to arrive there directly, though, and if they change to helicopter, they can land at the venue. If there are to be a number of big cheeses flying into Newquay, though, it is going to have to turn military for the duration. Imagine Airforce 1, Germany's A340 (possibly A350 by then), M. Macron in his A330, M. Trudeau in Can Force One, a lowly A310, the Italian A319, and the Japanese Boeing 777, all parked up next to Boris's Voyager and Jacob Rees-Mogg's Bristol Boxkite. That would be a major aviation security headache on the scale of the 2012 Olympics. Things that size are difficult to hide, and detailed drawings of the airport's layout are easily found.

Newquay is as well equipped as Heathrow so far as landing is concerned, with Cat III instrument landing system for those foggy days, and the pilots of any VIP flight tend to be the best the country has to offer. I still reckon things will be a little more spread out, but Newquay airport will be overjoyed with what it gets.

Carbis bay is a bit run down and not somewhere we could proudly invite these world leaders too!

Wherever they are due to stay will smell strongly of new paint and fresh linen by June. Every half-decent tradesperson in the area will be busy poncing the place up.

Send them to Camborne, they'd love it!

My former lodgings in Dolcoath Road are handy for the station.