'To infinity...'

29 July 2011 Last updated at 17:05 GMT David Mackay said he had always wanted to be an astronaut A Wiltshire man is set to become the first pilot to fly tourists into space.

David Mackay, 53, from Salisbury, is the chief pilot for Virgin Galactic.

The company, which is part of Richard Branson's Virgin Group, is aiming to run the first commercial "sub-orbital space flights", which it is hoped will begin within two years.

Mr Mackay, who spent 16 years with the RAF before joining Virgin Atlantic in 1995, said he had held a lifelong ambition to become an astronaut.

"When I was 12, I saw the Apollo moon landings and I thought that was really fantastic and exciting and thought that's what I want to do," he said.

"I found out that those astronauts were ex-test pilots, so I rather ambitiously decided that I would join the RAF, become a test pilot, then become an astronaut."

'Mothership' flights

Later, while working as a captain with Virgin Atlantic, Mr Mackay was one of four pilots selected to become Virgin Galactic test pilots.

He went on to work with the development team at Virgin's Spaceport out in the Mojave Desert in California, where he made test flights in Virgin's WhiteKnightTwo "mothership".

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There will be a bit of noise and vibration so they'll definitely know they are on their way into space”

End Quote David Mackay Virgin Galactic pilot WhiteKnightTwo is a jet-powered cargo aircraft which will be used to launch the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft carrying commercial passengers.

Mr Mackay said his experience made him the obvious choice to be the first pilot to take tourists into space.

"I've been involved with it for a long time," he said. "There's quite a bit of test flying to be done yet.

"So by the time it comes to the first commercial flight I will be as experienced as anybody on the project, so it makes sense for the most experienced people to be on that first flight."

It will take about an hour for the mothership to reach an altitude of 50,000ft [15,000m] before the spacecraft it is carrying is launched.

The spaceship will then fire its rocket motor and accelerate to 2,500mph [4,000km/h] in less than a minute as it leaves the atmosphere.

Describing what the passengers will experience, Mr Mackay said: "It will be close to 4g acceleration which is a huge push in the back.

"So it will be a very exciting rocket ride, it will last about a minute and they will be pinned back into their seats.

Spaceship tickets cost ?125,000 each

"There will be a bit of noise and vibration so they'll definitely know they are on their way into space."

Once the ship is in space and up to 360,000ft [110,000m] above the planet, passengers will be allowed to unstrap their seatbelts and experience weightlessness and see the Earth from above before the craft makes its return.

Mr Mackay described the sensation of weightlessness as a "fantastic experience".

The flight duration from lift-off to touchdown will be about three-and-a-half hours.

Following further testing, Virgin hopes to begin commercial space flights within two years.

Even at a cost of ?125,000 a ticket, more than 400 people have already booked their seats.

You can hear more about David Mackay's story on BBC Wiltshire and BBC Swindon on Monday 1 August from 06:30 BST.

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Boy, 13, is stabbed during fight

31 July 2011 Last updated at 08:55 GMT A 13-year-old boy has been taken to hospital after being stabbed during a fight in north London.

He was injured on City Road, Islington, at about 23:55 BST on Saturday while a brawl took place between four or five boys of a similar age, police said.

He is being treated for a single stab wound and his condition has been described as stable. His injury is not said to be life threatening.

The Metropolitan Police said no arrests had yet been made.

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Man injured in plane crash dies

31 July 2011 Last updated at 09:33 GMT A 59-year-old man who suffered 70% burns in a plane crash in Greater Manchester has died.

Police said the other man, aged 19, injured in the crash on Friday remained in a critical condition.

The pair were hurt when their light aircraft crashed into two houses in Newlands Avenue, Peel Green, Salford.

The aircraft, operated by Ravenair flying school, was on fire as it took off from Barton Aerodrome, the BBC understands.

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Overturned car hits pedestrians

31 July 2011 Last updated at 07:16 GMT Three people have been injured after a car overturned and collided with two pedestrians in central London.

The crash, involving a BMW car, happened at 03:30 BST in Old Brompton Road in Kensington.

Police said two female pedestrians had been taken to a west London hospital, one with serious multiple injuries.

The 29-year-old male driver of the car suffered head, arm and spinal injuries and was taken to a south London hospital. The road has been closed.

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Adlington claims World 800m gold

Venue: Shanghai, ChinaDates: 16-31 JulyCoverage: Selected live coverage and daily highlights [of swimming phase] on BBC Two, Red Button, BBC Radio 5 live sports extra & online (UK only); reports on BBC Radio 5 live and website; watch again on iPlayer Superb Adlington wins gold

Rebecca Adlington produced a sprint finish to win the 800m freestyle at the World Championships in Shanghai.

