Tales of the Urban Explorer: ATG Airports

in Urban Exploration8 days ago (edited)

Oh… how I wish I could start each explore with an image of a foreboding, spooky, dark house, or a dank factory flanked by a setting sun resulting in a contrast so extreme it would make you piss in your jockstrap.

In reality, we often get fed eye-candy of pure shit, such as what you are seeing in this cover image for 'ATG Airports'. Even so, if there's something inside of interest, then I can tolerate the odd image of a filthy, overgrown once road partially covered in green slime, or something similarly disgusting.

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A visit to Manchester Airport can result in serious parking issues, as there's always some tight-arse who wants to dump their car for free before jetting off to Benalmadina to enjoy the sun and admire the quantities of used toilet paper floating in the sea close to the shoreline.

Today we were off the beaten track, just a little and managed to dump the car on a narrow road, before heading into the undergrowth to avoid a house containing probable Karen's.

ATG Airports is an airfield lighting specialist that has been involved in major projects at Manchester Airport, including the Airport Transformation Programme.

It was quite a march over rough ground as the 'official' road to 'ATG Airports' had been sealed by a solid-looking high fence. As we neared some buildings, it looked bleak. All sealed up to the hilt, and this was looking like another failure.

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Ah, but what about that portacabin, the long one with much broken glass and a door that looked suspiciously open?

Besides some distant planes taking off and landing, the area was quiet, and it was enough to convince us that nobody was going to be in there unless it was another explorer.

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We crept inside regardless, as you can never be too careful. Inside was a mess and initially disappointing. Large nets, a partially collapsed ceiling and some graffiti that made no sense at all.

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It's just as well this boring paperwork was protected; otherwise, room one would have been a total bust. Actually, it was..., as this document doesn't detail anything about booze, women or sex. Things had better look up.

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It seems the local ‘fuck writers’ are more illiterate than usual around the Wythenshawe area of South Manchester than average.

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A fancy lighting unit that's barely holding on to the ceiling. I don't know what it is.

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If someone had not wrenched the front door off its hinges, there's always the more reliable back way, where only half a door remains.

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So many doors into this cabin, surely the 'Foreman' must have something of interest stashed away. Bosses don’t do anything other than read porn magazines, right?

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There’s surely some junk left in there, and that’s what it was looking like… junk!

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A guide on using handbrakes? What is there to know, other than you use them to quickly navigate bends at high speed and hope the 'string' doesn't snap?

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I did not have the foggiest what these fuse links were, so I had a Google. They are industrial parts, and not particularly valuable. This must be the reason, they are likely still there and haven't been nicked.

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Safety stuff always seems to be left behind, as though nobody gives a toss about being safe. That sounds just about right.

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ATG Airports’ must have been some kind of safety freak company. I couldn’t get away from it all; everywhere I looked the word ‘safe’ seemed to enter my subconscious.

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An order to ‘rewire runway 2 circuits’, and don’t forget all the safety gear. That goes without saying.

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What an untidy mess, I think this office would fail safety standards and prove hazardous to everyday workers.

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Are they some type of midsize green battery?

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That expired long ago, and Ross, don't you realise you are at the wrong airport? Glasgow is in the northern wastes where people never see the sun. I wonder why his left ear is missing from the mugshot? It’s like he’s hiding behind the frame.

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Another power supply and possibly some fancy phone. I should have turned it over and had a closer look.

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As the doors are broken down, there's no need for keys anymore. We found no locked offices, and trying many keys would have probably made us bored to tears if required.

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So if you're a door-to-door Salesperson, Rover is going to answer the door. That's what these multiple messages tell me, and Rover has a large, snarling maw and bites a lot.

Given the fact that 'ATG Airports' is in the middle of nowhere, I cannot see roaming Salespeople rapping on this door, that is, when it was operational.

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The Wheat Shreddies looked less than appetising, the Heinz beans even less so. As for the rest, those Peach Slices with a thick layer of Mayo could merit a visit to the local hospital.

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Isn’t that telling, ‘ATG Airports’ exist to fix up airport runways.

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Lots of papers, but I had seen enough.

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The dates on correspondence range from 2009 to 2016. How long has this wrecked cabin been here?

ATG Airports appear to still be in business, but not here.

  • Why did they move?
  • Did a Salesperson knock on that door?
  • Was Rover unleashed?
  • Did Rover sink his fangs into the neck of a passing hawker?
  • Did they move solely to divert attention and avoid prison?

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I reckon I am on to something here.

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Man, that's some dystopian sort of stuff right there. With all the food, ID's and other stuff it almost seems like something out of a video game where the inhabitants had to leave in a hurry or were killed off by an invading horde.

