Not everything flying above your head and boat on Lower Lough Erne are birds
Developments at Enniskillen Airport
Not everything flying above your head and boat on Lower Lough Erne are birds. In recent years the air around the Round Tower on Devenish Island has become more and more busy with helicopters and planes. Sunsets at the remote and idyllic jetty can be accompanied by the training of the flying schools and repeated landing approaches and starts.
Fermanagh District County had closed and mothballed the Enniskillen Airport in January 2002. End of 2004 the airport was reopened by Enniskillen Airport Ltd, a privately-owned consortium, which has rent the airport from Fermanagh Council and used as a pilot training centre.
Two flight training schools, Unique Helicopters N.I. Ltd and Enniskillen Flying Centre Ltd, have their business there. Also two helicopter maintenance companies, Sloane Helicopters and London Helicopter Company, are based at Enniskillen Airport and offer their services.
Aeronautical engineering and commercial pilot flight training courses are planned to run at the airport, if a delivery partnership between South West College and Enniskillen Airport goes ahead. The first aeronautical engineering courses are scheduled for September 2010.
And, that’s not all. For the future the Enniskillen Airport Ltd has visions and plannings to expand the business.
The three year goals (2010 - 2012) include a amphibious marina, designed for seaplanes and boats. “The airports unique location allows Enniskillen Airport to have a marina adjoining the airfield capable of taking up to 15 amphibious planes - Enniskillen Airport will be the only facility in Ireland.” source
The Airport company is in talks on a first seaplane route to Scotland.
“Water taxi to your hotel!” headlined the Fermanagh Herald early March a report. “At this week’s meeting of Fermanagh District Council, members approved expenditure of £200,000 for eight acres of land between St Angelo and the lake, and a £75,000 interest in 10 adjoining acres, with the present occupier allowed a 49-year lease.” Stephen Finlay, one of the directors of the airfield told the Fermanagh Herald “that the marina facility would be ideal for people flying in who hire out cruisers in that, when they finish their holiday, they can leave the cruisers at the airfield where the hire cruiser companies can pick them up. ‘We will be stocking all types of fuel as well’, he added.” source
For the five year goals beyond (2013 – 2017) a runway extension by 400m and a new terminal with offices, canteen, corporate meeting rooms, pilot shops etc. are planned to attract high profile corporate charter businesses to operation from Enniskillen.
However, in May 2009 the first Fermanagh Seaplane Festival took place in Enniskillen. See photos of the planes here. The next Seaplane Festival will probably take place 2011.
And, the Maule M7 235B Seaplane of the the ‘Amphibious Flying Club’, based at Enniskillen Airport, is ready for takeoff.
“We have been talking to the planners and we don’t see any major hurdles.” said Stephen Finlay to the Fermanagh Herald in the above mentioned report.
The birds on the Lower Lough Erne have survived Catalinas and Sunderlands. They seem to be genetically adapted and more familiar with flying boats and their smaller sisters, the seaplanes, than their conspecifics on Lough Derg. See Captain’s Handbook
Sources and further read: “redOrbit” and ” The Fermanagh Herald”
Nicht immer sind es Vögel, die über Boote auf dem Lower Lough Erne fliegen. In den vergangenen Jahren sind im Gebiet um den Rundturm auf Devenish Island auch häufiger Sportflugzeuge und Helikopter zu sehen. Sonnenuntergänge an dem einsamen und idyllisch gelegenen Anleger können von sich mehrfach wiederholenden Start- und Landeübungen der Flugschule auf dem Flughafen von Enniskillen begleitet sein.
Nachdem der Flughafen fast zwei Jahre lang geschlossen war, hat seit 2004 der Flugbetrieb zugenommen. Und die Planungen gehen weiter. Die Enniskillen Airport Ltd möchte einen Anleger für Wasserflugzeuge und Boote errichten. Auch eine Verlängerung der Landebahn und ein Ausbau des Flughafens ist in Planung.








