The highly-successful Flight Academy programme for kids is returning to Runway Visitor Park at Manchester Airport this October half term.
After proving popular with families during its sold-out run this past summer holidays, the programme is back with 90-minute academy sessions that give curious kids the chance to learn all about the different job roles that help keep Manchester Airport in action throughout the year.
The first part of the session takes place aboard a retired DC10 airliner, so kids can sit in the cockpit and find out about roles as varied as cabin crew and ground operators.
They’ll even get to dress the part, and “take control” of the flight deck too.
And if all of that wan’t fun enough, they’ll then head outside to have a look at Manchester Airport’s runways, watch planes taking off and landing, and get to see some of the various jobs they’ve just learnt about in action.
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After the session, families are encouraged to have a look round and make the most of Runway Visitor Park’s impressive facilities.
With stunning views over the nearby airfield, some of the sights on offer include watching aircraft, such as the giant A380, coming and going at close quarters, taking in a tour of the Park’s retired airliners – including the iconic Concorde – and stopping off at the giant play area and on-site café.
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“After the success of this summer’s Flight Academy return, we were keen to bring the programme back for families to enjoy again this October half term,” explained Robert Hassard – Manager at Runway Visitor Park.
“This is an enduringly popular family experience and has inspired many youngsters to consider a career in aviation.”
Curious kids get the chance to learn all about different jobs that help keep Manchester Airport in action / Credit: Runway Visitor Park
Flight Academy at Runway Visitor Park will run daily from Monday 25 – Friday 29 October, with sessions are split into two age groups – one for children aged 4-7 years, and another for those aged 8-12.
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Tickets cost just £10, with parking available for the full day at £5.
The TikTok that TRICKED people into thinking Oasis played at Parklife last night
Thomas Melia
A TikTok video has gone viral overnight after one user tricked people into thinking there was a surprise Oasis set at Parklife last night.
In case you haven’t heard, or your social media feed hasn’t been packed with videos giving you serious FOMO, the biggest weekend in the Manchester music calendar, Parklife, is well underway.
Heaton Park may have been home to another familiar British rock band, Catfish and The Bottlemen on Friday night, but a certain rock band which definitely weren’t in attendance last night (as much as TikTok might want you to believe) is Oasis.
Although Parklife is welcoming the likes of A-list talent such as Charli XCX, 50 Cent, Jorja Smith and more, familiar household name and Britpop icons Oasis are not playing out across any of the two-day weekender.
Parklife is Manchester’s biggest festival weekender.This festival draws in crowds of up to 80,000 across both days.
But a video uploaded last night, which showed Oasis seemingly playing a set at this music festival, went viral with the caption, ‘Can’t believe Oasis just performed at Parklife’.
One TikTok user seemed very annoyed at the fact that, “My daughter was there and she hasn’t told me !!!! She hasn’t said anything ???”
Another said: “No way I sold my ticket.”
Someone else commented: “Wait what?!”
While another user outsmarted this viral video by asking the original uploader: “Do Oasis know about this?”
The video which has now resurfaced and gone viral online was actually taken back in 2022 when Liam Gallagher played out to a packed 85,000 crowd at Knebworth – not Parklife.
Although Liam Gallagher may have been scheduled to play Heaton Park back in 2020 on his own, he definitely didn’t play last night and the rest of the Oasis troupe, including Noel, definitely weren’t in attendance too.
This, however, will be a different story next month as the boys are set to play five non-consecutive nights at Heaton Park between 11 and 20 July.
Featured Images – Publicity Picture (via Supplied) / TikTok
What's On
20 of the best Father’s Day deals in and around Greater Manchester | 2025
Danny Jones
This weekend is festivals galore with Parklife and Outbreak, as well as National Beer Day here in the Uk, but most importantly for lots of us, it’s Father’s Day, i.e. that one specific time of year when you can spoil the bloke who ‘never asks for anything’, is ‘always looking after the rest of us’and so on.
You know the drill.
Every year, when it comes round to Mother’s Day, we always get the usual suspects commenting, ‘What about Father’s Day?’ – well, for what we hope is the final time, the date is the third Sunday in June and in 2025, it happens to be this coming Sunday, 15 June.
Now we’ve got all the tedious housekeeping out of the way, we’re going to channel our inner non-nonsense dad energy and tell you a few deals and offers that you can score for your pops this Father’s Day in a handy little round-up. We think they’d be proud of that already.
Great Father’s Day deals and offers for Greater Manchester dads
The Black Friar – Salford: ‘Bottomless Boddingtons’ deal; book a table this Sunday and when you buy your pops a pint, he gets free refills.
The Black Friar’s Father Day offer has to be one of the best deals around, if you ask us.Boddies is the ultimate Mancunian dad beer.Credit: The Manc Group
1.Lane7 – Great Northern Warehouse: Free pint when booking and using the codeCHEERSDAD at checkout online.