The 22-year-old - who won silver in the 400m last week - was behind with 100m to go but overhauled Lotte Friis.

Adlington had never won a world title but held on to claim Britain's fourth medal of the meeting.

Earlier Michael Phelps won his 25th world title by winning the 100m butterfly in 50.71 seconds ahead of Konrad Czerniak and Tyler McGill.

Double Olympic champion Adlington and Friis were together from the start before the Danish swimmer made a break after 500m.

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That was one of the most exciting races I have ever seen and it is very unusual for an 800m race to finish so close. The girls will have been in agony so for Becky to find a sprint finish was amazing

Karen Pickering BBC Radio 5 Live commentator

World record holder Adlington was 0.65 seconds behind with two lengths remaining but managed to sprint clear to win in a time of eight minutes 17.51 seconds.

She told BBC Sport: "Lottie is always such a strong competitor that I knew it was going to be a battle.

"I'm so glad I've added to my collection. She is just an absolute competitor and always there battling.

"Next year it will be the two of us again but hopefully I'll have the crowd behind me.

"I don't think I can do the 200m in London as I don't have enough speed. I want to work on the 400 and 800m, they are the ones I prefer.

"But hopefully I will get a spot on the 4 x 200m relay team."

Phelps was only third at the halfway stage of his final but powered back down the second 50m to take his third gold of the week.

Defending champion Liam Tancock won his semi-final of the 50m backstroke in 24.62 seconds to qualify fastest for Sunday's final.

The Brit told BBC Sport: "I want to come here and race fast in every race and now I've got my spot in the final.

"It is a very tough field and medals could come from every lane but I am in there with a shot."

Adlington thanks supporters after gold win

Fran Halsall, who finished joint-fourth in the 100m, comfortably qualified for Sunday's 50m freestyle final after finishing second in her semi-final behind Herasimenia Ranomi Kromowidjojo.

Halsall was only able to resume training in March after undergoing ankle surgery last December.

Kate Haywood missed out on a place in the 50m breaststroke final by 0.02 seconds after finishing fifth in her semi-final, which was won by Russian Yuliya Efimova.

Lizzie Simmonds finished seventh in her 200m backstroke final which was won by 16-year-old American Melissa Franklin.

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Adlington will be under huge pressure in London as defending Olympic champion and now World Champion but she has shown that she can handle it.

Karen Pickering

Inge Dekker won the women's 50m butterfly in a time of 25.71 seconds while Brazilian Cesar Cielo Filho defended his 50m freestyle in 21.52 seconds.

Daniel Fogg could only manage the 14th fastest time in the 1500m freestyle heats, finishing in 15 minutes, 13.39 seconds. China's Sun Yang led the way in 14:48.13.

The women's 4x100m medley relay team, consisting of Haywood, Georgia Davies, Jemma Lowe and Amy Smith, finished sixth as winners the United States narrowly missed out on a world record.

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Ex-jockey injured halting horse

30 July 2011 Last updated at 17:26 GMT Kieren Fallon was forced to jump off the horse Multi Blessing when its saddle slipped A man has been injured trying to halt a loose horse at Glorious Goodwood races in West Sussex.

Tim Jarvis, the son of horse trainer Alan Jarvis, was hurt attempting to control the horse Multi Blessing at the Chichester racecourse.

A spokeswoman for Goodwood said he was struck by the horse after its saddle slipped and rider Kieren Fallon had to jump off.

Mr Jarvis was taken to St Richards Hospital Chichester with chest pains.

The Goodwood spokeswoman said the the ex-jump jockey was conscious and described his condition as "ok".

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Flying high

30 July 2011 Last updated at 10:56 GMT By Susannah Cullinane BBC News EasyJet will offer 70 flights a week from Southend Airport From next spring, one of Europe's largest airlines will be flying from a small airport in south-east England. The BBC's Susannah Cullinane went to London Southend Airport in Essex to find out more about the deal.

There are very few people on the 08:32 train from Liverpool Street to London Southend Airport's new ?12m rail terminal.

A quick glance at the neighbouring Stansted Express shows it to be comparatively overflowing - or at least carrying more people per carriage than the one person in mine.

But from next April, Southend Airport - a 50-minute train journey from Liverpool Street compared to Stansted's 46 minutes - will be the departure point for 70 EasyJet flights a week.

The Stobart Group, which owns the airport, aims to have two million passengers a year passing through its terminal by 2020.