Maybe ATC is someone's initials.

I think the 'C' might be a 'G'.. its a little hidden in the image. So much hate.. these mindless scribbler types.

Poor Ross. I widget is he ever made it back up north safely 🤣🤣

He's a reusable contractor, I know the type.. well!

His family were probably lighting up the signal fires 🔥🔥 🤣🤣

I am not sure which of "reusable contractor" or "disposable contractor" sounds worse xD

Whooo hat a trip and garbage/treasure cache :D

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Well.. this boss certainly uncommon kink ;)

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Those green things are surely not batteries. They are labelled 'timers' and the circuit schematic seems to imply the are used for some kind of relays. So, a controller device for an electric switch to turn things on/off depending on time.

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Do you have by any chance some photos of these items? The middle one looks a bit like a electrode holder for welding machine. But the first from the left with "RS" letters? That looks so odd. Labels make it look like some device, but the shape resembles a folder for documents. Weird.

Oh, and that drawer with unlabelled "Maxwell" CD - that's all the secret things for sure, safely kept on inconspicuous media, tossed with keys and metal parts for absolute safe data retention :D

The only pics I have are here. It's always good to see someone know what this stuff is. I work in IT, so never have a clue on it's usage.

I'm certainly not an expert, I work in IT myself, but I like to dabble with electronics and few other things..

actually, why I didn't think about it earlier.. there's a model number at the top-right, so .. https://www.amazon.com/ETD-SL-1T-DTF-for-Timer-Relay-2866161/dp/B0DT9KT44K .. damn, pricey :D though I recon those you found are way past warranty and wouldn't fetch that price :)

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No door to door sales people. Ha what were they expecting? kind of harps back to the 1970's

'Beware of the Dog'.. always make me chuckle in places such as these. I do miss exploring, if only there was somewhere to visit.

what about the infamous map!!!!

The map sucked.

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I'd expect that anything to do with planes and airports requires a lot of paperwork and you have to obey all sorts of rules. Probably good money in it though. Maybe they just weren't good at their job.

Maybe they just weren't good at their job.

They do appear to be still going and still at Manchester Airport. Yes, lots of safety stuff, I would have preferred something more interesting, but in todays world of crap exploring, you have to take whatever's' on offer.

There was a lot more there than I actually expected. I really want to know what was on that CD Rom...

CD's.. I missed an image and just added it the foot of the post. Contract Drawings.. they say. I can't look at CD's any more, due to lack of player. Do you still have one?

Yeah, I have some USB ones floating around the office that I need to use occasionally. We still use Office 2016 here so I have to install that every now and then.

Yuhh you reminded me how once in my youth I suddenly appeared (let's call it so) unused airport somewhere in SIberia if at that time was Hive it could be good post about this place....

I haven't had any luck with Airports, and this hardly counts!

Super cool! Have you ever visited (or, had you) Pyestock? It was the best in the UK I've ever explored. Must have been around 12 years ago now. Abandoned gas turbine testing facility, and just sooo much to explore there it was crazy. I remember walking through pipes that were at least 2m diameter, but the main yet engine and planes were awesome.

Have you ever visited (or, had you) Pyestock?

Too far for me, that was on the south coast and by all accounts its now been demolished.

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Nice read, thank you sir!
Had to smile once again. And I never smile...

And I never smile...

Everyone should smile, it makes you feel better.

One more reason to read end enjoy your posts.

I like how every place has its own character and intensity. Some of them are neat and tidy while others just look like a tornado passed through them.

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Forgotten project or abandoned by lack of funds, trailer for an office does not indicate anything permanent, another dump for nature to eventually take back.

!BEER

What are door to door sales people going to sell an airport??🤣 🤣. Those bloody tarmac contractors trying to strike gold. When we are all dead and gone by a nuclear winter there will only be two things that will survive. Cockroaches and Laminated Risk Assessments

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It's quite an interesting place, with many objects left behind. It's strange to abandon a place like that. In my country, there aren't any abandoned places like that, and if there were, there wouldn't be a single stone left to salvage, haha. Greetings, friend.



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Makes me kinda want to grab a flashlight and explore some forgotten spots myself… though maybe without Rover chasing me

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Haha, the ear comment though, that's a whole other story... 😅😆

Why would he hide behind the frame, I'm sure these days.. that image would have been rejected. It could be like a massive cauliflower ear or something..

Haha, true dat! 🤣 Guess he's trying to lay low, especially with that cauliflower ear. He got to protect that profile. 🤣

It look like you've visit a little dangerous. Though it's interesting.

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