What to do with decommissioned aircraft carriers-solved!

[McColm]

The government wants a third runway for Heathrow Airport. Stanstead, Luton and Gatwick have all put proposals in for expansion. Biggin Hill and Manston and South End have also been considered.
There was Boris Island as well.
The US Navy uses the largest aircraft carriers which either find their way into a museum, sank and used for divers or scrapped.
Could they be used as a floating runway? One of them could be turned into a hotel with a heliport on the deck. Or two together heliport - terminal-hotel.
The C-130 can land and take off from an aircraft carrier but isn't the ideal aircraft to use for passengers. So short takeoff  or ex-navy fixed winged. Tilt-rotors, H eliplanes and anything with the capacity of three or more passengers.
In Whiffland this is possible,  in the real world I'm optimistic.

Kits to use, this will depend on the space available
I know that there are R/C aircraft carrier kits so painting one of those would be awesome!

[zenrat]

Iain M Banks, in (IIRC) Against a Dark Background posits exactly such an arrangement.  He goes one step further though employing the reactors of the nuclear powered carriers to provide electricity for the floating city which surrounds "Carrier Field".

The ideal aircraft to service such an airport would obviously be a fleet of Rotodynes.

[Weaver]

An Avro RJ (BAE-146) can, in principle, land on a US carrier: it was proposed as a COD aircraft, with more of the mods being concerned with getting the thing into the hangar rather than landing it. Mind you, it would be an interesting marketing exercise trying to get passengers to accept the accelerations and decelerations associated with catapult launch and arrested recovery: perhaps Alton Towers could help? 

"No madam, we are NOT landing until you fasten your seatbelt AND shoulder straps: it is NOT optional..."

[zenrat]

An Avro RJ (BAE-146) can, in principle, land on a US carrier: it was proposed as a COD aircraft, with more of the mods being concerned with getting the thing into the hangar rather than landing it. Mind you, it would be an interesting marketing exercise trying to get passengers to accept the accelerations and decelerations associated with catapult launch and arrested recovery: perhaps Alton Towers could help? 

"No madam, we are NOT landing until you fasten your seatbelt AND shoulder straps: it is NOT optional..."

You must be this tall to fly...

[Weaver]

An Avro RJ (BAE-146) can, in principle, land on a US carrier: it was proposed as a COD aircraft, with more of the mods being concerned with getting the thing into the hangar rather than landing it. Mind you, it would be an interesting marketing exercise trying to get passengers to accept the accelerations and decelerations associated with catapult launch and arrested recovery: perhaps Alton Towers could help? 

"No madam, we are NOT landing until you fasten your seatbelt AND shoulder straps: it is NOT optional..."

You must be this tall to fly...

Our colourful padded baby nets are such fun....

[Weaver]

"All passengers MUST swivel their seats to face backwards and lock them in place for landing. Yes I know you were facing forwards for take-off madam, but landing is different..."

[McColm]

If they built a ski ramp instead of using steam catapults is one option. Then you could have two aircraft carriers end-to-end with one either side .The islands would be removed for the end-to-end and the two either side with one on the left and one on the right for steering into the wind for take-off /landings.
With the increased deck space for parking.
An outdoor cinema and theatre.

[sandiego89]

I hate to be a wet blanket, but I could only see a heliport as the only realistic option for a retired aircraft carrier.  Any talk of ski-ramps, catapults and arresting gear seems like a non-starter. Too many safety concerns and compromises in aircraft designs.  Super STOL (that is independent of launch or landing aids) sounds attractive, but you tend to end up with a design that is really only good for short haul, and very specific routes.  For now helo's and tilt rotors seem to be the only practical option for inter-city use.

Sorry- keep on whiffing.... 

[Weaver]

I hate to be a wet blanket, but I could only see a heliport as the only realistic option for a retired aircraft carrier.  Any talk of ski-ramps, catapults and arresting gear seems like a non-starter. Too many safety concerns and compromises in aircraft designs.  Super STOL (that is independent of launch or landing aids) sounds attractive, but you tend to end up with a design that is really only good for short haul, and very specific routes.  For now helo's and tilt rotors seem to be the only practical option for inter-city use.

Sorry- keep on whiffing.... 

There's a distinct possibility that I wasn't being entirely serious...

[Weaver]

When the old Brazilian carrier Minas Gerais was decommissioned and up for sale for scrap value, I did try to persuade the members of several biker websites I was on to have a whip round and buy it, the objective being to have a mobile rally venue that could pick attendees up from the nearest port, and then proceed to stage the mother and father of all parties outside territorial waters, with no nosey coppers or curtain twitching neighbours to complain about the noise. With plenty of accomodation space, a big undercover area for live music and a built-in drag strip (albeit with a brutal run-off area) it seemed like a perfect idea, but alas, nobody bit....

[scooter]

I think I posted this once before.  But apropos here

[JayBee]

This picture was sent to me by a friend some years ago when the personality involved was in his ascendancy.

Tiger Woods' yacht.

[Weaver]

I think I posted this once before.  But apropos here

Heh, sweet. 

[sandiego89]

There's a distinct possibility that I wasn't being entirely serious...

Oh I get that from you Weaver, just wanted to advise a few others that cat and trap (or ski jump) is not easy!  I'd like to see your average Southwest/RyanAir passenger on a cat shot!    

-Dave

[kerick]

This picture was sent to me by a friend some years ago when the personality involved was in his ascendancy.

Tiger Woods' yacht.

Note the water hazard