2.J. W. Lees – Various: Sunday roast with all the trimmings, bottomless gravy and unlimited Yorkshire puddings at all J. W. Lees locations.
3.Greene King – Various: Free pint of any Greene King-brewed beer for dads when booking a table for food at any Greene King pub.
Credit: The MancA Greene King great.Greene King is keeping their Father’s Day deals special for 2025: free pints, init.
4.Spirit of Manchester Distillery – City centre: Complimentary rum negroni for all dads. Feasting boards + a bottle of wine for £50 are also available.
5.Stock Exchange Hotel – City centre: Limited-edition Afternoon Tea and Sunday Lunch all Father’s Day weekend. Afternoon teas are available all weekend from 12:30pm until 5pm (4:30pm on Saturday). Book now to secure your spot.
6.Sexy Fish – Spinningfields: ‘Roll the dice’ offer, where fathers can win prizes, including an extra game, free beer, raffle entry, and dad eats free. There is a catch, though, as you can also land yourself a trick, which means dad pays for everything… You can book HERE.
7.Pip – Deansgate: Add a welcome drink and complimentary massage from specialists Ruuby before or after food when reserving a table for Sunday lunch. Bookings HERE.
8.Albert’s Schloss – City centre: Every dad dining ‘in-haus’ will receive a branded stein and a bottle of Krombacher to take home; they can even have it engraved from 1-4pm when booking in advance. There will also be a ‘Rise + Shine Brunch’, where dads can take control of the playlist.
9.Zouk – Oxford Road Corridor: Brunch and Sunday roast sharing platters, close-up magic with Daniel Maze, as well as Zouk BBQ Banquet Kits and Masterclasses.
As far as deals and offers go, Zouk has some of the best in Manchester as it is, let alone on Father’s Day. (Credit: The Manc Eats)
10.The Ivy – Spinningfields: Cowboy-themed Father’s Day set menus on Saturday, 14 and Sunday, 15 June. Top-quality meat and fish are the stars of the show, and dads will also take home a limited edition set of The Ivy playing cards as a souvenir. More info on the menu and bookings HERE.
11.TGI Fridays – Central and Trafford Centre: Free pint of Hofmeister (or alcohol-free version) with any portion of wings purchased.
12.TheRefuge/Kimpton Clocktower Hotel – Oxford Road: Free pint on Manchester Union Lager when booking a meal this Sunday.
13.Cockfield’s Farm Park – Oldham/Ashton: Free entry for dads with every child ticket. In addition to the usual resident animals, kids’ playground, cafe and gift shop, there will also be a ‘Machine Madness’ event this weekend. Find out more HERE.
14.Seven Brothers – Ancoats, Media City, Salford Brewery and Taproom: Father’s Day Bundle (12 cans from £34.95) and Gift Pack (£9.95) as well as other discounted items available to order online.
15.Forbici – City centre: Free haircut for all fathers at Urban Gent when settling the bill.
One of the most random Father’s Day deals in Manchester, we’ll admit, but we rate it.
16.The Lead Station – Chorlton: Free pint of beer and branded Shindigger pint glass. Set Sunday menus are also available for booking.
17.The Martlet Kitchen – Rochdale: Special Father’s Day menu; as well as the usual stunning Sunday roast, dads can also share a ‘Tomahawk Rib Eye for Two’ or ‘The Lancashire Mixed Grill’ – both built for big boys. You can find out more details and reserve your table HERE.
It really is a Greater Manchester gem, and its Father’s Day menu offers plenty of variety, plus quality too.
18.Manchester Airport – GM Ringway: Hangar and aircraft showcase tours at the Runway Visitor Park as well as a free sausage or bacon barm. Now, if this Father’s Day offer isn’t the most dad deal on this list, we don’t know what is. You can book online or over the phone on 0161 489 3932.
19. Maya – Gay Village: Bottomless brunch promising 90 minutes of free-flowing drinks as well as a ‘Quiz & Cocktails’ event from 6:30pm onwards. The prize? £50 bar tab.
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20.meetspaceVR – Trafford Park: 25% off all gift cards when using code BONUSTIME at checkout, and those who spend £50 or more can claim a bonus Black Card, which gets you 25% off all future bookings. As in forever.
Now, obviously, this is by no means an exhaustive list of all the Father’s Day deals and offers that there in and around Greater Manchester this year, but it’s a bloody good start.
And on a very serious note, if this particular annual observance is one that you’re also guilty of perhaps overlooking, then let’s make 2025 the last year that is the case.
Happy Father’s Day to all the proper good pops out there – we love you. Cheers.
Emily Sergeant -
13th October 2021 