Aer Arann and Flybe already operate from Southend, offering flights to Ireland and Jersey, but EasyJet will massively extend the airport's reach.

The airline has announced it will fly from Southend to Alicante, Barcelona, Ibiza, Malaga and Majorca in Spain, as well as Belfast, Amsterdam and Faro in Portugal.

The deal means Southend be the sixth airport serving south-east England to offer flights to mainland Europe, alongside Stansted, Heathrow, Gatwick, London City and Luton airports.

Arriving at Southend Airport railway station the expansion work is immediately obvious.

A ?3m control tower opened on 18 July stands opposite, near a new terminal building due to be completed by autumn. A few hundred metres away, the airport's current terminal is flying an orange EasyJet flag.

'No hustle and bustle' Easyjet's arrival at Southend airport has put it on the map

Inside, however, the impression is more black coffee and full English breakfast than international transport hub.

About 15 people are scattered at wooden tables, apparently unworried by pressing travel concerns, lingering instead over the day's newspapers and chatting amongst themselves.

Cafe Stobart supervisor Jill Ross explains that the relaxed mood is probably because 85% of her customers are local residents rather than travellers.

"That's why it's so friendly - they're sort of friends rather than customers."

But Ms Ross says there have been a lot of changes at Southend Airport since she started working in the coffee shop four years ago.

Since Aer Arann began flying out of Southend this March, she says, cafe staff numbers have doubled.

"Everyone is for the expansion," Ms Ross said. "Everyone's said 'how brilliant that they're going to fly here'."

Smoking a cigarette beneath the orange flag outside, is Ann Duffy who says she flew into Southend from her home in Waterford, Ireland, to visit her son and his family.

Cafe Stobart has been serving more local residents than air passengers

She is pleased at news that the airport is to be expanded. "It's good to give some money back to this area. Keep it close to home," she said.

Waiting for a fare at the airport, taxi driver Jim Nolan says he expects the expansion will bring work and jobs to the area.

"It's long overdue that this airport is being developed. It should've happened years ago."

Judicial review

Not all Southend's residents are as supportive of the expansion however.

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I think it's long overdue that this airport is being developed. I think it should've happened years ago.”

End Quote Jim Nolan Local resident Stop Airport Extension Now (SAEN) was formed in opposition to the extension of Southend's runway. SAEN says the 300m extension will lead to a "massive" increase in flights and impact on the lives of people living, working or going to school near the flight path.

Spokesman Denis Walker says EasyJet will not be able to land fully-laden Airbus 319 planes at Southend until the airport's runway has been lengthened.

SAEN had been trying to get a judicial review of Southend Council's decision to approve planning permission for the extension, but on Wednesday its appeal was refused.

Mr Walker says the secretary of state must approve the closure of a road at the end of the current runway and a public inquiry into the closure of some public footpath - due to start in November - also needs to be completed before work on the extension can begin.

"We're very concerned about the effect the expansion will have, particularly because it's so close to housing on the south-west side," he said.

Southend's head of business development, Jonathan Rayner, says time has become an important commodity for air travellers and the airport hopes to attract passengers through the relative accessibility of its services.

The airport says it will ensure it takes no more than four minutes to go through its security area while passengers travelling without check-in luggage can expect to be on the arrivals platform within 15 minutes of their plane's doors opening, he says.

A spokesman for Stansted says the airport is disappointed EasyJet is transferring some of its operations to Southend. But he says the airports are so different it is impossible to directly compare them.

"The decision clearly reinforces just how competitive the airports market is for point-to-point passengers, especially if the UK's largest airline is prepared to start-up at one of the UK's smallest airports."

Southend Airport has opened a ?3m control tower and ?12m railway station

Gatwick Airport says EasyJet's decision to fly from Southend "shows that competition is working". It says 15 million people live within an hour's drive of Gatwick.

"Some of those people will have the choice to fly from either Gatwick Airport or a smaller airport like Southend."

London City Airport says "London has a chronic long term shortage of airport capacity" and it recognises attempts will be made to bring "peripheral destinations" in the area market.

Luton Airport says it is too early to tell what the impact of Southend's expansion on its own operations will be.

Peter Morris, chief economist for aviation consultancy Ascend, says the actual level of demand for EasyJet's flights from Southend will only become clear once they're up and running.

With six airports servicing the area around Greater London, and in the face of a weak economy and high fuel costs, Southend's expansion is more likely to redistribute existing aviation traffic than to create a new market, he says.

"Whether the market has got a critical saturation - that's something that only gets validated when people try it and see if it works," he says.

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