Tom,
Thanks for clarifying that. As I said in my previous post, I could not find your post referred to by Roy, so I was not sure what the issue was about. However, as long as you are obviously identified, then I am not really bothered if you have almost identical accounts to allow for easier administration. However, I am sure there must be another way to improve your administration, if you used one account........
Simon,
You are right about Calidona/Corvera and all their associates, they are virtually useless. If we did not have them we would not notice much/any difference. I spent 4 years waiting for them to build my property, and barely heard a word from them. I have had my property for 2 and a half years and I have barely heard a word from them.
We all rely heavily on Roy and Chris to be the "boots on the ground", many of us can't be there all the time ourselves, even although we would like to be there all the time.
When you read the information provided by Roy and Chris, and you then "read between the lines" you know that the information was't just handed to them on a plate, it was the work behind the scenes that was key to the content of the information.
We need as much info as possible, so everyone keep posting, it does help, it makes a difference.
Anyway, the main point is Corvera Airport, and I am disappointed that the airport is not already open, as it was supposed to be. But then we have all heard the "supposed to be " stories for the last 6 and a half years now, and we just have to get on with it and be positive. With Spain on its knees, or worse, we have to be glad that the airport is opening at all and will have flights soon with some, if not all, of the same airlines that are operating out of San Javier and Alicante. The economic situation in Spain is desparate with horrendous unemployment statistics as shown below from The Telegraph in January 27th 2012.
The number of 16-24 year old Spaniards out of work rose to 51.4 per cent in December, more than double the European Union average, according to a report by Spain's National Statistics Institute. The national unemployment rate hit 22.85 per cent, the highest rate in nearly 17 years and the current highest in the industrialised world.
However, we also have forward progress with Paramount, so more positive news for Corvera, in spite of the above.
Around 4 years ago I noticed that Google Earth showed what looked like the early construction of the new airport. It was located several miles due West of Hacienda del Alamo, and the runway direction was East / West, which meant that flights would be directly over Hacienda del Alamo. At first it looked like just bare earth scaped in a straight line by a bulldozer, but a year or so later it looked like black tarmac had been laid, with white lines down the middle and 2 digit numbers at each end of the runway, possibly 27 and 09, which made sense as these would be the runway direction bearing in degrees, 270 and 90. However, Corvera owner and forum member Donal Egan recently posted about the update available in Google Earth. I have had a look and now the black tarmac, lines and numbers have gone from the "runway" to the West of Hacienda del Alamo and it just looks like a strip of bare earth again. However, several miles to the North East of Hacienda del Alamo lies a bigger runway which runs in the North East / South West direction, which suggests that flights will still be directly over HDA, and possibly over, or very near, other resorts in the opposite direction such as El Valle, Sierra Golf, United, La Peraleja and Hacienda De Requelme.
I feel sorry for anyone who has had to try and select the ideal resort for them with all of the mis-information that has obviously been out there and of course the lack of crucial information from sales agents, (where are they now I wonder? at least one of them was last heard of a few years ago selling furniture packs, I doubt if he is doing that now), and now perhaps many people will be seeing and hearing the aircraft close up on their resort, not just at the airport.
I fly extensively all year, and sometimes I have the misfortune of landing at some airports that are relatively close to mountains and even in fairly moderate weather these landings seem much more uncomfortable than other landings at airports where there are no mountains, with some of my fellow passengers sometimes being terrified or sick. Not everyone is good when it comes to flying in unpleasant conditions. Although there have been no landings at Corvera yet, do the authorities know what the effects of turbulence will be if for example a plane is landing, heading South West, and there are strong winds from the North West from over the mountains? Do they care if some people are not good flyers if the going gets a bit rough? They should already know what the wind speed and direction is likely to be over a year, they have had plenty of time (years) to measure it. Do they have any information on windshear or aircraft equipped to detect it, or do they think it is somebody else's problem, because they just want lots of planes to land there? Have there been any flights to even try out the landing approach, without actually landing?
What would the airport operating hours be, if several resorts were on, or very close to, the flight path?
Will the airport be called Corvera Airport? Will it change its name again? Will we get some facts from the management or more "Spanish"?
Tom,
Just a few things that I can think about, but there are probably some more, but a few things for you to think about. Good luck with your meeting, and we all look forward to your detailed feedback right after the meeting.
George